Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Sea shine star bright

Friday, 1 February 2013 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

For Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Sea, 2013 dawned fair indeed. Two of the country’s most prominent resorts, as well as being the beginning of the Jetwing story, Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Sea were recently awarded a five star and four star certificate respectively by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. With tourism increasingly at a consistent pace, as evidenced by the millionth visitor to the island a few weeks ago, the need for high quality and world class accommodation is important. As the country strives to achieve the target of two million by 2016, and become one of Asia’s most popular destinations, being awarded certifications provides direction and guidance to travellers when planning their holiday/visit.

Jetwing Blue, formerly known as the Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel, was opened in 1973 by Herbert Cooray – the founding Chairman of Jetwing. Initially opened with 6 rooms of a planned 50, the hotel went through a major re-imagining in 2011 and was re-launched with 112 rooms, and a 600 pax seating capacity Ballroom. However, an interesting twist to the tale comes from Jetwing Sea, which was named the Seashells Hotel. Herbert Cooray in fact built the hotel in 1971, for tourism pioneer G.E.B. Milhuisen in a record six months, thus making it his first-ever hotel.

Fast forward a few years, and the Seashells Hotel was under Herbert; and in 2011, lovingly recreated and opened as Jetwing Sea – an 83 room property complete with a rooftop gym and spa along with a specialty fine dining fresh seafood restaurant named the Lellama. “Today’s traveller is not the traveller we as an industry were used to. Before visiting a country, many research extensively, thanks to resources such as TripAdvisor. When a potential visitor sees the star class status bestowed on a hotel, immediately they know what to expect, what facilities are available, and find it very easy to make a decision. It is with a lot of pride that I look at Jetwing Blue and Jetwing Sea, both properties my father built up himself, and see them certified as a 5-star and 4-star respectively. I trust that it will only be a matter of time before the rest of our stunning properties share in this glory,” said Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing.

Family owned and in the tourism industry for the past 40 years, Jetwing Hotels has surpassed expectation at every aspect. Building on their foundation of being passionate, as well as the experience of true, traditional Sri Lankan hospitality, constantly pioneering discoveries captures the essence of the brand. Such a strong statement and direction have enabled Jetwing Hotels to imagine, create and manage marvels and masterpieces, where distinctive design and elegant comfort complement each other and the environment. Considered a priority, sustainable and responsible practice is implemented through the award winning Jetwing Eternal Earth Program; with energy efficiency, community upliftment, and education of earth saving measures to schoolchildren being a few tenets of the program.