Rs. 750 m Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort to open tomorrow

By Cheranka Mendis

Sri Lanka will get its first star classed hotel in the area bordering the Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces this Saturday, with the opening of the Rs. 750 million Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort.

Owned and managed by Rosen Lanka Limited, the hotel has been built to fit the four star hotel category and is awaiting confirmation from the authorities. Set to be ceremoniously opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa tomorrow, the resort spans over seven acres and will have 53 rooms and four suites.

Hosting a press conference to announce the new property, which is a first for the group, the Directors of the company noted that a second phase of development was also in the pipeline where a special Ayurvedic spa unit would be set up close to the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort, branded the ‘Ayurvedic Temple.’ An additional Rs. 200 million has been budgeted for the development of the second property which has already been structurally built.

Director Anura Vithanage said that the major shareholder of the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort, ELS Group of Companies, conducts business in the field of construction and engineering.

“We identified the property just before the end of civil war in 2009. The structure was built but had been abandoned for close to 12 years. The property was acquired in February 2009,” Vithanage said. He stated that the resort was initially constructed by German national Harrow Brown years ago.

While the initial plan was to open the resort to coincide with the T20 World Cup in Hambantota last month as the property is in close proximity to the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, proposed International Airport in Mattala, Ruhunu Magampura Port, and the Udawalawe Park, the opening was delayed due to final touches being added to the design and architecture of the hotel, he said.

Hoping to target a 50-50 local and foreign guest base, special rates will be given initially to locals as the resort has entered too late to accommodate forward bookings for the winter season. With average room rates going at US$ 120, special rates have been introduced for six months starting 1 November.

The group will work on contracts with the likes of Walkers Tours, Aitken Spence, and Jetwings, etc., to sell their rooms. For the upcoming season the resort will sustain itself with Free Independent Travellers (FITs) and walk-in tourists, they said.

Foreign bookings for the upcoming winter season currently stand at 20%, with the key markets being Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and the Far East.

The resort has been designed to conserve the environment with water and waste recycling being inserted into the system and the construction work been done around nature without felling a single tree during the process. However, the resort boasts the latest technologies on the property with a state-of-the-art business centre, gymnasium, specially-designed swimming pool with adjoining bar, 200 pax conference hall, and 450 pax banquet hall.

A mini theatre is also in place for tourists seeking leisure along with a large open air theatre ‘Una Sewana’ designed in a similar pattern to the open air theatre of the Peradeniya University. For dining purposes, the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort has a coffee shop titled ‘Monara,’ a restaurant with a capacity of hosting 250 pax ‘Una Sevana,’ and two bars – ‘Ath Gala’ and ‘Ali Mankada’.