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The former Ceylon Continental reopened its doors in December last year, after being closed for 10 months, undergoing a complete refurbishment backed by country’s most diversified conglomerate, the Hayleys Group. After a total investment of Rs. 2.4 billion (US$ 19 million), inclusive of the investment that went into the hotel after the official launch, the hotel is now a key attraction for the country’s growing tourist numbers as well as for local diners.
The Kingsbury Head of Marketing and Sales Denesh Silva speaking to the Daily FT noted that the hotel currently runs at 70% occupancy, which will definitely pick up over the next few months.
With the hotel’s unique selling point being its location, overlooking the Indian Ocean and centrally located in the metropolis, The Kingsbury is set to reach greater heights in the years to come, Silva said.
Gearing for the aggressive competition that will come up by 2015/2016 with a host of new hotels opening up under various franchises, The Kingsbury has been equipped to raise the bar for luxury hospitality in Sri Lanka, he asserted. “Our guests wake up to the beautiful ocean with the gentle lapping of waves and sun rising over that,” he described. The hotel also has the best in terms of amenities, with rooms being furnished with signature Bvlgari toiletries and Italian branded Frette linen.
Restaurants are equipped with world-renowned Schonhuber Franchi & Sambonet cutlery, Spiegelau and Schott Zwiesel glassware, Villeroy & Boch crockery and are armed with a trained team of staff to deliver an unmatched level of personalised service. “Almost everything is branded here. All these and the additions we have in store for both the Sri Lankan market and the foreign market, will, I believe, help us set our own pace in the developing tourism market and enable us to compete alongside the new hotels in a few years time.”
The hotel was initially launched only with banqueting capabilities as they had committed themselves to the said service through advance bookings. Subsequently, the restaurants and rooms were built up.
There are three key halls to host banqueting functions at The Kingsbury – The Balmoral, The Victorian and The Winchester, along with space along the poolside and The Oval (lobby level, hotel lawn). For meetings, in addition to the said venues, the rooms Kensington, Knightsbridge and Dorchester are also available.
The hotel undertakes outdoor catering as well. “We are fully operational after a total transformation,” Silva said.
Now prepping for CHOGM, the hotel has had a number of VIPs staying there over the past six months, he remarked, listing names such as Sean Kingston, Big Reeno and Taio Cruz, Al and Isla Grant among others.
Silva assured that the target market for the hotel does not exclude the local clientele. “We are managing a number of promotional activities for the Sri Lankan market because the hotel is still new. We have launched various card offers and have close to two promos running in every restaurant.”
Speaking on the trends of the industry, Silva, who also heads the Marketing and Sales division for the Hotels Association, noted that the local tourism sector has diversified from the traditional market – from the Europeans to the Far East, Middle East and also Indian markets. The hotel too has identified those markets as key and will look at marketing the product extensively in those areas.
On claims that the industry itself has slowed down on its growth agenda, he noted that the reality is that while there is growth, the cake is being divided into more pieces than in the past with the number of players within the industry increasing considerably.
“We certainly see growth,” Silva said. “It is probably just that the traditional tourists may not stay in star-class hotels like ours as there are so many other accommodation providers that have come into the market. In short, the market has gotten diversified. The fruits are now being divided among so many others, spanning from home stays to cheaper accommodation.”
Silva also is of the opinion that the local industry should move away from a minimum rate to a maximum rate in time to come. Being governed by a minimum rate is not bad, but as time goes on and the market situation changes, the country must put forward its competitive streak; and this should be done with a change in minimum rates. “With new products coming in, we must be very competitive. Who would like to have a minimum rate? Anyone would like to have a maximum rate. I would say things are going to change in time to come, hopefully in the imposed rates as well.”
