Three Jetwing properties featured on Sri Lanka’s Top 25 hotels

In 1973, the destiny of Sri Lankan tourism changed. From humble beginnings in the fishing town of Negombo, a small family owned company grew to be a pioneering force in the industry, and is now renowned the world over for its simple values and being the home of Sri Lankan hospitality. 

As befitting a reputation of excellence and being Sri Lanka’s premier hospitality brand, three Jetwing properties have been listed in the recently published Top 25 Hotels in Sri Lanka by TripAdvisor as part of their 2015 Travelers’ Choice Awards. 

In second place comes Jetwing Vil Uyana, the country’s first and foremost luxury eco-resort. Set over an expanse of just over 24 acres, Jetwing Vil Uyana represents the rich potential in sustainable and eco-friendly destinations. Formerly an abandoned land used for sporadic agriculture, Jetwing transformed the property into a man-made wetland featuring two lakes and 36 individual dwellings over distinct habitats such as water, forest, paddy, marsh and garden. 

Over the years, the resort went on to be home to a variety of flora and fauna, such as the elusive loris, and also counts 20 species of mammals, 112 species of birds, 36 species of butterflies, and 35 species of amphibians and reptiles. Nature is highly respected, and provided ample space to flourish – with three acres being designated as a loris conservation site, the first in the country.

Jetwing Yala follows in seventh place. Launched in January 2014, Jetwing Yala is known as a beacon of the Deep South of Sri Lanka, and an oasis of luxurious indulgence in the middle of nature at its wildest. Only a few kilometres from the famed Yala National Wildlife Park, Jetwing Yala is fringed by forest on the sides and overlooks massive sand dunes and the Indian Ocean. 

With breath-taking sunsets and where the stars at night appear to only be an arm’s length away, the property is also testament to the Jetwing brand’s commitment to sustainability; featuring one of the largest privately owned solar parks in the country – currently generating 40% of the hotel’s daily electricity demand. 

Adding another dimension to the resort is the beach area directly facing the resort; an expanse of pristine beachfront and soft sands as far as the eye can see, with a beach bar and lounge area along with internationally trained lifeguards patrolling the area during the day.

At 13th place comes Jetwing Lagoon, a property that Jetwing transformed from the formerly known Blue Lagoon into the resort it is today – a sizeable investment in a piece of tourism history, due to its status as the country’s first resort and also Geoffrey Bawa’s first resort design. In the transformation, Jetwing ensured that the late master’s vision remained untouched, and expanded upon with 55 rooms and the longest pool in the area at a 100m in length. 

Overlooking the calm waters of the Negombo lagoon, and featuring an Ayurveda and wellness spa, Jetwing Lagoon also features beach access opposite the hotel, next to Thalahena Villas by Jetwing including another pool at 25m in length, a wholly Lankanesque beach bar – complete with bicycle seats for stools and trishaw hammocks – and a lounge area.

“We love it when a visitor comes to any of our properties and leaves with a smile, knowing that our service and our product is simple yet superior in every way. Through TripAdvisor, it’s refreshing to hear about different experiences, and our guests also provide us with comments that help us improve. My congratulations go out to all the other hotels who are on the Top 25 list, as it is through our efforts that Sri Lanka grows in stature as a premier tourist destination,” said Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing.

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site, enabling travellers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 350 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 290 million reviews and opinions covering more than 5.3 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 47 countries worldwide.