Galle Face Hotel doorman clocks 50 years of service

Gathering at the Felicitation Ceremony

Rathnayake Mudiyanselage Punchi Banda, adressing the gathering

Sanjeev Gardiner handing Banda an award to commemorate the long service at the Galle Face Hotel

It has been 50 years since Banda lugged his first barrel of beer into the tap room at the Galle Face Hotel. Now – at 71 years old – the loyal employee is still earning his keep at Sri Lanka’s oldest and most fabled property.   

Rathnayaka Mudiyanselage Punchi Banda was barely out of his teens when he began work at the property on 17 July 1966. By then the hotel, which opened in 1864, was already more than 100 years old. In his first 10 years, he worked his way from bar labourer to security guard. 40 years ago, he began greeting guests as a doorman, a task he still performs admirably today.

“Mr. Banda is more than just a doorman. He is the face of the property,” said Galle Face Hotel Chairman Sanjeev Gardiner. “He’s the first person guests see when they arrive and often the last person from the hotel they see as they depart. In his role he embodies the hotel’s grace and charm. His in-depth knowledge of the property and surrounding areas and his willingness to go the extra mile for a guest has been invaluable.”

Speaking about his passion for the job Banda said, “I like to talk and the fact that I get to smile with people, really makes my day as well as theirs. I want everyone to be happy. It is important to be passionate about your job and to treat people with sincerity and respect and this is what I have practiced all these years.”

Over the years he has welcomed many famous guests including Indira Gandhi, Marshal Tito, Fidel Castro, and Yuri Gagarin. He’s greeted many former Sri Lankan presidents and prime ministers and once, he held an umbrella for Arthur C. Clark, author of ‘3001: The Final Odyssey’ (which was penned at the hotel). 

Rathnayaka trained under the watchful eye of Kottarappu Chattu Kuttan, Sri Lanka’s most famous doorman who worked at the hotel until his passing in 2014. At the time of his death Kuttan had served at the hotel for 72 years and was one of the oldest hotel employees in the world – at 94 years of age. Banda plans to follow in his mentor’s footsteps by continuing to work at the hotel for many years to come. During the glamorous event organised to felicitate Banda for his invaluable contribution to the Hotel, Gardiner handed him with an award to commemorate the long service he has solidified towards the prestigious property.

Pix  by Gitika Talukdar