Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo announces new General Manager

• Veteran hotelier set to transform resort in the city

Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo ushered in 2023, with the appointment of a new General Manager Darsh Gallage a veteran hotelier with more than two decades of experience in the hospitality sector both in Sri Lanka and overseas.

Darsh takes over the reins of Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo with a comprehensive plan of enhancing the iconic lakefront property to a sought-after resort in the city.

Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Area Vice President Colombo Kamal Munasinghe said: “Darsh’s career highlights have been in leading large teams to achieve pre and post opening goals. He brings with him experience and exposure that Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector requires at this juncture when we are trying to reposition ourselves and remarket Sri Lanka to the world. I am confident that Darsh has the know-how and skills required to enhance Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo’s current positioning of being the resort in the city.”

After completing his primary and secondary education at D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo Darsh went on to study Hotel Management and Catering Technology. After spending several years at 5-star hospitality brands in Colombo, Darsh received his first overseas assignment as Food and Beverage Operations Manager at the Traders Hotel in Dubai in 2003. Moving within the Gulf region, his next assignment was at Shangri-La Abu Dhabi as the Food and Beverage Service Manager. Following a short stint in the United States, Darsh moved back to Dubai to take on a pre-opening role at The Address.

Darsh’s extensive experience in pre-opening operations comes from his years as Director of Food and Beverage, Food and Beverage Operations, and Culinary and Stewarding Operation at YAS Waterworld Abu Dhabi. Complimenting his passion for motor racing, Darsh was then appointed the pre-opening Director of Food and Beverage, Food and Beverage Operations, and Culinary and Stewarding Operation at Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi where he was responsible for developing and implementing the strategy for Ferrari World, overseeing operations, developing food and beverage concepts, and managing and motivating large teams to achieve excellence. For his contributions Darsh was awarded the Senior Leadership Award for three consecutive years.

The direction and coordination as well as growth and profitability of MERAAS Holding Dubai’s Leisure and Entertainment Division, particularly Family Entertainment Centres such as Hub Zero, Laguna Waterpark, Roxy Cinemas,

The Green Planet, Mattel Play! Town, and Splash Pad was Darsh’s final assignment overseas.

Wanting to give back to his home country and look in to revamping the tourism and hospitality sector in Sri Lanka, Darsh returned in 2022, to take on the role of Hotel Manager at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. At a time when brain drain was creating a huge impact for the sector locally, Darsh made a firm decision to remain in the island and share his years of experience to uplift the industry. His appointment as General Manager of Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo comes at a time when tourism is in revival mode and the offerings in the city of Colombo need a revamp to entice discerning post-pandemic travellers.

“Despite having the opportunities overseas, I felt it was time to come back home. Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts welcomed me with open arms and have given me the opportunity to study the Sri Lankan tourism industry and align our properties according to what international travellers are looking for. I am excited to take over at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo and look forward to working with a dynamic team in creating a unique offering for travellers from around the world,” Gallage noted.

Plans for Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo in the first quarter of the year include the opening of the new Pool Bistro, a revamp of the authentic Chinese restaurant Long Feng, enhanced banquet spaces, and much more.