Ceylinco Life breaks new ground with Sri Lanka’s first retirement resort

• Opens La Serena, a fully-serviced 44-unit facility on the beach at Uswetakeiyawa for active retirees

 Can life truly begin at 60? Sri Lanka’s life insurance leader Ceylinco Life believes the answer is yes for “active retirees” and has created the country’s first retirement resort for this demographic.

Built along the lines of a medium-sized resort hotel, La Serena comprises 44 self-contained, fully-furnished, equipped and serviced living units, which will be offered on short- or long-term rent to active retirees seeking to live independently without the hassles of maintaining and running their own homes.

Occupying almost three acres of scenic beachfront land in Uswetakeiyawa, just 14 km north of Colombo, the resort comprises 28 single bedroom units and 16 two-bedroom units, built around common facilities including a swimming pool, mini gym, restaurant, library and reading room, entertainment lounge and beach terrace.

Each living unit has its own living room, dining area, kitchenette and en-suite bathrooms, one for every bedroom, cleverly designed and furnished for optimal use of space – 535 square feet per single bedroom unit and 680 square feet per two bedroom unit.

“This is a groundbreaking concept for Sri Lanka, but one that has been quite successful in other parts of the world,” Ceylinco Life Managing Director/CEO R. Renganathan told journalists hosted to a tour of the facility just days after it opened for public viewing. 

“La Serena caters to a segment that is looking for the perfect mix of privacy and companionship in an extremely convenient environment that facilitates an active and healthy retirement.”

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ceylinco Life, the managing company Serene Resorts Ltd. has the benefit of the strength and expertise of the country’s biggest and most successful life insurance company, and intends to be the forerunner of further investments in retirement living, Renganathan disclosed.

Every residential unit is fully-furnished with living room, dining room and bedroom furniture, an LED TV, refrigerator, induction cooker, microwave oven, electric kettle, telephone, ceiling fans and a safe deposit box. All units have air-conditioning. 

Available at a daily rental for short stays of two weeks to one month or at a monthly rental for stays of a year or more, each fully-furnished residential unit is supplied with electricity and water under a utility fee and has its own telephone, cable TV, Internet and Wi-Fi, laundry services, newspapers, parking and a daily janitorial service. 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available at the restaurant for those who do not wish to prepare their own and a la carte orders may be placed via room service.

The facility will have a doctor on call, 24-hour security and CCTV cameras, outsourced taxi services and access to a salon and spa nearby.

A guesthouse within the complex with four rooms available on a daily rental is set aside for family members visiting La Serena’s residents from overseas or distant areas, facilitating interaction.

“We see this retirement resort catering to the needs of several customer segments,” Renganathan said. “They could be newly-retired or semi-retired men and women with a source of income such as investments, consultancies or freelance work, who like their independence, are reasonably active and would like a hotel-like ambience because they do not want to be burdened with managing and maintaining their own homes and the attendant dealing with domestics, preparing meals and so on.  La Serena could also be a solution for children seeking a secure, managed environment for parents, without the stigma associated with elders’ homes. Older people visiting family or friends in Sri Lanka will also find our short-term rentals a great alternative to staying at a hotel.” As Sri Lanka’s leading life insurer since 2004, Ceylinco Life has in-depth knowledge of the social needs generated by Sri Lanka’s rapidly ageing population and has significant exposure in the health sector through Ceylinco Healthcare Services Ltd. (CHSL) which operates two state-of-the-art radiation treatment centres and the Ceylinco Diabetes Centre. 

The company has close to a million lives covered by active policies and is acknowledged as the benchmark for innovation in the local insurance industry for its work in product research and development, customer service, professional development and corporate social responsibility.