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Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka has been recognised as ‘Best New Hotel of the Year – Luxury/Upper Segment’ for 2015, at the HICSA’s ‘Hotels of the Year Awards’. The honour came as part of HVS’s 11th Annual Hotel Investment Conference, convened in New Delhi during 7-8 April.
HVS, one of Asia’s leading hospitality consulting firms, created HICSA ‘Hotels of the Year Awards’ in 2009, as a way to acknowledge outstanding new hotel developments in the South Asian region each year.
A two-day conference dedicated to the hospitality industry, HICSA is widely viewed by global industry leaders as the premier hospitality event for the South Asian region. Candidates in each of the six categories are deliberated upon during the Conference, resulting in announcements of the winners at the conclusion of the Conference’s first day.
The HICSA ‘Hotels of the Year Awards’ have over the years become a highly-regarded means by which new hotels can gain recognition and celebrate success. Since the inception of the Awards, more than 210 hotels have been nominated in the various categories, and this year the event attracted close to 500 delegates from across 21 countries, and was home to lively strategic discussions upon the future development and direction of the hotel and tourism industry in the region.
Sisira Senaratne, Hotel Manager of Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, commented that he was extremely proud that the resort was recognised as ‘Hotel of the Year’. “What could have been a more positive endorsement of all of my team’s efforts at the Resort than this award? We’re all thrilled to have contributed in our different ways to such a successful venture.”
Set on Sri Lanka’s tranquil Bentota peninsula, Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka sits with the dreamy Bentota River on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. The resort is accessed by a short boat ride across the lagoon, and river and ocean boat trips are a major attraction of the location. The resort has a total of 165 rooms and suites in a variety of configurations, ranging from 37 to 139 square metres, most with glorious views overlooking either the sweeping beach and the ocean beyond, or the river and the unspoiled mangroves.
The resort is also home to an oceanfront SPA Cenvaree, which offers a choice of authentic Ayurvedic treatments, Thai massages and blissful spa packages; plus there is an ocean-facing swimming pool with Jacuzzi and children’s pool, a fitness and water sports centre, two kids’ clubs (Camp Safari and E-Zone) and an selection of authentic eateries.
Caf Bem combines stunning river views with traditional Sri Lankan specialities as well as pan-Asian and international dishes presented as sumptuous, seasonally-inspired buffets, and a la carte; while 360o Seafood is nestled within the resort with views across the ocean and the river, and specialises in fine locally-sourced seafood.
The hotel’s owning company is Ceysands Resorts Ltd., a subsidiary of the Softlogic Holdings Public Company Ltd..
Colombo is less than two hours by road and Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport is 100 km away from the resort.
The panel of six judges who assessed each entry into the Luxury category won by the resort used a detailed point-based analysis model for each hotel to arrive at its final ranking across various criteria. The Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka was clearly able to demonstrate both superior physical attributes as well as those more intangible qualities of good management and effective service.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator, with 48 deluxe and first-class properties across all of the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom, as well as a further 25 hotels and resorts in the Maldives, Vietnam, Bali, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Laos, Oman, Turkey and China. The diversity of Centara properties means that the brand can cater easily to all of the differing needs of couples, families, individuals, and business professionals.
Centara also operates 36 branches of Spa Cenvaree, an award-winning spa brand, together with seven branches of the value brand Cense by Spa Cenvaree, which provides core spa services for busy travellers. The company’s kids’ clubs are available at all their family-friendly resorts to ensure that children – and their parents – can each enjoy their own kind of fun.
Centara also operates three state-of-the-art convention centres in Bangkok, as well as two in northeastern Thailand, one in Udon Thani and the other in Khon Kaen. The latest Centara brand to be launched is COSI Hotels, an affordable lifestyle brand designed for travellers who predominantly make their bookings via the internet and who want comfort and convenience at affordable prices; the first property is due to open in 2016.
