Taj’s Gateway goes global with Sri Lanka

Thursday, 12 May 2011 00:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Senashia Ekanayake

India’s world famous Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces’ new spun brand The Gateway yesterday went global via Sri Lanka.

The unique feat was following the former Taj Airport Garden Hotel Colombo at Katunayake was rebranded as The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo consequent to the US$ 10 million refurbishment.

“The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden Colombo is the first international hotel of the Gateway brand from the Taj Group, South Asia’s largest hospitality group,” Gateway Hotels Chief Operating Officer P.K. Mohankumar said. It is also the 21st operating hotel and the 39th hotel in Taj’s portfolio. The migration of Taj Airport Garden to a Gateway Hotel was first announced in September 2010 and following refurbishment and expansion it was relaunched. The Gateway is categorised by Taj as “upscale” hotel in its four-tier positioning - luxury, premium, upscale and budget.

Branded for its business tourism, The Gateway at Colombo, Katunayake also hopes to entertain an assortment of other vacation-seekers, local residents and conference holders.

The hotel has 110 rooms, of which 30 are to be completed by end June.

Mohankumar who once served in Sri Lanka as the General Manager of Taj Samudra Colombo, said post-war Sri Lanka is poised for a different growth path in tourism.

“The migration of Taj Airport Garden Hotel to a Gateway Hotel is a positive step in the new brand architecture for Sri Lanka, that was announced by the Taj Group of Hotels in September 2010. The hotel fits perfectly into The Gateway Hotels and Resorts brand promise. We are delighted at the positive customer feedback for the brand. The steady growth in the number of Gateway properties bear testament to its success,” Indian Hotels Company Limited Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Raymond Bickson was quoted as saying in a statement.

Associated at the media launch were Taj Samudra General Manager and Sri Lanka Area Director Rohit Khosla, Taj Samudra Sales Regional Director for Sri Lanka and Maldives Amal Goonetilleke and The Gateway Hotel Airport Garden General Manager Shekhar Walavalkar, who explained the amenities of the hotel and the Gateway prototype.

As part of the rebranding exercise, the hotel has undergone uplift. A large number of guest rooms have been refurbished. The rooms have laminated timber flooring in place of carpets, sleek furniture, LCD televisions and stylish design elements.BUZZ, a stylish new all-day dining restaurant and bar, offers a multi-cuisine menu including delicious active food preparations and an extensive beverage list, making it a perfect spot for a light meal or a drink at any time of the day or night.

The hotel is strategically located in close proximity to the Colombo airport and to the Investment Promotions Zones. It also offers easy access to the lush Muthurajawela marshland, popular for bird watching and home to a diverse ecosystem, as well as to the sights of Colombo. Day tours to fascinating spots like Kandy including Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage; Sigiriya, UNESCO World Heritage Site the Rock fortress going back to the 5th century AD; the Kalpitiya Peninsula, a perfect spot to observe dolphins; Kelaniya, a world famous temple once visited by Lord Buddha; and to Wilpattu National Park can be efficiently organized.