Marriott To Open First Sri Lanka Hotel In Weligama Bay In 2014
Marriott International will be making its debut into the Sri Lankan hospitality market in 2014 after signing an agreement with Weligama Hotel Properties Ltd to open a new brand hotel.
The hotel group has announced that it will be opening the new Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa to tourists planning Sri Lanka holidays in 2014 and it will have 200 guest rooms.
“Marriott is delighted to be extending its portfolio and opening a world-class hotel in Sri Lanka,” stated Simon Cooper, the President and Managing Director of Marriott, Asia Pacific.
“Sri Lanka is a destination that has great potential and opportunity and we hope to capitalise on that and establish a strong presence in the country. We are confident that the reputation of Marriott Hotels and Resorts and the power of Marriott Rewards, our loyalty programme, will create great interest from both local and international travellers and be successful in promoting the beautiful area of Weligama Bay, as well as the country itself as this is our first hotel here.”
The new Sri Lanka hotel is located in the district of Weligama, in the city of Matara on the south coast of the Indian Ocean island.
The Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa will cater for both leisure treavellers looking for relaxing holidays in Sri Lanka and business travellers looking for comfortable accommodation and features 640-square-metres of flexible ballroom space and modern meeting rooms. The Sri Lanka hotels facilities also include a swimming pool with pool bar, three gourmet restaurants, a modern fitness centre, and guests will also have access to a stretch of pristine sandy beach.
Mr. Nahil Wijesuriya, the Chairman, East West Properties PLC, the parent company of Weligama Hotel Properties Ltd, explained: “We are among the first companies in Sri Lanka to sign up with an international branded hotel company and to open as early as 2014. The resort is being built according to Marriott International’s five star brand standards, with a beach frontage of 115 meters on the Galle-Matara road in the South-East of the country.
Sri Lanka is famous for its stunning natural scenery and diverse ecosystem comprising miles of white sandy beaches, jagged mountains, wildlife sanctuaries, thriving nature parks, and an array of heritage sites that include ancient cities and colonial forts. Since the end of its 25-year-long civil war in 2009, the island nation has seen a significant increase in the number of international travellers opting to go on holidays to Sri Lanka.