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| Sunday, 8 December 2002 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Personality Plus - Bodhisiri Ranasinghe : Dreaming big and turning them into reality
Dreaming is quite an easy task, but achieving a dream is not so easy and many give up along the way. But Bodhisiri Ranasinghe, Chairman Ceylon Hotels Corporation (CHC) was lucky to make his dreams a reality through dedication and hard work. In addition to his responsibilities as CHC Chairman, Ranasinghe is also the Managing Director of Kandy Hotels Company, of which the CHC is the major shareholder with a 77 per cent stake, and an Executive Director of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management. CHC also owns 35 per cent of Associated Hotels, the owning company of Lihiniya Surf Hotel Bentota. Education Ranasinghe was born to a family of four, two girls and two boys, in Mount Lavinia. His father was the Commissioner of Examinations and his mother was a teacher. "I was educated at St Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia from kindergarten to Advanced Level. My dream was to get a job in the hospitality trade and I am happy that my parents gave their full support to me. Without asking me to fit into their dreams, they gave way to mine for which I am still grateful." Career Ranasinghe applied for the Hotel School in 1971, but did not qualify as he was underaged. He applied again in 1972 and when he went for the interview, he met one gentleman in the interview panel who had been there the previous year as well. "He asked me why I did not qualify the previous year. I said that I was disqualified as I was underaged. This too was a plus point for me as it showed my commitment to the hospitality trade. "I joined the Hotel School in 1972 and graduated in 1975. There I learnt the ABCs of the hotel trade and gained experience in every aspect relating to the hospitality trade. "I will always cherish the day I graduated from Hotel School as the day I got the key to achieving my dream." "I liked the hospitality trade as it gave me the opportunity to meet and mingle with people, which I liked from my childhood. "I started at Imperial Oceanic Hotel, Pasikudah. Then I moved to the Southern Province and worked as a director at Koggala Beach Hotel and Thisara Beach Hotel from 1976-1984." He joined the Mercantile Group in 1984 where he remained until taking up the post of Chairman Ceylon Hotels Corporation in January 2002. His stint with the Mercantile Group saw him working as a director for this group, which owned several companies in the hotels, travel, airlines and tours sectors. The company was overlooking Hotel Horizon as well. During the period 1984-1994, Ranasinghe was a board member of the Ceylon Tourist Board and was in charge of the Ceylon Hotel School as a Director. He also worked for short periods in Europe and Asia where he broadened his horizons in the hospitality trade. Ceylon Hotels Corporation The Ceylon Hotels Corporation (CHC) was established in 1966 to promote tourism in the country and has 20 properties in the best locations around the country. The main hindrance to developing them to compete with the private sector is the lack of finances. "We have developed a theme 'Gedara wage kama welak, thamagema navathenak' and are pursuing it. During the 100-day program of the UNF Government, we prepared the sign boards and toilets which are essential to attract more guests to our rest houses, hotels and resorts." Speaking of the food, he said that each rest house specialises in the local food of the area without serving carrots and beans around the country. He said that 85 per cent of their guests are locals. "We, at all times, try to cater to everybody, providing a homely atmosphere and mouth watering cuisine in addition to the beautiful surroundings. Even the foreigners who come to our rest houses get an opportunity to taste the local food in their true form," he said. Future of CHC The future of CHC looks bright with peace on the horizon, said an optimistic Ranasinghe. He said that from 1997 to date, the CHC has spent Rs 110 million to refurbish its properties and "we are confident that we can attract more tourists and increase our income while providing an excellent service to them". The Snack Bar at Ambepussa was redone completely while the Grand Ella Motel too was completely refurbished. Smaller properties were also refurbished. He said: "The UNF Government is planning to promote tourism in a big way as they believe that tourism can play a major role in salvaging the economy". Ranasingha said restarting flights to Frankfurt will boost tourism as Germany is one of Sri Lanka's main markets. The island is also looking at China in a big way since estimates show that 20 million Chinese will be travelling by 2020. "If we can attract a portion of that, we will be well off," he assured. Ranasinghe said that CHC recorded profits in all years except 2001. The biggest profit-making ventures were Ambepussa, Ella and Kitulgala rest houses. With the new theme and concepts, they are hopeful of making a turnaround this year. Staff "Most CHC staff members have remained there for long periods of time; some since its inception. They have remained faithful and have contributed in a big way to the success of CHC. Some guests inquire for a particular staff member. That a guest remembers an employee's name and inquires about the person shows how much they have cared for the guest." Training "Once every two months, we get down the management staff of all rest houses to Colombo where training sessions are conducted by experts in the field. We also provide practical training for the cooks. Training programs are being planned for the restaurant and housekeeping staff too." Sirimavo Bandaranaike Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management "At present there are 10 hotel schools under this Institute. All four courses - front office, housekeeping, reception and cookery - are offered at Anuradhapura, Colombo and Kandy while the basic courses are taught at the other venues. Our certificate is valid anywhere in the world. No one who followed the course is unemployed at present. Most of them are employed abroad and draw good salaries. As the executive director, I am planning to further promote the Institute in the provinces as a promising career avenue to Lankan youth," he said. Family Ranasinghe is married to a lawyer and has two sons. (SG) ################## New CHC property in N'Eliya The Ceylon Hotels Corporation (CHC) will open its newest location in Nuwara Eliya on December 18. Earlier, it was the circuit bungalow of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
At present CHC has 18 properties scattered around the country. Most of these properties have been refurbished and serve typical Sri Lankan cuisine and not the four or five-course menus offered by other hotels. Most of these locations were specially chosen by the British for their scenic beauty and centrality. For instance, the Kitulgala Rest House is famous because the well-known Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed there. The Polonnaruwa Rest House, located in the banks of the Parakrama Samudraya, has 10 double rooms. It was the circuit bungalow of Mr Herrington. Queen Elizabeth II stayed there during her Ceylon visit in 1954 and the room that she stayed in still exists and is called the 'Queens Room'. When King Edward the 8th came to Sri Lanka, he had visited the Hanwella Rest House where he had planted a jak tree. Kothmale Holiday Resort was built by Scandinavian engineers who came to build the Kothmale bund and has 22 individual cottages which can accommodate 140 people. Belihuloya Rest House with 10 double rooms on the Ratnapura-Haputale Road was the choice of Mr and Mrs S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike for their honeymoon. Ambepussa Rest House was built during the time the Colombo-Kandy Road was being built. The Grand Ella Motel with 14 double rooms overlooks the Ella Gap. The other properties owned by the CHC are Sigiriya Rest House, Lake Resort, Hotel Seruwa, Tissamaharama Resort, Bay Inn Weligama, Dambulla Rest House, Habarana Rest House, Medawachchiya Rest House and Pussellawa Rest House. CHC also owns the restaurants at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Dehiwela zoo and the snack bars at Ambepussa and Bentota. Under Bodhisiri Ranasinghe's chairmanship, a membership card known as Thanayama was introduced. The card allows a member to use the swimming-pool free of charge and provides discounts of 25 per cent on room rates, 15 per cent on alcoholic beverages, 20 per cent on a-la-carte meals and concessionary rates for special functions held at these locations. Thanayama members are also entitled for free use of the swimming-pool, 20 per cent discount on rooms and 15 per cent discount on food and beverages and special rates for functions at Queens Hotel and Suisse Hotel, Kandy. |
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