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| Sunday, 11 September 2005 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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JKH properties to be rebranded as Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts by Surekha Galagoda
The City hotels and resort properties under John Keells Holdings (JKH) will be rebranded as Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts to bring them on par with other international hotel chains in the region. A total of US$ one million has been allocated for the brand development program that is currently under way with a steering committee appointed and headed by Executive Vice President and Sector Head (City Hotels) Rohan Karr. Karr who is also the General Manager of the Colombo Plaza said that the current rebranding exercise will start with the Colombo Plaza, the flagship hotel of the new brand. The rebranding of the rest of the JKH properties both here and in the Maldives will be done at two to three month intervals. The plan is to complete the rebranding exercise by December 2006. We are investing a lot of time and money on the development of our brand. We have engaged a brand development company, Future Brand based in Singapore to carry out focus group interviews and market research in Europe and Asia to determine the brand identity, he said. When the rebranding is completed the hotels and resorts are expected to be on par with some of the leading international hotel chains in Asia. According to Karr, rebranding is not simply changing the logo. It is a culture change. It's about different values,different service levels and creating and living the new culture. "Sri Lanka's hospitality industry has an amazing opportunity to set the trend to create a distinctive spirit of genuine service. Sri Lankans are known for their hospitable nature. This is a reputation we have earned unconsciously due to our inherent cultural values. However, a more conscious effort to fine tune what is already inherent will give us a distinctive advantage in the hospitality industry, he said. He reiterated that the hospitality industry is built on service and that this was one thing that could not be copied if there was no passion for it. One of the key aspects of rebranding is also training, and it will be mandatory for all associates to go through an initial 40-hour training initiative, he said. According to Karr there is a concerted effort, excitement and willingness among all associates to raise the benchmark to international levels, and this will be a key factor for brand advantage. There will also be a recruitment drive at all levels to infuse new blood with the aim of "having the best to be the best". Karr said the rationale for JKH to embark on a massive rebranding program was because it was difficult to sustain and grow the current portfolio of hotels without raising them to international standards. ############ Connaissance Resorts now Amaya Resorts and Spas Connaissance Resorts re-launched their brand as Amaya Resorts and Spas. This new concept is an initiative to further manifest the company's Sri Lankan roots while at the same time identify its offerings as boutique level products. Amaya - the Sanskrit word for reality and non illusion - has been named as such because it offers its customers the best of the country's indigenous cultural and ecological heritage. This new brand has been carried across all of the company's resorts and spas, with improvements in facade, products offered and service standards showing Amaya's enhanced commitment to its customers. The impact of this new service standard will be immediately apparent as the company's properties in Kandalama (formerly called Culture Club), Kandy (formerly called Le Kandyan), Hikkaduwa (formerly called The Reef), and Ayurvedic Health Centres at each facility now take on the Amaya persona. Kandalama will now feature the Amaya Lake and Kandy will host the Amaya Hills while Hikkaduwa will be the location for the Amaya Reef. Although each persona will continue to have its own unique vista, the changes will reflect more product offerings, such as spas at all resorts, and higher service standards through the retraining of all staff. There will also be an added emphasis on offering customers a greater cultural experience by increasing the number of opportunities to learn about Sri Lanka through visits to heritage sites, museums, villages and similar sites of interest. Amaya Lake is a resort designed to invoke the cultural heritage of the Kandalama region. In the centre of Sri Lanka's cultural triangle, the resort is within easy access of all cultural and archaeological sites of Sri Lanka. Comprising 92 air conditioned luxury chalets with all the amenities and the 12 lodges in the Eco-Village nearby, the resort also offers customers a large variety of opportunities for cultural and recreational activities such as ayurvedic health centres, visits to gem mines, wild life safaris, fresh water fishing trips and more traditional options such as the facility of a swimming pool, boating and tennis courts. Amaya Hills is designed to manifest the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka's last kingdom of Kandy. With easy access to cultural attractions such as the Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, the Dalada Maligawa and Nuwara Eliya, the resort has 100 rooms each featuring a picturesque view of the forested hills of Heerassagala. Guests at this facility will also have access to a multitude of recreational settings such as spas, restaurants serving international and local cuisine, a tea cafe, swimming pool, several bars including Jazz/Karaoke bar, and Kandy's most popular night club called "Le Garage". The easy access to Kandy's heritage sites allows visitors to the region staying at Amaya Hills the freedom to explore this region extensively. |
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