SUNDAY OBSERVER Sunday Observer - Magazine
Sunday, 14 September 2003  
The widest coverage in Sri Lanka.
Features
News

Business

Features

Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Silumina  on-line Edition

Government - Gazette

Daily News

Budusarana On-line Edition





TRAVEL & TOURISM

Hotel Kandyan Villas : 

The star in the misty mountains

by BEVERLEY JANSZ



Front and side views of the hotel overlooking misty mountains

Endowed with scenic beauty, overlooking the Hantane mountains and located on the top of a hill at Park Avenue, Dangolla is the Hotel Kandyan Villas, a Grade A Guest House approved by the Ceylon Tourist Board more than a decade ago. A holiday resort more than the words can explain, but obvious to any visitor whether it be a family, romantic lovers, businessmen or foreign tourists who may choose to go there for relaxation.

Established nearly two decades ago as a small guest house, Hotel Kandyan Villas has expanded in all aspects of its infrastructure and facilities. There are spacious modernized rooms elegantly furnished, hot/cold water, attached bathrooms, some with air conditioning and unbeatable room service.

The range of accommodation include double, triple, family rooms and fully furnished suits. A well stocked bar with local and foreign liquor makes the evenings more interesting to the visitors. Specially designed outdoor lounges makes the tourist evenings exclusive and more eventful. A well selected and comprehensive indoor facilities, including a pool table are available for the visitors.

Most attractive feature in this hotel is the moderate prices for accommodation and food. This makes the hotel an ideal resort for middle and low income tourists to spend a enjoyable holiday.

Hotel Kandyan Villas is centrally located within the Kandy Municipality, about 3 km from the ancient city of Kandy known world over for the Temple of the Tooth, many other historic Buddhist Temples and the festival commonly known as the Kandy Perahera, its just one km from the Royal Botanic Gardens and the prestigious seat of higher learning, the University of Peradeniya.

The scenic beauty hidden within the valley surrounding the hotel will take any visitor aback. None can imagine until a visit is made to the Hotel Kandyan Villas the stillness and tranquillity, which will persuade them to return again. Engrossed with personalized services and homely atmosphere, most of the visitors make this hotel their second home. It is an ideal hotel for families to spend their weekends, professionals, particularly those who strive for innovations in science and literature to fully engage in academic pursuits, time short businessmen to get away from all the hectic life, and nature lovers to enjoy the calm and quiet environment and listen to the sound of singing birds. Hotel Kandyan Villas has facilities for seminars and conferences, weddings with spacious lounges catering to about 300 guests.

This hotel is widely used by the private industry for their Business Circle meetings. The hotel has its own transport with English speaking drivers to assist the tourists to visit places around Kandy or on long tours across the country.

Hotel Kandyan Villas is managed by an experienced and versatile hotelier S. R. D. Ratnayake who has previously worked not only in the local hotel resorts but also for many years in the French hospitality trade.

His wide experience is vividly displayed in the setting of the hotel, design of the rooms, upkeep and maintenance and the surrounding garden clad with beautiful foliage plants and sprawling lush vegetation. Excellent in public relations, he pays special attention to all visitors and provide a wide array of services recognizing the individual preferences and tastes of visitors.

Hotel Kandyan Villas is owned and managed by Prof. H. P. M. Gunasena.

##########

"Burj-al-Arab" - world's tallest hotel

by Careem Hameed

A large number of business guests from many parts of the world and rich Arabs from the UAE and other Middle East states are regular visitors for the "Burj-al-Arab", world's tallest hotel in Dubai. Burj-al-Arab has earned a special place in the Guiness Book of Records. Ever since its opening in 1999 the Burj-al-Arab hotel has become an icon for all that is good about UAE's tourism industry. Inspired by the shape of an Arabian dhow's billowing sail, the tower, a marvel of modern engineering at 321 metres, is classified as the world's tallest hotel. It is also the world's only seven-star hotel and offers a level of style, comfort and luxury that is generally in a class of its own.

Each of the 202 duplex suites at Burj-al-Arab has its own butler while the grand suites feature a cinema, rotating beds, 27 telephones, an elevator linking the suite's two floors and large dressing rooms. The hotel's private health and fitness facility was inspired by the Nabataean City of Petra in Jordan.

The hotel's sky view restaurant, suspended 200 metres above the Arabian Gulf, offers a bird's eye view of the surrounding sea - the hotel is built on a man-made island - whilst a fish's perspective is offered by the underwater seafood restaurant with its unique windows into an aquatic world. Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Burj-al-Arab.

Those interested in entering the lobby of this 7-star hotel has to pay a sum of 100 DMS.

The UAE is now one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations. Because of this tourism occupies a very important role in the non-oil economy of the UAE.

The hotels of the Emirates vie with each other to present the best stage shows. Some of the biggest names in show business have performed before local audiences, including Tina Turner, Shirley Bassey, Cliff Richard and Tom Jones as well as stars from the Arab world, the Indian sub-continent and the East.

HEMAS SHARE ISSUE

Call all Sri Lanka

Premier Pacific International (Pvt) Ltd - Luxury Apartments

www.singersl.com

www.crescat.com

www.srilankaapartments.com

www.eagle.com.lk

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries


Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager


Hosted by Lanka Com Services