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| Sunday, 1 May 2005 |
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Lanka's new hotels in world class 'Hot List' Sri Lanka has hit the jackpot in this year's "Hottest New Hotels and Resorts" rankings published in the May 2005 edition of the prestigious US-based travel magazine, Conde Nast Traveler. Of the 116 hotels - from 38 countries - ranked in the magazine's Hot List 2005, four were from Sri Lanka. Among the eight Asian destination, only Thailand, with seven listings, had more hotels featured in the Hot List. The River House, the Sri Lankan owned and developed five-suite property near Bentota, received the "hottest" ranking (with three flames). The River House features a hill-top pool and pavilion with breathtaking all-round views of the landscape. Aman resorts scored two entries, with both achieving the three flame top ranking: Amangalla - the restored, historic 22-room New Oriental Hotel which opened in the Galle Fort last year, and Amanwella, the 30-suite resort property in Tangalle, south of Galle. Amanwella, the luxury brand's newest Sri Lankan hotel opened on March 15. The Galle Fort Hotel within the rampants of the fort itself, was the fourth hotel honoured this year, receiving a 'hotter' (two flame) ranking. The Galle Fort Hotel was developed by Australians Karl Steinberg and Christopher Ong within a 300-year-old derelict Dutch Villa - the largest private villa in the fort-and now comprises 13 suites, a dining room and cafe. Sri Lanka Tourist Board Chairman, Udaya Nanayakkara, said that the inclusion of the four Sri Lankan hotels in this year's Hot List reflects the island's growing appeal among up-market travellers. "Sri Lanka has turned a corner in luxury accommodation, further enhancing the island's reputation as a world-class destination," Nanayakkara said. The River House developer, Sri Lankan entrepreneur, "Taru' Fonseka said that it is very promising to see that Sri Lanka has finally "arrived". "It is wonderful that Sri Lanka is getting the recognition it deserves for being a luxury destination for high-end travellers," she said. "And this is the first Sri Lankan-owned and managed property ever to be included in this prestigious listing, we are doubly proud!" Taru said. Galle Fort Hotel co-owner Karl Steinberg said that the inclusion of the Galle Fort Hotel in this year's Hot List was a great boost for the island's tourism. "It certainly cements the Galle Fort as a must-visit destination with world class hotels and exceptional food in an authentic living heritage city, which is still very Sri Lankan and very much alive," he said. "With four of the hottest new hotels within a two hour radius - and two of them with four doorsteps of each other - there has never been a better reason to visit Sri Lanka," he said. London's leading newspaper, The Observer, has also turned the spotlight on Sri Lanka's new, trendy boutique hotels. The Galle Fort Hotel and Amangalla were awarded third place in the newspaper's up-market Sunday Observer Travel magazine's "New High Five" on April 10. **************** Belgian diamonds sparkle at Moonplains From P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya The Belgium based diamond factory at Moonplains, Nuwara Eliya has made many strides within one year offering employment opportunities to over hundred boys and girls with GCE (O/L) qualifications. Managing Director Fons Gossey, a twice national cycling champion in Belgium, praised his employees for their dedication. He said that he has already started a training centre within the factory premises, and in addition to the hundred employees he intends to increase the number of employees and has written to several schools in Nuwara Eliya to send him prospective candidates. Gossey said that there were 22 diamond factories in the country and his factory had made remarkable achievements. His company gets all the raw materials from their own mines from Venezuela, Ghana and South America in addition to other countries. Their principal buyers are Japan and China, Bangkok and other European countries tend to be their main markets, namely America, Europe and the Scandinavian countries. One of the co-owners of the company from Belgium Phillipe Vets who visited the factory recently was very happy to see the progress within a short spell of time. The Managing Director said that his main aim was to expand the industry further, and provide accommodation facilities for its employees. Gossey who had worked in several African countries has been in the diamond trade for fifteen years in Sri Lanka. He married a Sri Lankan Aumelle Gossey, the daughter of an eminent lawyer of Nuwara Eliya, the late David Perera, in Belgium, now a national of that country and has two sons and two daughters. The cycle champion Gossey hopes to organise cycle championships in Nuwara Eliya during the Mini August season for cycle champions here. He cycles ten rounds daily round the Lake Gregory area. The young girls and boys employed in the factory expressed satisfaction with the working conditions and added that they are being well looked after by the management. *************** SriLankan Cargo launches freighter service to Coimbatore SriLankan Cargo launched a freighter service to the South Indian industrial city of Coimbatore on Wednesday, yet another step in its strategy of linking major industrial cities in the region to Colombo and beyond. The twice-weekly service will operate on Wednesday and Saturday with the airline's two AN12F aircraft, which each has a capacity of 17 metric tonnes of cargo in palletts. SriLankan Cargo already operates regular freighter services to Chennai(Madras), Bangalore, Trivandrum and Male. This is in addition to SriLankan Airlines' regular flights servicing 70 times weekly to 10 cities in India. "Our new service to Coimbatore will enhance our strategic objective to connect major industrial centres throughout the Subcontinent with Colombo, which is the hub in the ocean," said Nalin Rodrigo, Head of Cargo at SriLankan. "Our freighter is a 'flying truck' that serves many industries by carrying cargo rapidly and efficiently." This is the only freighter service operating to and from Coimbatore and is expected to provide a significant boost to the city's industrial progress. Coimbatore airport also serves the nearby industrial and agricultural
towns of Karur, Erode, Tirupur, Salem, Coonoor and Ooty. |
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