Get unlimited access to the latest travel industry news and analysis, comment on articles and sign up to newsletters.
Register for free
Already registered? Login here or below.
Having difficulty logging in? Try these tips, or contact support@ttgmedia.com
Cinnamon Red is the first of a new ‘Lean Luxury’ collection from the John Keells-owned hotel group. Lynn Houghton learns about this and other developments in the portfolio
The opening of the modern-concept 26-floor Cinnamon Red Hotel in Colombo on September 1, 2014, was met with enthusiasm by the business community as it meant a further 243 rooms for the sector. The John Keells hotel group’s latest three-star property is located on Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha in Colombo, near conference centres and tourist attractions. Cinnamon Red is one of 14 Cinnamon-branded hotels: three in the Maldives and now 11 in Sri Lanka. It is the first of a new “Lean Luxury” collection, joining the existing “Luxury” and “Rustic Luxury” (formerly Chaaya) collections.
Terrence Fernando, general manager of the Cinnamon Red, says: “The total cost of Cinnamon Red was £16 million, representing a significant investment for the owners. However, with occupancy levels at 80% of capacity we feel the concept is a success and will be worth this expenditure in the long run.”
The Lean Luxury experience is billed as mixing innovation and affordability. A feature of this concept is amenities targeted at corporate clientele such as express check-in and check-out, vending machines with toiletries, customised mini-fridges and an e-concierge service available to all guests.
Though access to the hotel is via the ground floor lobby, the reception desk is located on the 7th floor. Fernando says: “The general public has access to our Flavoured restaurant on the eighth floor and the rooftop Cloud Red Bar on floor 26. The gym and our exceptional infinity pool, with views of the skyline and Indian Ocean, are also on the 26th floor and open to residents only. Cinnamon Red’s accommodation is only accessed by residents and their guests. Exclusivity and security is a distinctive and important feature of our hotel.”
The rooftop Cloud Red Bar has interactive tables for using Wi-Fi, ordering drinks and playing X-box games. There is also Wi-Fi in every room.
In other news from the Keells Group, a major new mixed-use development, Cinnamon Life, has been announced for the capital. Heralded as Sri Lanka’s biggest-ever private sector investment, the group said the $850 million investment is set to be an economic game changer for the country.
This mixed architectural development project is envisaged as a 4.5 million sq ft integrated resort, which will consist of an 800-room luxury Cinnamon hotel, an avant-garde experiential and entertainment venue with residential apartments, state-of-the-art office spaces, a variety of food and beverage offerings, and ballroom, conferencing, theatre and banqueting spaces.
The Cinnamon group is currently riding high after being named as the top “emerging brand” in Sri Lanka in an international analysis of brand values by strategy consultants Brand Finance.
Aji Gunewarden, president and deputy chairman of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, says: “One of the key attributes of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is our speed of adapting to change and embracing opportunities. Innovation lies at the heart of our operations.”
The group also reports that in 2014, occupancy levels were up 1% over the group, revenue was up 4%, operating profit up 3% and profit before tax up 16%.
The John Keells group considers itself to be a pioneer in sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka. The group is committed to acting as a responsible corporate citizen to its 2,720 employees as well as in its relationships with local communities and the environment.
Chitral Jayatilake, vice-president and head of eco-tourism and special projects, says: “Wildlife and community initiatives are a very important component of the Cinnamon group of hotels’ corporate responsibility policy.”
One of its most successful initiatives is Project Leopard. “Project Leopard began in July 2010 by Chaaya Wild in collaboration with John Keells Foundation – the corporate social responsibility vehicle of the John Keells Group,” says Jayatilake. “The idea was simple yet effective: remove traditional stick and barbed wire stockades used around Yala National Park, where leopards are prominent, replacing them with portable steel-fenced pens to protect the young cattle overnight from these big cats wandering outside the park boundaries.” Protecting the cattle means farmers are less likely to poison the endangered leopards.
A new collaborative effort between the Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, John Keells Foundation and the Centre for Conservation and Research was initiated in 2014. Using GPS technology, the project will track some of the smaller elephant herds in the North Central Province by using high-tech satellite collars.
Jayatilake says: “This breaks new ground in elephant viewing and enables tourists to obtain a unique, enriching personal experience with Asian elephants.”
The project has purchased one collar and will fund two others in 2016. At the recent Future of Tourism Summit, Gunewarden said: “Tomorrow’s tourist will come to Sri Lanka in search of authentic experiences and if we do not take the right decisions today, we won’t be able to offer these tomorrow.”
