- Cinnamon Lakeside’s special all-inclusive staycation package
By Naveed Rozais
There is something unique about what a city hotel has to offer, especially when it’s a hotel in your own city. For one thing, there is very little travel involved, but that does raise the question, why do you need to travel to go on holiday?
The Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo also seems to have paid attention to this train of thought when coming up with its all-inclusive offer. The offer gives guests the chance to get away from the city without actually having to leave the city. All you need is an overnight bag and a ride to the hotel.
The Lakeside is one of Colombo’s core hotels, and for a good reason – Its trademark red-stone facade, impressive selection of restaurants, faultless service, and now that things are finally bouncing back, its engaging entertainment options, always keep people coming back. This offer gives people the chance to get the full Lakeside experience.
The Morning Brunch was invited to review this limited-time offer and from check-in to check-out, it was a relaxingly, luxurious experience. The offer affords guests the use of one of the hotel’s premium rooms, which come with either a view of the Lakeside’s pool and the Beira Lake, or a view of the city. The rooms, while cosy, are well-appointed and come with cable TV and access to the hotel’s WiFi for up to four devices.
Other perks that come with the offer include complimentary access to the Lakeside’s tennis and squash courts, and unlimited food and beverage.
BOX 1:
The food
We found ourselves on something of a food tour while on our stay at the Lakeside. It began with a Chinese take on the bento box at the Long Feng, where we were given a choice of rice or noodles with soup and three accompanying dishes. Each one of the dishes (we had the Kung Pao chicken, Szechuan-style eggplant, and mixed veggies) had its own distinct, authentic flavour.
We then made our way to that now-legendary Colombo nightlife establishment, ColomBar, for bites and drinks, sampling some of ColomBar’s Sri Lankan-inspired beverages and food. ColomBar’s signature cocktail, the “Lantharuma” (lantern), which is served in a lantern, was a unique experience, especially when paired with ColomBar’s superb take on Hot Butter Cuttlefish.
Breakfast on the second day of our stay was at the Dining Room, which was an impressive feast of Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese, and Western breakfast foods, and of course, the delectable pastries that make up the best part of any breakfast buffet.
Our Lakeside food trip ended with lunch at the Royal Thai, whose chef transported diners to her homeland with a blend of flavours and spices handed down over time. We kept it simple with prawn cakes, Pad Thai noodles, and sweet and sour prawns, but each dish was one of the best we’ve ever had, and the ambience of Royal Thai was second to none.
We found our Colombo city staycation quite restful. The comfortable rooms, the wide variety of food, the friendly service, and the setting of the Lakeside all came together to create a powerful mini-vacation package.