Grand Oriental Hotel was initially established in 1837 as a British military barrack. Since then, the building has withstood the tests of time, standing strong for almost two centuries. Grand Oriental Hotel recently refurbished its property and opened
its doors to a new era of splendour, whilst bringing to life its rich colonial architecture. Throughout the years, Grand Oriental Hotel was renowned for its plush services, becoming the choice of many illustrious patrons including the likes of author Anton Chekhov. To this day, the hotel maintains its prestigious reputation.
Speaking to Waters Edge Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rohan Fernandopulle, he commented on the restoration of the hotel, saying: “The restoration is in line with the vision entrusted with the Ministry of Urban Development, supplementing the many development projects which are already underway to elevate Colombo’s tourist attractions.”
In this latest endeavour, the colonial architecture, which is one of the key hallmarks of the Grand Oriental Hotel, has been retained with a view of preserving heritage attractions. “While a further 140,000 sq. ft. area is to be developed in the second phase of this project, the new Grand Oriental Hotel boasts of two new refurbished ballrooms, the iconic Harbour Room, the Taprobane Lobby restored to its past glory, as well as the Tiffin Hut, the hotel’s pastry shop. The Tap Bar and the Blue Leopard nightclub are also set to welcome guests with their renewed services,” stated Fernandopulle.
The hotel was redecorated by architects Nuwan Dias and Dayantha Siriwardena of Nu Studio, who tastefully brought out the unique characteristics of the hotel and re-designed the masterpiece preserving its original identity.
The Sri Lankan Government is set to facilitate wide-ranging tourism development programmes with the objective of increasing annual tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka. The Government also wishes to endow Sri Lanka’s rich heritage and culture in the wake of the Government’s initiative to zone Colombo as a heritage square to promote city tourism. Fernandopulle added that this will be a competitive advantage Grand Oriental Hotel will possess at a time when the city will be positioned as the old city of Colombo.
He further stated that with the patronage of State Minister of Urban Development Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, and under the able guidance of Secretary to the Ministry Sirinimal Perera, Grand Oriental Hotel has been restored to its original grandeur, exhibiting rich colonial architecture in order to facilitate the Government’s policy decision of developing tourism opportunities in the business capital of Colombo.
In order to promote our heritage, Fernandopulle explained that the restructuring of Grand Oriental Hotel is the first step in creating a heritage city in Colombo, in line with complementing the initiatives undertaken by the Government to develop transport infrastructure within the island. The new heritage square aims to increase the number of tourist stays in Colombo city, and will also pride itself in being well connected to the transport network which is already being developed. He observed that this will be the beginning of a successful era of development, through which Sri Lanka could potentially increase tourist arrivals and compete with the region.
With a successful vaccination rollout, the Government is expecting a major boost in tourist arrivals. Following a tumultuous and stressful couple of years for the industry, a considerable recovery is expected soon, and therefore we were informed that a well-crafted, extensive plan is in motion to develop the surrounding areas of Grand Oriental Hotel over the next few years.
Talking about why a revamp of Grand Oriental Hotel was needed, he commented that this refurbishment was intended to bring the hotel to a profitable level where industry standards were met in terms of quality and services. The refurbishment did not come cheap, Fernandopulle stated, adding that they are still very confident that revenue can be turned around in a very short time. This revamp was successfully concluded with the help of Selendiva Investments and Waters Edge Recreations, who together developed this asset to elevate Grand Oriental Hotel towards the next level of hospitality standards.
