We talked with Mr. Ranjan Stanislaus, Consultant / Executive General Manager for Heritance Negambo in Sri Lanka about what makes this property unique, why it stands out and how Sri Lanka is a great travel destination.
What is unique about the Negombo Hotel? What makes it stand out compared to the others in the group?
Heritance Hotels introduce you to a lifestyle and an extraordinary culture in travel. The ethos of hospitality practiced is to transform your everyday life into an enriching experience away from home. This is what is referred to as the Heritance Moment. It is our offer of commitment to see that everything is always just the way you like it. The Hotel’s hallmark is Joy! This is reflected in the cordiality and smile on every face of our Hotel team. Our pledge is excellent service so that you are always at ease, relaxed, happy and very special.
Heritance Negombo is a sparkling gem set against the beautiful Negombo backdrop. Its décor, architecture and character reflect the epitome of imagination and inventiveness pulsating from every corner. Sense the charm of the island’s West Coast, from the finest of Negombo’s beach hotels, while you gaze at the unending expanse of the Indian Ocean. Every detail has been looked into to reach its pristine level.
The hotel is 20 minutes from the airport, 40 minutes from Colombo, 30 seconds from the Indian Ocean.
The rooms look very fresh, open and inviting. This seems to be in line with Sri Lanka as a destination. Who helped design the rooms of the hotel?
The hotel’s architecture is its pride. Meticulously thought out by outstanding architects, interior decorators and artists in collaboration with Hoteliers, the plan is meant to capture and blend the building structure into the stunning sunset and sunrise for which Negombo is world renowned. Every guest in every room is given the benefit of experiencing this overwhelming spectacle of nature’s daily solar rhythm.
The architect has achieved this feature by a combination of subtle elevations in the Hotel structure. You sense this from the first moment of entering the Hotel in that you drive in from the road into the first floor as you make your entrance. This is unique to the Hotel and architecturally a trendsetter.
Walk us through the different dining options at the hotel. What is a signature dish from each of them?
In Sri Lanka we cook with heart, we cook with love and a lot of laughter. Age-old recipes, the freshest produce, exotic island secrets and contemporary flavors make every meal a celebration. A guest can dine at one of the 7 dining outlets including:
Blue Tan – Al Fresco Perfecto! Our all day dining restaurant seats 160 guests. Breakfast in the sun, an endless array of flavorsome freshness for lunch or dinner under the stars… We don’t do buffets, we do feasts and you are always invited.
See Bar & Lounge – Toast a spectacular sunset – Come and see how we built the entire hotel around the sunset; making this the perfect place to fall in love forever.
Big Fish – Freshology! Life is simple here. We only serve line caught fish, caught on the day. Twenty guests can enjoy a truly unique Negombo style seafood experience.
Room service.
Twenty guests can enjoy a truly unique Negombo style seafood experience.
What kind of spa treatments do you offer at the hotel?
Where the modern art of wellness meets centuries of wisdom and healing craft. Where aromatherapy suites and hot tubs peer out into the horizon; a tranquil space designed to help you become you again. Heritance Negombo Spa will offer a broad range of massages, treatments, soaks, and reflexology services.
Sri Lanka is becoming a very popular destination for tourists from abroad. What do you think is unique about the country and what it offers?
One could hardly improve on how a famous British Civil Servant, Sir Emerson Tennent in 1859, viewed Sri Lanka, which was then called Ceylon. He wrote:
“There is no island in the world, Great Britain itself not excepted, that has attracted the attention of authors in so many distant ages and so many different countries as Ceylon. There is no nation in ancient or modern times possessed of a language and a literature, the writer of which have not at some time made it their theme. Its aspect, its religion, its antiquities, and productions, have been described as well by the classic Greeks, as by those of the Lower Empire; by the Romans; by the writers of China, Burma, India and Kashmir; by the geographers of Arabia and Persia; by the mediaeval voyagers of Italy and France; by the annalists of Portugal and Spain; by the merchant.”
As Sir Emerson Tennent described few countries have been written about in a similar manner, mainly because Sri Lanka represents truly a microcosm of the planet earth. This small island of a mere 65,000 square kilometers encompasses the diversity of climate varying from arid hot deserts to salubrious temperate climes. Its topography changes from sea level to mountainous ranges and the visitor can experience all these variegations in the span of a few hours of driving.
Sri Lanka is truly one of mother earth’s hot spots of biodiversity.
What are some of the activities in the surrounding area that guests might be interested in?
- Tour the Negombo Fish Market
- Fishing at dawn & savour your catch
- Guided tour of Religious Buildings including St Mary’s Church
- Visit the Angurukaramulla Temple
- Day trip to Kalpitiya including kite surfing
- Bird watching and boating in the Muthurajawela Marsh
- Photography tour down the old Dutch canals in a Catamaran
- Tour the old Dutch port
- Private yacht along the canal
Heritance Negombo
175, Lewis Place
Negombo, Sri Lanka