Country overview: Sri Lanka to add 28 new hotels [Infographic]

by | 13 Oct 2020 | Projects

The TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database shows that Sri Lanka’s hotel industry is growing steadily with 28 new additions planned over the coming years, of which almost half have been earmarked for Colombo alone.

Our researchers have found that 28 hotels with a total of 7,695 rooms are currently in Sri Lanka’s pipeline. We find out more about these upcoming openings.

Steady growth in the 2020s

Seven new hotels with 1,377 rooms will open in Sri Lanka in the last few months of 2020, while another ten hotels with 2,267 keys are being lined up for 2021. Three projects with 462 rooms will be completed in 2022, and another eight are on the books for 2023 and beyond.

The 28 new hotels are evenly split between the four- and five-star segments. However, the five-star category takes the lead in terms of room count, with 5,448 new keys on the books here versus 2,247 in the four-star segment.

Hotel openings by city and brand

The economic hub of Colombo will see the most hotels open, the data shows, with 13 projects and 5,687 rooms due for completion. Meanwhile, two properties will launch in both Balapitiya and Kandy.

DoubleTree by Hilton is Sri Lanka’s fastest growing brand, boasting no fewer than four hotels and 532 rooms on its books. Hilton Hotels & Resorts follows with three properties and 384 keys. And Cinnamon Life will open one new property with 800 rooms, overtaking both Hilton brands in terms of additional key count.

Top hotel projects in Sri Lanka

The largest project in Sri Lanka right now is the World Capital Centre, the database indicates. This proposed 625-metre tower will be in Colombo’s commercial centre and feature 117 floors with 1,200 residential units, 2,000 hotel rooms as part of a seven-star hotel, 3,000 retail outlets, 5,000 parking spaces, 20 swimming pools, double-decker elevators, an observation deck and a helipad. Upon completion, it will be the world’s third-tallest building and the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. The project’s currently on hold, but hopefully work will resume soon.

The 45-room Alila Koggala in southern Sri Lanka is a stark contrast to that urban behemoth of a project. Set on the shores of Koggala Lake, the hotel will be the ideal base to explore the nearby beaches and rainforests – plus the famous city of Galle – when it launches later this year. The suites and villas at Alila Koggala will offer luxurious living in naturally beautiful surroundings with exquisite views of the lake. Moreover, environmentally conscious architecture, interior design and landscaping will immerse guests in the absolute height of contemporary comfort and thoughtful luxury.

Elsewhere, Harding Boutique Hotel Ahangama will take the boutique experience to another level. This property will offer only six suites, each with a generous private balcony and uninterrupted views over the Indian Ocean, when it opens in late 2020. The roof terrace and the staircase leading to it, wrapped in lush foliage, are the hotel’s key architectural features, defining the building and creating a deeper connection to the ocean. The hotel’s exclusive boutique style inspired Anarchitect to create plenty of spaces for hidden moments, such as intimate nooks in the rooms and public spaces.

Lastly, Dusit Thani Sri Lanka Beachfront Balapitiya is set on the west coast of Sri Lanka and offers direct access to over a kilometre of pristine beaches. From the 200 rooms, guests will be able to enjoy views of the ocean and the surrounding lush, tropical forest. Onsite facilities will include 15 international restaurants, a spa, a sauna, a gym, five swimming pools, tennis courts, a multi-faith chapel and a 2,500 sq m convention centre. An opening date is scheduled for Q4 2021.

Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.

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