Marriott International to open its first Sri Lankan hotel in 2014
US based Marriott International is planning to open its first hotel in Sri Lanka, which will be named as Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa.
Towards this, the international hotel operator has entered into an agreement with Weligama Hotel Properties Limited, a firm coming under the East West Properties PLC.
Weligama Hotel Properties will be the local partner of Marriott in opening the proposed resort, which is expected to be operational by 2014.
The 200-room, 11-storey Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa, will be operated under Marriott’s flagship Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand.
“Sri Lanka is a destination that has great potential and opportunity and we hope to capitalize on that and establish a strong presence in the country” Simon Cooper, president and managing director Marriott, Asia Pacific was quoted saying in a statement issued by the firm.
Commenting on the project, Nahil Wijesuriya, Chairman, East West Properties PLC said: “We are among the first companies in Sri Lanka to sign up with an international branded hotel company and to open as early as 2014. The resort is being built according to Marriott International’s five star brand standards, with a beach frontage of 115 meters”
Marriott International is a world renowned operator and franchiser of a broad portfolio of hotels and resorts which include Bulgari Hotels and Resorts and The Ritz Carlton.
It currently operates over 3,700 hotels in over 73 countries and territories around the globe.
Weligama, located 144 km from Colombo capital is a popular tourist destination renowned for its sandy beaches.
It is also famous for its stilt-fishermen perched on a cross bar of a single pole planted into the sea bed.