Maldivian hotel operator to build a water villa in North West Coast, Sri Lanka
May 27, 2015 (LBO) – A Maldivian Hotel operator, Sun Siyam said that it plans to develop an overwater villa resort in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka as the hotel plans to expand across the Island.
This project comes at the perfect time for overseas expansion of Maldivian brands, Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Hotels and Resorts, said.
“We have something really special in our island nation that can enrich both guests’ experiences and property investors’ portfolios,”
“The Maldives has a form of home-grown service culture and industry know-how that is currently not being fully utilised to its full potential domestically, and certainly not on the international stage. Just like the well-known Swiss, Indian and Thai forms of hospitality, Maldivian hospitality can create desire and demand in any region.”
The hotel plans to build 68-room Sun Siyam Kalpitiya on Vellai Island, as its second investment in Sri Lanka, which will be opening in 2017.
It already operates the Sun Aqua Passikudah on the east coast, Sri Lanka as the company’s first overseas expansion.
Though constructing luxurious resorts in remote areas such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka presents many challenges, such as access and logistics, these difficulties are worthwhile to overcome, Siyam said.
He said international travellers are seeking authentic experiences “based on love, romance, warmth and intimacy.”
“It is no longer necessary to recreate a Western travel experience in the Maldives; the time is now ripe for Maldivian developers to create truly Maldivian resorts both on home soil and abroad.”
