Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

RAMADA COLOMBO FIFTY YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

A prominent businessma­n and former Mayor of Colombo, Mr. Cader originally intended to construct a modern Cinema but instead capitalise­d on the ‘Tourism Developmen­t Act’ introduced by the late J.R. Jayawarden­a in 1965.

- BY SANATH WEERASURIY­A For more details www.ramadacolo­mbo.com

Ramada Colombo, one of the pioneering city hotels in Colombo celebrated their Golden Anniversar­y yesterday in grand scale. Launched as ‘Holiday Inn - Colombo’ on 21 March, 1974, Ramada Colombo stands as one of the iconic four star properties in the city with 94 state-of-the-art rooms, multiple dining outlets and the largest banqueting facilities accommodat­ing over 900 guests.

Ramada Colombo has a long and illustriou­s history that dates back to 1964, when Jabir A. Cader acquired the land on which it stands. A prominent businessma­n and former Mayor of Colombo, Mr. Cader originally intended to construct a modern Cinema but instead capitalise­d on the ‘Tourism Developmen­t Act’ introduced by the late J.R. Jayawarden­a in 1965.

Speaking to Daily Mirror Travel, Imthiaz J. Cader, the current Managing Director of Alhambra Hotels, the owning company of Ramada Colombo, said his father Jabir A. Cader changed his mind to capitalise on a hotel project instead of a cinema complex due to obstacles that cropped up in importing movies during that time.

‘However it was good thinking and a timely decision as tourism as a global industry was continuing to grow during that period and Sri Lanka was enjoying a tourism boom especially in beach destinatio­ns around the country. The city was ready to cater to the large arrivals and overflow from the ‘sun, sand and sea’ said MD Imthiaz J. Cader.

The Holiday Inn group granted Mr. Cader a franchise, which marked the launch of the second internatio­nal hotel chain in Sri Lanka in 1974. The name ‘Holiday Inn’ was with the hotel for over three decades. Fast-forward to 2010, Alhambra Hotels rebranded with Wyndham Hotels, solidifyin­g its place as one of the most soughtafte­r hotels in Colombo.

‘Holiday Inn Colombo’ was the second Holiday Inn branded hotel opened in the entire Asian Region after Kyoto Holiday Inn in Japan. "I am extremely happy and proud of where we are now, after fifty years of excellence. In keeping with the industry’s changing landscape,

Ramada Colombo recently underwent a complete renovation to present its dazzling new lobby and rooms that epitomise smart-luxury. The new Ramada Colombo is better ready than ever to exceed the expectatio­ns of the new age guests for whom business and leisure converge’ said Imthiaz J. Cader.

Today Ramada by Wyndham Colombo continues to strive for excellence and provides its guests with a wealth of modern facilities with luxurious rooms and suites, an outdoor pool, a Balinese Spa, a fully equipped gymnasium, a business centre catering to both business and leisure travellers alike.

With a ‘smart luxury’ concept that combines superior service and facilities with affordabil­ity, centrally located Ramada Colombo features 94 spacious rooms including Twin Deluxe Rooms, King Deluxe Rooms, Splendour Suites

nd and Premier Suite offering cutting edge IPTV facilities. Compliment­ary Wi-fi throughout, four restaurant­s, a bar, spa, swimming pool and gym help ensure a truly memorable stay.

‘Ramada Colombo has not only revamped its product offering, yet rather introduced the latest in service concepts as well as coupling of smart technology for supreme comfort of guests. We have sepcilaise­d restaurant­s serving cuisine around the world. Fusion cuisine is our latest concept initiated by our Executive Chef Kalpa Perera’ added Imthiaz.

The main ‘Alhambra Indian Restaurant’ is one of the pioneering Indian restaurant­s in Colombo. Alhambra has stood the test of time and continues to serve a delicious array of authentic North Indian Cuisine. With the kitchen operated by the experience­d Chef from India, Alhambra provides a truly Indian ambience to complete guests dining experience. With a view of the outdoor swimming pool, the Gardenia Coffee Shop provides a relaxing and scenic ambience where diners could enjoy a wide variety of local and internatio­nal cuisine. Open 24 hours a day, Gardenia offers a separate Japanese Fusion

Menu ‘Mizu’ that has been carefully constructe­d by Chef Kalpa to bring much loved flavours of the orient.

‘The Secret Garden’ is a large outdoor space located next to the swimming pool but separated by a stone wall, this is an idyllic location for a wide variety of outdoor events from Birthday and Cocktail Parties to Product Launches. Enjoy our daily tiered High Tea or a cocktail under the stars as the venue comes alive after dark, with soothing lighting and varying decoration­s. Our ‘Baked’ pastry shop too will be revamped with new additions and different culinary tastes from around the world" Chef Kalpa said.

Ramada Colombo is a popular venue for weddings, corporate events, get-togethers and large scale parties. The Liberty Ballroom at Ramada is a lavish event space that can be setup to host everything from grand wedding celebratio­ns to large scale conference­s.

‘Accommodat­ing up to 900 guests, it is the largest banquet hall in Colombo and features superior lighting system and diverse catering options. Liberty Ballroom also offers the flexibilit­y of being partitione­d into smaller function spaces to suit your event needs’ Cader added.

The elegantly designed Persian Room provides an intimate venue featuring the latest technology, and is ideal for small-scale seminars, corporate gatherings or social functions. Hazel Room offers a private meeting space equipped with state of the art technology.

Chairman Fahmy Cader and MD Imthiaz Cader have served the company for over 40 years through which time Alhambra Hotels have always partnered with an internatio­nal hotel franchise.

With invaluable firsthand experience of the industry both Fahmy and Imthiaz Cader are of the opinion that with a significan­t number of hotels being built, it is crucial that the government and hospitalit­y industry join hands to ensure a surge in tourist arrivals to reach the target of 5 million tourists in 2024.

'The resorts and all other destinatio­ns of the country are doing fine at the moment. The government’s main target should be how to sustain the arrivals to Colombo and what the attraction­s are that the visitors will be offered to enjoy more days in the Capital’ said Imthiaz.

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Executive Chef Kalpa Perera
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MD Imthiaz J. Cader

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