PRINCE OF GALLE
Located in the Galle Fort – a UNESCO
World Heritage Site – Prince of Galle is a distinctive boutique hotel with a colourful history and humble beginnings as a stable.
The hotel is owned by the Jobsz family, Dutch Burghers who arrived in the late 1600s – their birth being recorded in Jaffna in 1718. Converted into a hotel in 2016, the property was restored while retaining its original structure.
According to Mailman Director Kirk
Jobsz, for a boutique hotel to set itself apart, it must focus on an aspect that its owners are passionate about and its core demographic will appreciate. For the Prince of Galle, this means a highly detailed design and decorative furnishings in line with a traditional albeit flamboyant Dutch heritage.
Food is a global trend and another passion for Jobsz; so with his team, he created a five course breakfast – the ‘Breagustation’ – which is prepared with locally sourced ingredients. “We have what I would call the most unique breakfast in Sri Lanka; reviews out there say that it’s the best breakfast they have ever had,” he says, adding: “For instance, one course consists of ‘hoppas’ – a mix of Western and Sri Lankan filled mini hoppers.”
Only a few hours away from the hustle and bustle of Colombo, he believes that another level of service can be found down south, beyond Sri Lanka’s renowned brand of hospitality. “This is
probably the truest form of the evolution of Sri Lankan hospitality,” he asserts.
And as the country looks to regain its footing in the global tourism market,
Jobsz highlights the importance of improving the hospitality services sector to when it was regarded among the best in the world. To achieve this, he stresses the need to enable well travelled young people to work in Sri
Lanka’s hospitality services sector such as bars and restaurants, so that locals can benefit from their experiences and learn to engage with tourists.
With its combination of 18th century decor and modern amenities, the
Prince of Galle promises a remarkable experience for those looking for a getaway down south.