Bomb-affected Cinnamon Grand accepts new bookings
Bomb- affected Cinnamon Grand, Colombo has commenced taking new bookings from April 22 onwards and all its restaurants - excluding those in the affected area on the lower ground floor at the rear of the hotel, will open to the publ i c f rom Ap r i l 30 ( Tuesday). All prior bookings for banquets and rooms continue as planned,” John Keells Holdings ( JKH), the hotel’s owning company said on Friday.
“The courageous and speedy action by the team at Cinnamon Grand, in assisting with emergency medical evacuations for those affected, in the face of shock and profound grief was truly remarkable and led to saving many l ives. Th i s extraordinary attitude and response at a time of strife, including the securing of the hotel, gave comfort to our guests, with most of the guests at Cinnamon Grand opting to remain at the h o t e l . The hotel has remained operat i o n a l throughout for inhouse guests. We are humbled by these actions and salute our team at Cinnamon Grand and all those who have assisted us in numerous ways including hospital staff, the police, security forces and so many others, too numerous to mention,” it said.
JKH said the attacks on Easter Sunday will have a negative impact on the tourism industry and other sectors of the economy. “While we will play our part to help the industry and country achieve a speedy recovery, we call upon the relevant authorities to take urgent steps to prevent a recurrence of these heinous acts. In the aftermath of this tragedy, security measures have been enhanced and additional safety measures introduced, in consultation with the authorities and security experts, to ensure the safety of our guests and team members in all our Cinnamon City and Resort Hotels and all our places of business,” it said.
Officials of Ceylinco General Insurance visited Shangri-La within a few hours of Sunday’s incident and got in touch with the hotel management immediately. On Monday, April 22, an initial inspection was carried out and Ceylinco General Insurance in collaboration with Chubb Insurance, USA, paying the advance to Shangri-La Hotel to help them expedite the repairs.