Jetwing Hotels Celebrates its Golden Jubilee
Today a trusted, household name in hospitality, Jetwing Hotels is a pioneering force in the travel and tourism landscape of Sri Lanka that began life as a humble, sixbedroomed property on the beach of Negombo. Renowned for their warm, welcoming, authentically Sri Lankan hospitality, spaces that blend with the natural world, and heartfelt commitment to sustainability, Jetwing Hotels celebrated its 50th anniversary on the 27th of January at the resort where the journey started – Jetwing Blue.
The story of Jetwing starts with Herbert Cooray, an enterprising building contractor who identified the potential Sri Lanka had for tourism, the island people’s inherent warmth and friendliness juxtaposing with boundless natural, historic, and cultural wonder. While building the beachside Seashells Hotel (Jetwing Sea) for G.E.B. Milhuissen in 1972, Herbert was encouraged to construct his own hotel by Göran Olsson of Vingressor and started to build a property of his own just south of
Seashells Hotel – the iconic Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel (Jetwing Blue).
The Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel opened its doors in 1973, welcoming tourists from all over the world to the incredible beach at Negombo and to the iconic style of hospitality that would distinguish the brand. The beginnings of Jetwing and the life of its founder was reminisced at the event by a panel consisting of Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing Symphony PLC and Shiromal Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing Hotels and Chairman and Managing Director of Jetwing Travels, and children of Herbert. They were joined onstage by Ruan Samarasinghe, Managing Director of Jetwing Hotels whose 50 years of service to the company was felicitated by the team, and Sam Weihagan, former interim CEO of Thomas Cook Group and lifelong friend of Herbert.
‘When my father started Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel, tourism in Sri Lanka was largely dominated by tour operators. Hotels would open and close based on the seasons in the northern hemisphere. What my father envisioned was a hotel that could cater to Sri Lankans and foreigners alike, a brand that would be a source of pride and inclusivity for local communities – and I am happy that we have managed to carry on his legacy and vision throughout 50 years’ said Shiromal Cooray.
Over the years Jetwing Hotels added to their ever-growing portfolio of resorts and villas, acquiring Seashells Hotel from the retiring
Milhuissen in 1978 and the legendary Blue Lagoon (Jetwing Lagoon), famed architect Geoffrey Bawa’s first purpose-built resort. The brand soon grew beyond the shores of Negombo, opening iconic properties in Galle (Jetwing Lighthouse, another masterpiece of Bawa) and Nuwara Eliya (Jetwing St. Andrew’s).
The company’s pioneering spirit, tenacity, and timeless vision came to fore in 2006 with the construction of Jetwing VilUyana, one of the most ambitious hospitality projects ever attempted in Sri Lanka. The man-made lakes, forests, and marshes of the hotel interspersed with consciously designed dwellings signal yet another virtue of
Jetwing. One that has been a mainstay of their operations, design, and concept since the inception – the commitment to sustainability.
‘Hospitality cannot and should not operate isolated from the local communities and without regard to the environment that is something my father strongly believed’ said Hiran Cooray. ‘Although sustainability wasn’t a buzzword back in 1973, the ethos and operations of Jetwing Hotels were built on the principles and tenets that is now considered responsible travel. My father always included the community and the environment in his plans and operated through the years with integrity and trust.’