Santani Wellness Resort and Spa has been in the limelight of the international press, with a trio of high profile accolades since the opening of the property just eight months ago.
The property was first selected to the Travel + Leisure “IT List”, which highlights the top 40 hotels to visit in 2017. The resort was then selected to the Conde Nast Traveler “Hot List”, which showcases 75 of the best new properties in the industry. Most recently, Santani was awarded the “Zen Master” title at the Tatler World Spa awards, the leading spa award ceremony in the world. This was a first for Sri Lanka, as no other hotel from the country had ever been featured and only 8 spas from the entire world were recognized at this ceremony.
Nathan Lump, the Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure said that every year, its editors and contributors vet the most exciting debuts around the globe to create this highly selective list, while Pilar Guzman, editor of Conde Nast Traveler said “Our annual Hot List, a rigorous selection of our favorite new hotel openings of the past year, is a predictor of what properties will stand the test of time, make history, and let you reimagine how you want to live and travel”
Vickum Nawagamuwage, CEO of Santani stated that “From the very beginning, we were true believers in creating a global hospitality brand, and today we are excited to see people and publications from all over the world recognizing Santani and the experience that it offers. It is a great achievement for our entire team who has worked tirelessly, and also a significant achievement for the country, as it opens up new luxury and wellness markets. Nowadays, luxury travellers are looking for something beyond plunge pools and excessive décor. Santani provides the perfect match in terms of immersing guests in the nature around it.”
Miguel Cunat, CEO of The Fabulous Getaway added “This is a significant achievement for Sri Lanka in terms of creating additional products that bring travelers to the country. This will enable us to create a product that features Santani as the highlight of their stay, as there is significant demand and name recognition for Santani already, and this is a selling point for the Sri Lankan brand as well.
Vogue magazine stated that “in 2017, we’ll also see Sri Lanka emerge as the next hot wellness escape, ranking up there with India, California, and Thailand, thanks to forward-thinking retreats like Santani”.
Chamindra Goonewardene, Group Head of Marketing of Santani added “While the positioning of our brand opens up an entire segment of travellers specifically looking for a wellness experience, a number of our guests have been those just looking for a luxurious getaway. The property therefore caters for two segments in terms of both luxury and wellness, and we are seeing a growing overlap between these two markets, and we expect this trend to continue, as this is a 500+ Billion USD market.” Nawagamuwage added that “We have also received rave reviews for our food, and travellers from across the world are saying that it’s the best food that they’ve ever tasted, which is a testament to the hard work, done by Chef Wajira Gamage and his team”.
Santani Wellness Resort and Spa is located just one hour outside of Kandy, and is Sri Lanka’s first purpose built luxury wellness resort.
The property has 20 standalone chalets and has received international recognition for its stunning location, unique design and amazing cuisine. Located close to the town of Digana, the property also gives guests the opportunity to traverse around undiscovered mountain regions in the country and even hike to the Knuckles mountain range.
