The leisure-arm of the ABEC Group of Companies will invest over Rs. 3.5 billion to build three boutique hotels in Sri Lanka.
Chairman, ABEC Premier Group, Dilip K. Herath said that they are a global leader in student counselling for Educational opportunities and offers International Educational services for 17 years. “We have branches in Colombo and Kandy and decided to take a risk and diversify to the hotel sector when Sri Lanka was facing a pandemic and other economic issues.”
“We believed that Sri Lanka and the tourism sector would bounce back and made our first investment in building and opening Grand Serendib Hotel Kandy with an investment of Rs. 1 billion making our first diversification to the leisure sector.”
“We are now planning to open two more boutique hotels in Beruwala and in Kitulgala.”
“We have already purchased a one-acre beach frontage land in Beruwala and are planning to build a 55 room luxury boutique hotel. We hope to start construction this year and hope to open it in 2024.”
“We have also observed that there is no star class hotel in Kitulgala and will invest in our third boutique luxury hotel there.” He said that they are a dollar earning company and could have made this investment anywhere in the world.
“But we decided to opt for Sri Lanka as we thought the best way to help economic revival of the country is to plough back our dollar investments to Sri Lanka.”
He also recalled that they were also encouraged personally by the former Prime Minister and President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Tourism Minister John Amaratunga to invest in the hotel sector.
The money for the projects would be raised through profits generated by ABEC Premier Group while foreign investors too would invest in them. The newly opened Grand Serendib hotel built to Kandyan architecture offers 24 rooms including two suites, a family room. “The hotel also offers an infinity swimming pool, a roof top area that is offered for private functions and many other modern luxury amenities.” - SS