Kandyan Reach Hotel The pride of Athugalpura

3 November 2023 10:26 am Views - 146

‘Actually food is one of our main driving forces. Many comment about our cuisine. From a simple country meal to star class dining experiences it is all is on the menu. If you are a lover of Western, Eastern, Chinese or authentic Sri Lankan food, our kitchen caters for all your needs.’

The ancient royal capital, Kurunegala is one of the most commercialised cities in the country after Colombo but never performed as a destination for tourism. Taking a nostalgic look back into the past, the city of Kurunegala has so much to offer to tourists, with many unexplored tourist attractions. Unfortunately, very few star class hotels have come up to cater to the discerning traveller in the region.
‘Kandyan Reach Hotel’, the very first star class luxury hotel in Kurunegala, is a milestone in the capital city of the North Western Province. It brings back the old world charm of ‘Athugalpura’. Started in 1997, ‘Kandyan Reach’ boasts of having 32 luxury rooms, a large swimming pool, three banquet facilities that can cater up to 600 guests, restaurant serving global cuisine and a lounge.  

Located just eight hundred metres from the city centre, on the Kurunegala – Kandy road, the Kandyan Reach Hotel doesn’t necessarily suggest tranquility. But as a city hotel, the architecture and the exterior hardly reflect the urbanity. There’s the beautiful view of the ‘Ethagala’ rock from the front and railway bungalows from the another side and a green creeper covers the interior of the hotel walls. 
For over 26 years, Kandyan Reach Hotel has managed to maintain its position as the best luxury hotel in Kurunegala, while continuously raising the hospitality and culinary standards.
Out of a 32 room inventory, 17 are newly refurbished to Deluxe range with all modern amenities. All rooms are elegantly decorated in keeping with the theme of the hotel and are equipped with cable TV, piped music, mini refrigerator, electronic safe, hair dryer, tea and coffee making facilities and en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold water and all modern amenities.
‘We are one of the premier star class hotels in Kurunegala with a vision of offering the best accommodation and in-house services to guests visiting this historic city. Apart from the business clientele visiting Kurunegala, we mainly cater to families and honeymooners’ said Dinesh Disanayaka, the experienced General Manager of the Hotel.

‘Our location, the culinary delights presented by our renowned chefs, the comfort of the hotel and the services offered make us an ideal choice when seeking the holiday venue. Home to one of the best restaurants in Kurunegala, we are geared to provide a wide array of cuisines to suit diverse palates’ he added.
Kandyan Reach has a beautiful lobby and a restaurant catering to Western, Eastern, Chinese, Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine, prepared by Executive Chef, Indika Munaweera Arachchi and his experienced kitchen team. Indika has been in the hospitality industry for over 20 years having gained overseas experience too in the preparation of delicious food.
‘Actually food is one of our main driving forces. Many comment about our cuisine. From simple country meals to star class dining experiences, it’s all on the menu. If you are a lover of Western, Eastern, Chinese or authentic Sri Lankan food, our kitchen caters to all your needs. Special BBQ nights can be arranged on request. We offer special honeymoon packages and the couple is well taken care of. ’ said GM Dinesh.
The Grand Ballroom of the hotel can host up to 350 people and is popular with weddings and other family get-togethers. The hotel’s close proximity to picturesque Kurunegala Lake, Ethagala, old railway buildings and countryside locations boosts the popularity of the Kandyan Reach as the best ‘Wedding Destination’ in Kurunegala.
Apart from the main ballroom, the hotel also has on offer two other ballrooms, namely Olive Garden and Crown Banquet Hall which have holding capacities for up to 70 and 150 people respectively. For corporate and business meetings, the hotel offers its Conference Room which can easily accommodate a group of 25 pax.
‘Kurunegala is a relatively untouched area in Sri Lanka but with much potential to become an integral tourist hub since it is ideally placed in between the commercial capital and the go-to tourist destinations of the North, the North Central, and the East. So our main target market is visiting guests and family outings on weekends and holidays. Sunday Buffet and pool facilities attract most of the family crowd from the area on weekends’ said GM Dinesh Disanayaka.

Kandyan Reach Hotel offers tour and excursion facilities to many destinations. Apart from traditional Dambulla, Sigiriya, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa, close byday tours to the places such as ‘Redee Viharaya’, ‘Ethugala’, ‘Lake Kurunegala’, ‘Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage’ and Negombo are some of the popular attractions.   
Kandyan Reach Hotel is owned and managed by Hotel Athgiri (Pvt.) Ltd., under the direction of Managing Director Chandana S. Abeyratne. 
 Pix by Sanath Weerasuriya