President   Ranil Wickremesinghe  unveils the plaque in the presence of    Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka  Santosh Jha (extreme  left), Prime Minister  Dinesh Gunewardena (extreme  right) and  ITC Ltd  Chairman and Managing Director   Sanjiv Puri ( second from left)
Pic by Pradeep Dilruckshana 

By Nishel Fernando

As a testament to Sri Lanka’s comeback in tourism and returning investor confidence, India’s luxury hotel giant, yesterday launched its first ever international venture, US$ 500 million investment ITC Ratnadipa in the iconic Colombo Galle Face area.

This flagship hospitality icon of ITC Hotels was inaugurated yesterday by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presence of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunewardena, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, and ITC Group Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Puri.

The iconic structure located along the shores of the Indian Ocean on one side and Beira Lake on the other, comprises of two stellar towers that stand gracefully together presenting impeccable hospitality at both ITC Ratnadipa Hotel and the luxurious Sapphire Residences. 

Connecting the two towers at a height of 100 metres is the first of its kind, state of the art ‘Ahasa’ Sky Bridge, an architectural marvel.

“The skyline of Colombo has a new gem. I don’t think you can ever get an iconic site than this in any part of the Asia,” said President Wickremesinghe  addressing a packed crowd consisting political leaders, business community and foreign media at the inauguration ceremony last morning.

“Here, you have the first five star hotel in Asia, Galle Face Hotel, then you have Taj from India, then you have Shangri La from Singapore and the tallest of them all is the ITC. 

“Having this background is enormous. This represents Sri Lankan hotel industry. I have no doubt this will become the symbol of Colombo and Colombo’s tourism,” President Wickremesinghe added.

He outlined that this new gem to Colombo’s Skyline would send a strong message to the world, in a boost to tourism and investments into the country.

“This icon will help Sri Lanka to increase tourism into Sri Lanka, particularly from India. This will encourage many other hotels, many other companies from other parts of the world to invest here,” he added.

 
ITC Ratnadipa is the largest tourism development to be launched after Sri Lanka’s tourism sector plunged into multiple crises. 

While reaffirming its commitment to Sri Lanka, ITC group Chairman Sanjeev Puri emphasised that ITC Ratnadipa would redefine luxury travel experience in Sri Lanka.

“Hopefully, this will add another pillar to the vibrant tourism landscape of Colombo, as we go about promoting this hotel in our road shows, and it will hopefully not only promote the hotel , but it will also promote the destination,” he said.

ITC Ratnadipa is ITC group’s first hotel outside India and is considered to be one of largest investments made by the Indian hospitality giant, with a US$ 500 million investment. It is also the largest investment made by an Indian company in Sri Lanka  to-date. 

ITC initially announced the project in 2014, with an estimated investment of US$ 300 million and it was set to be completed in 2017, as per initial plans. 

This luxury destination draws inspiration from the national flower of Sri Lanka, the floating water lily, which is a recurrent motif across the hotel. ITC Ratnadipa or ‘Island of Gems’ offers 352 guest rooms, , suites and service apartments, each adorned with private balconies with breathtaking waterfront views.

In particular, ITC Hotels has made a special effort to integrate local culinary cuisine & indigenous foods. Accordingly, significant efforts have been made to develop local vendors in Sri Lanka for integral culinary products, contributing to our tenets of Responsible Sourcing and lowering Carbon Footprint.

Carrying the legacy of ITC Hotels in pioneering Responsible Luxury, ITC Ratnadipa has been designed with globally benchmarked environmental dimensions endorsing a climate smart approach. From the inception of the project through construction and ongoing operations, sustainability is at the core of ITC Ratnadipa. Initiatives include enhanced focus on energy and water efficiency, sustainable site development, and the use of eco-friendly materials ensuring indoor environmental quality, among others.

ITC Ratnadipa marks the addition of the 16th Luxury Collection Hotel in ITC Hotels’ portfolio. The Luxury Collection, one of Marriott International’s leading global brands, is comprised of world- renowned hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. ITC Ratnadipa also marks the entry of Marriott International’s luxury brands in Sri Lanka. The Luxury Collection hotels are a part of Marriott Bonvoy, the world’s largest hotel loyalty programme.

Plans to explore investment opportunities beyond tourism 

ITC yesterday announced plans to explore investment opportunities in Sri Lanka beyond tourism.
“We are open to exploring opportunities,” ITC Group Chairman Sanjeev Puri said.

Apart from its own hotels, he noted that ITC is also open for management contracts as well as property developments in the region in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s neighbourhood first  vision statement. 
As a diversified conglomerate, ITC has a strong presence in Consumer Goods, Hotels, Paperboards & Packaging, Agri Business and Information Technology.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe invited ITC to invest in hospitality development projects in other tourist points in the country.