BIA to get first airport hotel

BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala (left) and Colombo International Airport Hotels Pvt. Ltd Chairman Ruwan Perera after signing the investment agreement 

• CIAH to invest US$ 18mn to construct 100-room 4-star hotel within Airport and Aviation Services premises 
• Project’s first phase be ready by early 2022

Colombo International Airport Hotels Pvt. Ltd (CIAH) has inked an agreement with Board of Investment (BOI) to construct Sri Lanka’s  first ever airport hotel within the Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. premises in Katunayake.

CIAH will invest US$ 18.2 million for this project and the first phase of this hotel development is planned to be ready by 2022. The investment agreement was signed by BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala and Colombo International Airport Hotels Pvt. Ltd Chairman Ruwan Perera. The airport based hotel is set to offer a mega value addition to the expanding capacity of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and will offer 4-star facilities with over 100 rooms inclusive of superior, deluxe and suite rooms. 

The facilities also include a spacious main pool, gym, spa, MICE centre, crew lounge and a number of restaurants, which are further complemented with a stunning rooftop leisure lounge— all of which is set amidst a lush tropical ambience.  Internationally acclaimed architectural designs and state-of-the-art technologies will be introduced in this project by the Japanese partnering companies.

“A star class hotel within the airport premises has been a key requirement for Sri Lanka, and we are indeed grateful that a project of this nature is taking shape. With international passenger traffic expected to increase exponentially, and with Sri Lanka aiming to become one of Asia’s main transit ports, the country needs to accelerate hotel capacity rapidly. This project is therefore, an extremely welcome infrastructure development initiative that we are all eagerly looking forward to, and I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone working towards making it a reality,” BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala said.

CIAH Chairman Ruwan Perera said, “We are pleased with the timing of this project. This will not only add significant value to the BIA, but also offer a unique option for international visitors patronising the Katunayake Export Processing Zone, as well as flight crew, transit and business travellers.” “We are most delighted to partner with Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka Limited in this venture on their own land fulfilling the vision of the government. We are also overwhelmed by the confidence placed on this project by Japanese partners and also for the opportunities created for local companies to prove their talents through collaboration,” he added.