From left: Hemas CEO Steven Enderby, Hemas Group Director Abbas Esufally,Anantara Resort General Manager Tamir Kobrin and Serendib Leisure Managing Director Ranil De Silva – Pic by Krishan Ranasinghe

Leisure giants locally and regionally, Hemas Holdings Plc and Minor Hotel Group, this week heralded a new chapter in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry with the opening of the first luxury resort under Anantara brand in Tangalle.
Set up with an investment of over $ 50 million, the Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort has 120 rooms and 32-standalone private pool villas.
It opened on Tuesday with high-spending couples from Scotland and Russia.
For Minor Group, Tangalle resort is its 36th property and for Sri Lanka it is the first luxury Anantara resort.
“This will be a game changer in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry,” said Hemas Holdings Director Abbas Esufally.
The spacious resort will draw the large affluent global clientele of Anantara as well as three other brands of Thailand-headquartered Minor Group. It is estimated that all Minor Group properties are patronised by nearly one million customers. Minor’s other brands are the lifestyle luxury Per Aquum, Tivoli, Oaks and Elewana.
A standard room at Anantara Peace Haven is priced at $ 300 per night on bread and breakfast basis and the villas are marketed at $ 500 per night.
Hemas Holdings and Minor will open the second Anantara resort in Kalutara in the first quarter of next year. “The two Anantara resorts have entailed an investment of over $ 100 million,” Esufally added.
Minor also launched its Avani brand via Sri Lanka and has two mid-tier but star class properties.
Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort has already garnered much interest around the world, with CNN including the resort on its list of “11 hotels opening in 2015 we can’t wait to check into”. The list, which was part of CNN’s Quest’s Passport to 2015, acts as a guide to the years’ most anticipated cruises, destinations and events.
The resort is an ideal base from which to explore Sri Lanka’s southern attractions including Yala, Bundala and Uda Walawe National Parks and the Rekawa Turtle Sanctuary.
Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort General Manager Tamir Kobrin said the new resort offers “authentic luxury” with a Sri Lankan touch and experience.
He said forward bookings had been very promising and most of Anantara’s guests were looking forward to experience Sri Lanka soon. According to him, on average Anantara guests spend seven nights in the other resorts.
The resort staff numbers 200 whilst during the season it will go up to 300 with 25% being female.