Browns Hotels and Resorts will be extending their footprint to the Maldives.The group is planning to build two resort hotels in the island nation.

In addition the company has also signed up with one of the leading travel agencies in Italy, Alpitours to market the newly opened Dickwella Resort and Spa opened on December 22.

Browns Hotels and Resorts General Manager Eksath Wijeratne said that they have signed up with the Italian company who in turn will send tourists for the hotel. “The company also invested over Rs. 250 million to upgrade the 56 roomed hotel.

“We were closed for six months for this refurbishment,” Wijeratne said. All rooms have been done up while several other features too were added under the refurbishment program.

Wijeratne said that the company has also repositioned the hotel as an all inclusive club concept hotel on the request of Alpitours.

The Italian counterpart will also be operating chartered flights from next month and they will use the Mattala Airport for this purpose.Wijeratne said Dickwella Resort and Spa’s forward bookings are very positive and they already have over 80% Italian booking for the January February season channeled through Alpitours. The average stay would be around one week.He said that Alpitours has also stationed a 10 member animation team to work in the hotel to entertain the guests.

LOLC Group’s Leisure sector was grouped under their subsidiary Browns Hotels and Resorts in 2014.

The Group now has nine properties in its portfolio both locally and internationally with 1,200 keys upon completion.

With over 3.1 million customers, Alpitour World is the leading Italian travel group and high-ranking in the European travel industry.

Source : http://dailynews.lk/?q=2015/12/29/business/browns-build-two-resorts-maldives