Sri Lanka’s first-ever airport hotel is to be constructed within the Airport and Aviation Services premises at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) by the Colombo International Airport Hotels (Pvt.) Ltd. (CIAH) with the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka.

BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala said: “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 who is working towards making it a reality.”

BOI entered into an agreement with CIAH to construct the country’s airport hotel within the airport with the expectation of investing $ 18.2 million for this project while the agreement was signed by BOI Chairman Mohottala and CIAH Chairman Ruwan Perera.

CIAH Chairman Perera said: “We are especially 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 (EPZ), as well as flight crew, transit, and business travelers. We are most delighted to partner with Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd. 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.”

Accordingly, the first phase of this hotel development is planned to be ready by 2022. The airport-based hotel is set to offer a mega value addition to the expanding capacity of the BIA and will offer four-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 is 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.

Source: https://www.aviationvoice.lk/first-ever-airport-based-hotel-at-bia/