SRI LANKA-based John Keells Holdings (JKH) is launching a new 240-room business hotel in Colombo, as part of its plans to restore the business travel segment in the capital.
JKH and construction firm Sanken Lanka are jointly setting up the three-star property, with the former due to manage the property.
“We are setting up a no-frills hotel for the business traveller,” said JKH deputy chairman Ajit Gunawardene, adding that Sri Lanka had a lot of catching up to do in the business travel accommodation sector.
Gunawardene said Colombo had only 3,200 rooms capable of hosting business travellers, compared to a destination like Kuala Lumpur, which has some 35,000 keys. “The demand for business rooms will grow, and JKH is looking at creating 1,000 rooms in the capital in this accommodation segment,” he said.
Although most of the hotels in Colombo were set up in the 1980s for business travellers, this travel segment subsequently dried up due to the civil war, which ended in 2009.
Shiromal Cooray, managing director of Jetwing Travels, said the demand for business hotels would grow. “We may soon see more no-frills hotels where business travellers are happy with a basic, comfortable room,” she said.
