Maalu Maalu Resorts & Spa, the first boutique hotel in the East Coast will open in Pasikudah next month, making it the first ever boutique hotel to commence operations in the area.
The boutique hotel initiated under the post war Nagenahira Nawodaya campaign is in its final stages of completion and the ceremonial opening is scheduled for May 20.
Maalu Maalu Resorts & Spa will have 40 chalets overlooking the ocean.
The elegant chalets have been designed in traditional Sri Lankan style, blending with the environment in the most natural and picturesque way.
Inspired by Sri Lankan traditions and eco-friendly architecture, Maalu Maalu reinterprets the style of a Sri Lankan fishing village or Wadiya.
It will be the first eco and family friendly boutique resort exclusively designed according to green building guidelines on energy and environment.
Maalu Maalu will have two restaurants to wine and dine - Karadiya - an open-air restaurant/coffee shop with a view of the ocean and Dheewarayo-Habala restaurant.
The Ruwala pool bar will resemble traditional Sri Lankan fishing boats.
Recreation options include traditional ayurveda therapy, snorkelling, diving, windsurfing, deep-sea fishing and other water sports.
Guests could enjoy canoeing trips to the lagoons and mangroves for bird watching, or enjoy a spectacular view of Pasikudah bay from the resort's Infinity pool.
In addition, Maalu Maalu also has a state-of-the-art conference room to provide the ideal venue for small or medium conferences and functions.
The government has plans to build approximately 1,000 hotel rooms in the East to cater to the increasing demand of tourists visiting the area. A 13-room hotel project is in the pipeline, which will help establish Pasikudah as a top tourist beach destination.
Chairman Connaisance de Ceylan Chandra Wickramasinghe said, "We are happy to contribute towards the government's Nagenahira Nawodaya initiative which is aimed at bridging the gap between the East of Sri Lanka and the rest of the island. Maalu Maalu strategically fits into the government's ongoing development plan for the East.
The government is committed to rebuilding the East following the end of terrorism and we believe that Maalu Maalu assist in positioning the area as a prime global tourist destination."
Guests to the hotel could visit Kalkudah village, Hindu temples and village markets or they could go on a half-day tour to Polonnaruwa. The Connaissance Group which owns Maalu Maalu used resources of the area when building the hotel. The contractors were also from the area.
The project will provide direct and indirect employment to residents of the area.
Manager - Marketing Sanjaya Bandara said "Already more than 150 people have been involved in the project and the hotel will provide jobs to the youth in the area within the permanent cadre".
In addition, the Directors of Connaissance will operate an NGO - Reconstruire et Vivre to provide educational and English language skills and will also open a computer centre in the village of Kalkudah.
As a committed, socially responsible company, Maalu Maalu Resort & Spa will also contribute $1 from the occupied rooms per day to a fund to develop, educate and cultivate skills of the youth of the area.
