Centara Opens New Resort at Bentota Peninsula

Bentota (Si Lanka) – June 6, 2014 – Centara Hotels & Resorts of Thailand staged the grand opening of Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka on 29 May 2014, with the ceremony presided over by His Excellency Mr Mahinda Rajapksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The resort is located on the Bentota Peninsula, at the southwest of the island, with the Bentota River on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other.

The resort’s arrival lounge is situated at Aluthgama, on the inland side of the river, with guests travelling across the water by barge, a journey that takes two minutes.

“The opening of this beautiful new resort, set in one of Sri Lanka’s most outstanding tourism destinations, is a proud moment for us,” said Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.

“We view Sri Lanka as being of great potential for us, and the island is part of our strategy for developing our market in the Indian Ocean region.”

Alexandre Glauser, area general manager of Centara Hotels & Resorts Sri Lanka, said that the hotel is ready with a full complement of staff to welcome its first guests.

“Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa is an outstanding property that will have both a romantic appeal for couples and lots of leisure attractions for families,” he said.

“For guests, the scene is set with the charming ride across the river on board our ferry, and no matter which room or suite they are staying, the view for guests will be stunning.”

The resort has 165 rooms and suites, including family residences, with all the accommodations featuring views across the river, or across the beach and the ocean.

Restaurant facilities include Café Bem, serving Sri Lankan and international cuisines along with buffets; 360 Seafood, which specialises in locally sourced seafood; and Ceylon Club, which serves refreshments and light meals throughout the day and evening.

Spa Cenvaree offers traditional Sri Lankan and Indian treatments along with its range of signature Thai therapies, there is a fitness centre, an oceanfront swimming pool with Jacuzzi and a children’s pool, a water sports centre, and a Kids’ Club with separate zones for the youngsters and the teens.

The resort’s versatile events space can accommodate a wide-ranging number of functions including meetings, incentives groups, weddings and outdoor receptions, all supported by state of the art audiovisual equipment and the facilities available at the business centre.

The resort is just a few minutes from Aluthgama railway station. Colombo is reached in less than two hours by road and Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport is 100 kilometres away from the resort.

About Centara Hotels & Resorts:
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, with 46 deluxe and first-class properties covering all the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom. A further 21 resorts in Maldives, Vietnam, Shanghai, Bali, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Qatar, Laos and Oman brings the present total to 67 properties. Brands and properties within Centara ensure that specific categories such as couples, families, individuals, and meetings and incentives groups will all find a hotel or resort that is appropriate to their needs. Centara operates 29 branches of Spa Cenvaree, one of Thailand’s most luxurious and innovative spa brands, together with 7 branches of the value brand Cense by Spa Cenvaree, which provides core spa services for busy travellers. The company’s Kids’ Club is available at all the family-friendly resorts to ensure that the youngsters and teens have their own leisure zone. Centara also operates three state-of-the-art convention centres in Bangkok, and two in northeastern Thailand, one being located in Udon Thani and the other in Khon Kaen. The latest Centara brand is named COSI Hotels, an affordable lifestyle brand designed for travellers who predominantly make their bookings via the internet and who want comfort and convenience at affordable prices; the brand is under development with the first property due to open in 2016.

Media contact:
Wilasinee Jinaut (Oh)
Corporate Assistant Marketing Communications Manager
Centara Hotels and Resorts
25th Floor, Centara Grand & BCC at CentralWorld,
999/99 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand
T: +66(0)2 769 1234 ext.6588 F: +66(0)2 769 1211
E-mail: wilasineeji@chr.co.th
Website: www.centarahotelsresorts.com