Experience unparalleled luxury at Mandara Rosen Kataragama

By Sanuj Hathurusinghe

Located only a stone’s throw away from the Kataragama Sacred City, Mandara Rosen Kataragama is the most convenient and luxurious destination for any tourist to Kataragama, both local and foreign alike. Since its inception in 2000, the hotel has been standing tall proudly as the only classified star-class hotel in Kataragama, providing the visitors with a wholesome experienced packed with luxury and tranquillity.

However, without feeling complacent of the hotel’s achievements and strong reputation, the management is always exploring new avenues to serve the visitors better, in ways even the visitors cannot think of. As a result, the room renovations and upgrades are constantly being carried out to provide luxury, even in the most unassuming places, which ultimately lifts the hotel’s reputations far above its competitors.

Facilities

The hotel boasts 60 luxurious rooms – 58 Deluxe rooms and two Suites. The omnipresent facilities such as  spa, gym, restaurant, and bar are available for the visitors to have a rejuvenating Ayurvedic treatment, a workout session to break some sweat, tantalise the taste buds with a cuisine of their liking and to sip a beverage that packs a punch; whichever the visitor desires. The plans are underway to renovate and expand the hotel’s Main Bat to better serve the visitors and the hotel recently unveiled such an attempt to serve the customers better with its pastry shop, Mandara Cafe. Despite the hotel possessing a coffee shop to cater to the caffeine needs of customers, the newly-opened Mandara Cafe offers easy access to the customers in a hurry to grab a quick bite and a beverage of their liking. For the more chilled and relaxed customers, the cafe offers ample dine in facilities to munch and sip the food and the beverage they like.

As the Resident Manager Sarath Rathnayake revealed, the hotel’s main restaurant Petal can serve over 100 guests at a time and the multiple reception halls and conference rooms of the hotel can cater to every even need of customers including weddings up to 300 guests.

One of the main features of Mandara Rosen’s facilities is its pool which is the only pool in the country that plays underwater music for the enjoyment of the guests.

Await exciting offers

With the foreign tourist season being from November to April and the local tourist arrivals in Kataragama is expected to peak during April, the hotel is poised to offer exciting offers and discounts for the visitors in the month of April. These offers include special family deals, discounts for selected credit and debit cards, special season-specific events, specially-curated menus for the hungry mouths, and many more. More details on these exciting and attractive offers could be gained via the hotel’s official website and its social media pages.

Convenience and variety

Mandara Rosen isn’t just a pit stop many make during their trips to the sacred city of Kataragama. The things one can do and the places one can visit during their stay at Mandara Rosen is unimaginably diverse. As the Front Office Manager Sudesh Aponsu revealed, the hotel is the most idyllic and convenient location for any tourist to stay during their trip to Kataragama Devala, Kiri Vehera, Sella Kataragama, and Wedihiti Kanda; the last of which is located just behind the hotel within the walking distance.

However, the hotel is much popular amng the foreign visitors due to the convenience it offers in terms of reaching every major tourist attraction in the vicinity such as Yala National Park, Bundala National Park, Lunugamwehera National Park, Hambantota Birds Park, Hambantota Dry Zone Botanical Garden, Ridiyagama Safari Park, Hambantota International Cricket Stadium, Mattala International Airport, Sithul Pawwa, and the sacred city of Tissamaharama. “The Katagamuwa Entrance of Yala is only a 30-minute drive away from the hotel. The Galge Entrance to Yala, which is open throughout the year for visitors, is also much closer to the hotel, which makes Mandara Rosen the go-to destination for foreigners who are visiting Yala. When an international cricket is taking place in Hambantota, Mandara Rosen is almost always the hospitality destination for the teams,” revealed Aponsu.

“We also see many foreign tourists arrive at the hotel from Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ella who wants to experience the stark difference in the climate within a day,” Rathnayake added.

Quality guaranteed

Although Kataragama is known for its dry and harsh climatic conditions, Mandara Rosen stands out like and oasis among the typical dryness of the area thanks to the initiatives taken by the Mandara Hotels’ management. The hotel is constructed in such a way that least affects the flora in the hotel area which makes a stroll around the hotel premises a shady and cool one.

Ingredients for the hotel kitchen are hand-picked and from the reputed farmers who maintain quality in their products and specially delivered to the hotel to avoid damages during transporting. Rathnayake also revealed that the hotel maintains an organic farm which also contributes fresh greens and veggies for Mandara hotels. The dedicated 20-strong kitchen staff of Mandara Rosen led by Executive Chef Sarath Amaratunga is capable of catering to any specific palate be it, Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese, Italian, French, English and Asian cuisine.

About 80 per cent of visitors who arrive at Mandara Rosen being repeat customers stands testimony to the unparalleled quality the hotel has maintained over the years. So, the next time you plan to visit Kataragama or any other popular attraction in Hambantota, make sure to make Mandara Rosen as your hospitality destination to enhance your travel experience.