TEARDROP HOTELS

Q: Does the nation still hold a niche for its unique brand of ëSri Lankan hospitalityí?

A: Absolutely. Once the travel advisories are relaxed, over time tourists will return in even greater numbers to experience the friendly and caring hospitality for which Sri Lanka is famous.

But we cannot rest on our laurels. While a burgeoning industry has prompted hotels and service levels to improve in leaps and bounds in the past 10 years, we must strive for an even better product and infrastructure, thereby curating better guest experiences.

Teardrop Hotels’ core values are built on the triad of Sri Lanka’s genuine hospitality, unique experiences and amazing food. These facets remain strong within the destination brand, and have pushed boundaries in our service levels to truly reflect warmth and hospitality.

 

Q: So what must improve in terms of Sri Lankaís tourism product?

A: Improvement is a continuous process with some of the more immediate being to further develop the country’s infrastructure, introduce stricter controls on pollution and focus on sustainability.

Key tourist sites must be better managed with well maintained washrooms and facilities, and by limiting the number of visitors entering them at any given time.

Sri Lanka can promote unique experiences, which Teardrop Hotels emphasises. Our Experiences Manager is proactive in promoting the ‘real Sri Lanka’ to guests, from biking through paddy fields to cooking demonstrations of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine and hiking in the tea country – essentially, designing experiences beyond sun, sea and sand!

Q: How do you stay ahead of the competition?

A: Our brand ethos is about inspiring hotels, atmospheric destinations and engaging experiences; our small and stylish boutique hotels, located across the country in some of the most picturesque locations, are fully service driven as we not only invest in our properties but also our people as they infuse the Sri Lankan brand of hospitality into the formula.

Besides Monsoon, our street food styled Asian restaurant, Teardrop Hotels has six contemporarily styled heritage bungalows, each championing Sri Lanka’s rich history, warm hospitality and fusion cuisine.

 

Q: Are there challenges faced by the industry?

A: The main challenge is overcoming the perception that Sri Lanka is a seasonal destination, which it is not. We are firm proponents of Sri Lanka being a year-round destination because a tourist may prefer visiting sites during quieter periods.

By improving off-peak traffic, the entire industry can be assured of a sustainable business model while guests have a more pleasant experience. The bureaucracy involved in obtaining permits and licences must be streamlined through systems and policy consistency. This would augment investing in staff training, developing better products and running profitable businesses.

Teardrop is committed to investing a share of profits in sustainability projects so the company’s profitability impacts communities around the properties’ locale.

 

Q: What are Teardrop Hotelsí plans?

A: While our short-term plans have been impacted by the Easter Sunday attacks, we remain confident that tourism will recover. Therefore, our long-term vision remains intact.

Our fourth tea bungalow – less than an hour from Kandy – will be renovated into a six bedroom boutique resort. We also intend to open a 15 room hotel in the hills and a luxurious boutique hotel on the south coast.

Monsoon recently launched a new dinner menu with drinks, lunch and delivery menus now being developed in addition to our events programme.

 

Henry Fitch

Managing Director