Q: What motivated The Serendipity Collection to set foot in the country’s hospitality segment?
Mario Stubbs (MS): Sri Lanka is a great destination for hospitality and tourism in Asia. Strategically located at the crossroads of East and West sea routes, the island serves as the point of entry to South Asia.

From architecture to history, and cultural diversity to the untethered beauty of nature, the country is a playground offering a unique cultural adventure with a distinguished product compared to other nations.

Having been involved in various roles across many industries in the UK, Middle East and Asia-Pacific region, I wanted to provide a unique experience to tourists of what our country has to offer – and thus the inception of The Serendipity Collection.

Q: Could you offer insights into the rationale behind ‘redefining luxury’?
MS: Conventional luxury encompasses premium brands, prestigious hotels, cars, airline services and fine dining restaurants, among other services.

However, luxury is relative and can mean different things across societies and cultures. For example, a person seated in a small apartment in London at work from nine-to-five, six days a week, would consider working from a luxury villa set in eight acres of private property surrounded by beautiful views to be a luxury.

The Serendipity Collection revolves around history, culture and architecture. The presence of the Portuguese, Dutch and British – and the resulting inherent cultural diversity – has shaped Sri Lanka in such a way that you see something distinctive in each and every province, may it be customs, traditions, architecture or culinary practices.

For a tourist who visits Sri Lanka, this is what we offer – the luxury of experience.

Q: How would you describe the opportunities there are in your target market?
Vishver Swaminathan (VS): As traveller demographics are rapidly changing due to evolving customer behavioural trends, our collection is not segregated into one niche market; instead, it welcomes those interested in the experiences we have to offer.

Tourism markets have recognised The Serendipity Collection as an individual villa company. We carefully analyse whether it meets our brand’s standard requirements in committing a villa to the brand. Each villa in our collection tells a unique story of architecture and history but also portrays the essence of the owner’s personality to customers through the property.

MS: A villa is simply a portrayal of its architect’s mind; the experience we aspire to offer visitors is that of viewing a piece of art in an art museum.

Even for someone who is not enthusiastic about architecture, our villas’ locations and the amenities are guaranteed to provide unforgettable experiences beyond the four walls of a standard hotel room.

Q: In your assessment, how do strategic partnerships add value to a venture?
MS: Strategic partnerships help each other find optimal solutions and develop an edge in the marketplace. We recently established multiple strategic partnerships. For example, the Sail Lanka charter provides visitors with an experience of the most picturesque scenery from the sea, accompanied by swimming, snorkelling and other activities.

VS: We have partnered exclusively with small and medium entrepreneurs to enhance our customer experience. For example, Crab Tales – the passionate venture of a home cook that prepares crab according to a family recipe – now caters to all The Serendipity Collection’s villas.

Q: Could you outline the locations, facilities and other activities The Serendipity Collection offers?
MS: The Serendipity Collection is a cluster of unique properties focussing on a variety of distinctive elements.

Red Cliffs Mirissa, a stunning villa designed by renowned Sri Lankan architect Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa, is located on a 15 acre cliff with the Mirissa Harbour to the south and Weligama Bay to the north.

Designed by prominent Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, our signature property Villa Vista Mirissa is a contemporary villa that sits on an eight acre cliff. Neighbouring Red Cliffs Mirissa, it offers a spectacular view of Weligama Bay.

The River House in Dambulla is a five acre eco-friendly villa built with the creative guidance of celebrated environmental architect Sunela Jayawardena.

And Green Turtle Villa is an exclusive three acre beachfront property situated next to the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery.

VS: These are only some of the many magnificent villas our collection has to offer. While on vacation, thrill seekers have the option to take part in recreational activities such as whale watching, snorkelling, rural biking, surfing lessons, diving, kayaking, sunset cruises and much more, depending on the location of the villa they choose to stay in within the island.

To keep pace with existing and future market needs, we are focussed on growing our footprint, and rapidly expanding our capacity and villa portfolio. However, amid our efforts to expand, we will strive to maintain our company values and brand authenticity when it comes to onboarding new properties into our collection.

– Compiled by Isanka Perera
Mario Stubbs
Founder/CEO
Vishver Swaminathan
Head of Marketing &n Business Development
COMPANY DETAILS
Telephone:0777 733337
Email:marketing@genesisglobalgroup.com
Website:www.theserendipitycollection.com