The Charm of History and the Beauty of Nature Waiting to be Discovered

The astonishing history of the impressive Rivi Ras Hotel, takes us back more than a century ago, to the time when it was built on a coconut plantation, as a holiday house. Changing its roles as a residence of the Ambassador of The Netherlands, and other dignitaries, this Belgian owned enterprise is a standing whiteness of the turbulent times of Sri Lanka. The comfortable and cosy hotel with its chalet style rooms and large windows offers its guests spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. A step out onto the private balcony to indulge into the fresh cooling breeze is a natural remedy and a getaway from the busy everyday life.

“My mother constructed cabanas in the middle of coconut plantation in the past, and they proved to be hugely popular, becoming one of the first hotels in Mount Lavinia.A lot of people came here because it was Colombo’s beach and it still is Colombo’s beach”, Director Chanrud Deraniyagala says. That beach hosts a beautiful restaurant, “La Langousterie”, offering fresh and mouth-watering seafood. It is famous for its lobsters, attracting guests from far and near to indulge in pure pleasure. Chanrud Deraniyagala explains that “at the time the restaurant was built, in the late 1970’s it was one of three places in Colombo where people would come out to have a good meal and to dance, making in very popular.”

After the turbulent times of Sri Lanka have passed, Rivi Ras Hotel and “La Langousterie” reinvented themselves, offering its clientele a new swimming pool overlooking the ocean, new marvellous cooks and highly trained hotel staff, innovative cocktails at the bar and live music on the weekends. Restoration of the old family house is underway, and when completed it will be incorporated into the hotel structure. The underground floor of the hotel is planned to feature a hall for functions, weddings and conferences.

Regarding the clientele base, the management would particularly like to attract guests from Europe, especially Eastern Europe and Russia. Swedish visitors have been particularly frequent in the last year, giving the hotel a charming international touch.

“I want our hotel to be known as ‘the place’ in Colombo for people wanting to have a good time, a great rest or a delicious lobster. We are a simple, comfortable, clean hotel, with excellent service and friendly staff. It is a place to visit at least for a couple of days after flying in or before flying out of Colombo,” Chanrud Deraniyagala concludes.