Hotels

Just one hour - and for a good cause

For the second year, hundreds of hotels Worldwide participated in Earth Hour: the global environmental awareness event created by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), to send a powerful global message about the importance of environmental sustainability and caring for the planet.

On March 27, leading hotels across the globe, turned off their lights and took other energy-saving measures for one full hour, underscoring their company's dedication to environmental sustainability.

Mount Lavinia Hotel on line with the Earth Hour Movement in Australia also participated by dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, using terracotta lamps in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars and using in-room voicemail messages and in-room television messages to inform guests about Earth Hour observances.

To create the hype across the globe many initiatives for Earth Hour awareness were surfaced in many countries, including community walk-a-thons, public candlelight "unplugged" concerts, and guest receptions featuring signature green cocktails.

"A terracotta lamp was left in all places of our property to symbolize hope and indeed to represent our support for a sustainable future," states Mr Anura Dewapura, General Manager of Mount Lavinia Hotel.

He further added The enthusiasm we saw from our guests and indeed my team made it clear how much they share the passion for sustainability and environmental stewardship," "Considering that Mount Lavinia Hotel in the recent past surfaced unique initiatives that makes sense and indeed creating a platform for sharing messages about the impact each one of us can have if we work together, is a great achievement for us."

"We were happy to partake in this worldwide campaign where we turned off our lights and joined together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common - our planet," GM Anura Dewapura stated.

Galadari gets its Easter basket ready

Easter comes early this year, Sunday, April 04, so now is a good time to make plans for an extravagant, delicious Easter Brunch at the Galadari Hotel

From the roast to a variety of organic food items, the menu for Easter brunch includes more than 100 different food selections.

This Easter, save the Easter Eggs and Easter Bunnies for later! First, indulge in a sumptuous Easter Brunch at the Galadari Hotel's Coffee Shop from 10:30 am to 2.30 pm.

Upon arrival, enjoy a celebratory complimentary welcome drink, then partake of a veritable feast featuring such savories as Belgian waffles, buttermilk pancakes and omelets made to order - and that's just for starters!

The buffet brunch lets one indulge in the wide array of hot and cold stations offering fresh seafood, cold pastas and Italian meats, and Char Broiled Rib of Beef accompanied with Jus Lie carving station, hot pastas, cold salads, cakes, pies, freshly baked cookies, chocolate bunnies and more!

Adding to these delicacies is a wide array of Italian meats, prime ribs and carving stations, cold salads and hot pasta. A separate omelet and griddle station will serve omelets made with free-range eggs with an assortment of fillings, such as bacon, Chicken ham and vegetables.

While you take a break indulging in this feast, you could dip in the pool with the compliments of the Galadari Hotel, as we know you would want to spend your time to go through the delicious range of items you wouldn't want to miss at our brunch!

Topping off this bountiful brunch is everyone's favourite the dessert buffet- featuring a vanilla ice cream with seven toppings to choose from with chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies and much more!

"We're celebrating Easter with an exciting array of traditional and not-so-traditional dishes," Executive Chef Salih, who crafted the Easter Brunch menu from wholesome foods of the season said. "Kids will enjoy our selections of Hash Browns, French fries, Assorted cheeses, Chocolate mousse, Flavours of Ice Creams and chocolate bunnies". For Reservations call 2544544

Easter Brunch and Cannon ball run

Galle Face Hotel:

On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches.

It's also a time to enjoy Easter Goodies like Chocolate Bunnies, Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns. And that's not all.

One must go and savour a delightful Easter Brunch at the Verandah Restaurant of the Galle Face Hotel for the whole family.

A mouth watering Easter Brunch awaits all from 11.30 am to 3.00 pm on Sunday April 4. The Verandah Restaurant will have a range of extravagant and delightful dishes in a form of a buffet till 3.00 pm.

For kiddies there will be an Easter Egg Hunt and a Magic Show during the Easter Brunch.

The Pasticcino The Pastry shop will too have Easter Goodies such as Easter Bunnies, Easter Eggs and Easter Cakes from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm on Easter Sunday. For more details please call the Pasticcino on 2 541010 ext: 3333.

Cannon ball run

The "Cannonball Run" is an event the Galle Face Hotel celebrates annually in March/April commemorating a historical incident that took place in the Galle Face Hotel in the year 1940s.

That Year when the Artillery of the British Army was practicing on the Southern ramparts on the Colombo Fort, a 30 pound Cannonball struck the roof of the Galle Face House - the present Galle Face Hotel.

It had crashed through the roof and rolled down the drawing room.

It is recorded that the house had enjoyed a lucky survival in the 1840's when British military cannon practice went awry.

A Cannonball misfired on a particularly wild monsoon day and all 30 pounds of it were drawn almost a mile down the Green to score a direct hit on the roof of the Villa where it landed on "the squared Chunam and terracotta tiled floor leaving a heavy dent, where it rolled under a chair and remained". When he heard of the incident, Governor Sir Colin Campbell arrived to view "the incredible cannon ball".

Since then, in March/April every year a traditional "Cannonball Run" was organized by the hotel to mark this event. Participants ran from the Cannon on Galle Face Green and touched the Cannonball kept in the hotel. This year the Galle Face Hotel will celebrate the Annual Cannonball run on April 6 at the Pool Terrace. The Winner will be rewarded.

The Galle Face Hotel wishes all its patrons a Happy Easter.

How much accountability resides in your hotel? :

Retreat to find the truth

Leading people is one of the toughest challenges facing professional service organizations today. For the past few years, Mount Lavinia Hotel has been in the process of an organizational change, from a heavy employee turnover to innovative approaches to food and beverage operations to guest friendly approaches with the experience in focus. Yet in each case, a central question has always been how to maintain employee commitment and leading for accountability in the midst of constant flux.

The 17 member executive committee of the hotel from March 26 to 28 were engaged in an educational retreat in search of the finding the best way to lead themselves to accountability. Their search was finally grasped at Kukuleganga Holiday Resort in Molkawa.

Today, employee accountability and engaging the minds of employees in the work of the company has never been more important. The rapid expansion and contraction of the workforce as the country has moved along an economic roller coaster has eroded employee loyalty. Along with it, employee accountability and commitment are being tested to the limits.

GM Anura Dewapura rightly endorsed what the President Mahinda Rajapaksa stated, "What is needed is no less than a collective change in how we lead. Leading for accountability is that change and means that we recognize the role of intrinsic motivation".

Their interactive workshop sessions began on 27th morning with Dewapura leading the program with a heartfelt acknowledgment to the team that had battled great obstacles to achieve fulfilment and satisfaction. Then in the afternoon session Mrs Dewapura whose forte lies in employee assessment and indeed training development for the Hilton chain, facilitated the interactive workshop titled "Leading your way to Accountability.

We explored the question of why people do not always do what they say they will do; a topic that has been the subject of debate for thousands of years, Manager Corporate Communications Mahika Chandrasena said.

Easter traditions around the world

For most children, Easter is a time to colour and hunt eggs, get treats from the Easter Bunny and attend Church. Around the world, however, Easter is celebrated in many different ways and hence it is a time Mount Lavinia Hotel place this quest for a true Easter around the world jazz brunch to finally take its rightful win.

Sri Lanka's colonial heritage hotel on April 4 from 11am will be the place to be, when they surface a unique spread which will emphasize dishes from all across the world including Europe, America, Australia and Asia with a raw bar, creative salad corner, hot food display, are a few to choose from.

Jambalaya, Poached Salmon Fillet, Oysters on ice, Dakota Crab and Tuna Egg Salad, Cucumber and Mint Shooters, Cajun Remoulade are just a few to tempt your taste buds. In addition experience uplifting live jazz, accompanied by delicious brunch-time food that brings out the best of Mount Lavinia Hotel's signature items - fresh air and sunshine at the poolside Governor's Restaurant or just splash out on a most indulgent Easter-themed spread to break those Sunday Blues.