By Dimithri Wijesinghe During our exploration of the east coast, we made a stop for a one-night stay at Anilana Pasikuda. Due to Covid-19 concerns, there was a lingering fear of visiting hotels. However, upon our arrival, all such worries were put to rest as the Anilana properties have adopted health and safety measures to a T, ensuring that all guests feel safe and welcome. Once all temperature checks were handled and everyone was thoroughly sanitised, we were kindly guided to our rooms through the massive property. One of the very first things you would notice about Anilana is its sheer size – it is a behemoth of a location despite being in an extremely secluded setting hidden away from the day-to-day bustle of Pasikuda, and due to this seclusion, one does not expect for the property to be so massive and spacious. To get a true scale of the venue, we spoke to Group Resort General Manager (GM) Sourav Chakraborty. He shared that the property, as it stands, contains 45 rooms which includes four suites and three chalets, adding that on any given day, they can comfortably accommodate over a 100 people. Sourav himself is rather new to Anilana. Sharing that he joined in January 2020, before which he was in the Maldives and has been in the hospitality industry for a whopping 13 years, he said that the timing made it so that just as he joined, the world went into lockdown. However, he chose Sri Lanka as the next step in his career because while the Maldives is dependent on its logistics, and Sri Lanka too is similar in a way, our island is one of the biggest and most beautiful island countries in the world. He said that keeping everything aside, what really sold him on his decision to join was the Lankan people. “I have lots of friends who are Sri Lankan; knowing their attitude work-wise, they’re very professional, and that was one of the main reasons which brought me here,” he said. Anilana is a property that is so conveniently located, making it very popular for destination weddings and other gatherings, as guests are able to experience a large scope of activities including cultural tours, exploring Sri Lanka’s rich history and culture; snorkelling and diving, a staple in the east coast; and a variety of beach and water sports, all of which are comfortably facilitated by Anilana. However, considering the way the property itself is built, Anilana is primarily meant for you to relax, surround yourself in nature, soak up the tropical sun, take a swim in the massive centre-side pool, explore their gardens, and visit the beach. Sourav shared that under normal circumstances, the property tends to be quite busy as they often cater to European guests who visit more for relaxation and rejuvenation, while the rest of the year, when the monsoon hits, they tend to have local expats and Lankans who love to travel and enjoy a stay. He shared that the lockdown was a critical period for them, but post lockdown, they’ve observed that people have started travelling. While it is not near to what they are used to, they are able to stay afloat, he said, adding also that “it is more of a survival strategy at this point in time”. Sourav did mention that the Anilana properties have not bent themselves backwards to drop the rates so as to maintain the brand standard, adding that they will continue to ensure that a particular limit of rates will remain to ensure that a particular clientele can come down and entertain the premises, just to make sure the balance is well maintained. He said that while they have their strategies in terms of corporates, embassies, and banks, which are serving them well, at a point where everyone is talking about survival, they are doing well. He said that that they are definitely anticipating that business will pick up once the airport is operational, because Sri Lanka is considered to be one of the safest places to visit globally. The Government has done a great job in ensuring that all is contained, he said, adding: “It is definitely a place guests would like to come down to and break the monotony of having been cooped up for months.”