This December, The Little Hut at Mount Lavinia Hotel is getting a makeover. “The Hut”, as it will now be known, pays homage to the past glory days of The Little Hut, which was a popular spot for lovers of music and one of the most popular nightlife hangouts in Colombo. It was one of the most iconic clubs in Sri Lanka together with other clubs like the Coconut Grove at the Galle Face Hotel. It was a hub of musical activity with live band performances and dances enjoyed by many of Colombo’s elite. With time, as other nightclubs sprung up and EDM and alcohol began to take precedence in the nightlife scene, its popularity declined. Though there was an attempt to revive its retro ambience a few years back, it did not prove very successful. For the first time since its establishment, the Mount Lavinia Hotel is giving The Little Hut over to be managed by an outside party. It will henceforth be managed by Elite Promotions & Events (Pvt.) Ltd. an affiliate of the Ideal Group of Companies, owned by Richard de Zoysa and Chairman of the Ideal Group Nalin Welgama. This re-launch is the brainchild of Richard de Zoysa – born out of Richard’s passion to recreate the “Little Hut” of the olden days – to create a place where lovers of music can enjoy live music in a venue with an ambience like no other. A lover of music himself, Richard was the driving force behind the project and it was he who convinced Chairman of the Mount Lavinia Hotel Sanath Ukwatte and General Manager Bazeer Cassim to hand the management over to him. Speaking to us about his many plans for The Hut, Richard placed special emphasis on the fact that it will operate on the concept of a music lounge. From Thursdays to Saturdays, there will be live music at the lounge, courtesy of local bands like Mirage, Wildfire, and the Sunset Band. Sundays are reserved for jazz, while there will be days reserved for EDM in order to cater to the younger crowd. Alston Koch, one of the of Sri Lanka’s very own musicians with international acclaim, is aligned to the project and he too is committed to bring forth new talent to perform at the venue. Other local talents who have been nurtured in the country by programmes like Battle of the Bands will also have the opportunity to take the stage. Furthermore, Richard is adamant about the idea that The Hut will be no ordinary bar. When asked on how he would make the difference, he told us that it would be managed with strict codes of conduct – which means no brawling or fighting, security will be strict, and dress codes will be enforced – with no tolerance for misbehaving guests. On Wednesdays, Voice of Sri Lanka will be hosted at the venue in partnership with the Rupavahini Corporation. Richard also tells us that in the future he looks forward to hosting a party once a month, beginning inside the bar and then moving outside to the dock overlooking the beach as the night progresses. The bar and restaurant at The Hut are being overhauled as well with a range of new drinks and menus to choose from. The Hut opened Thursday, 6 December. Membership to the music lounge will be offered with no entrance fee for selected guests, and ladies may enter free of charge.