By Uwin Lugoda
Waters Edge is set to become a role model for the private sector hotels in Colombo, as it becomes the city’s first-ever eco-friendly luxury boutique hotel. According to officials, the venue has aimed to become a resort within the city itself.
This new hotel, which began construction on 19 May, is being built under the vision of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Urban Development Authority (UDA). Speaking to The Sunday Morning, an official from the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing stated that the hotel will be an eco-friendly hotel, with human resource (HR) systems and several other sustainable solutions not seen in other Colombo hotels. 
According to the Ministry official, this hotel will also host 48 separate rooms for both local and foreign tourists, with a view of the Diyawanna Oya. This will also be a first, as the current Waters Edge hotel has hosted no rooms since its inception over 17 years ago.
“The hotel is on the banks of the Diyawanna Oya, and is the only five-star hotel in the country that has been able to elevate the tourism industry to a unique level by introducing new experiences. Therefore, this is a needed development.”
Moreover, the State Minister of Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Community Cleanliness, and Waste Disposal Dr. Nalaka Godahewa stated that the main objective of this new hotel is to raise the standard of the hotel industry in the country and to create a globally competitive platform by organising innovative hospitality programmes.
Speaking to us, Waters Edge Chairman Rohan Fernandopulle stated that the hotel currently has everything other than rooms. He explained that the hotel has the highest banquet revenue in Colombo, thanks to its 13 separate restaurants and its wide range of cuisines, ranging from Japanese to German.
He also highlighted that the hotel was a venue in around 600 annual weddings pre-Covid-19; however, due to its lack of rooms, the hotel had to pay and make arrangements with other hotels in Colombo. He stated that this was another reason for the hotel to begin its developments of rooms. 
“The demand for a hotel in Battaramulla is increasing. We have the Biyagama Free Trade zone not too far away, and now all the Government buildings are also moving closer to us. Therefore, we need new rooms to cater to this demand and become a complete hotel,” added Fernandopulle.
Fernandopulle explained that this new hotel will cost approximately Rs. 1.3 billion to make and will become a resort within Colombo, by being eco-friendly, smart, and sustainable.
“In our opinion, there is no other city-based Sri Lankan hotel conceived as a resort. City-based hotels in our country are pitched to the corporate market, dine-in guests, and mostly the tourists who travel on work purposes. The Waters Edge Boutique Resort, which is immersed within natural surroundings, would be a blend between both worlds with close proximity to the city, whilst offering a level of service and privacy that genuinely feels like home.”
The current hotel sits on a property of 200 acres, out of which 180 acres is a body of water. The new hotel is set to be five floors in height, with a fitness centre, a restaurant that can cater to up to 30 people and an ayurvedic centre. Additionally, it will also feature an overhead bridge which will be built across the Diyawanna Oya, to connect the new hotel and the existing Waters Edge hotel, solely for the convenience of in-house guests who will also share certain facilities.
According to the Ministry official, this hotel will also host 48 separate rooms for both local and foreign tourists, with a view of the Diyawanna Oya. This will also be a first, as the current Waters Edge hotel has hosted no rooms since its inception over 17 years ago.
“The hotel is on the banks of the Diyawanna Oya, and is the only five-star hotel in the country that has been able to elevate the tourism industry to a unique level by introducing new experiences. Therefore, this is a needed development.”
Moreover, the State Minister of Urban Development, Coast Conservation, Community Cleanliness, and Waste Disposal Dr. Nalaka Godahewa stated that the main objective of this new hotel is to raise the standard of the hotel industry in the country and to create a globally competitive platform by organising innovative hospitality programmes.
Speaking to us, Waters Edge Chairman Rohan Fernandopulle stated that the hotel currently has everything other than rooms. He explained that the hotel has the highest banquet revenue in Colombo, thanks to its 13 separate restaurants and its wide range of cuisines, ranging from Japanese to German.
He also highlighted that the hotel was a venue in around 600 annual weddings pre-Covid-19; however, due to its lack of rooms, the hotel had to pay and make arrangements with other hotels in Colombo. He stated that this was another reason for the hotel to begin its developments of rooms.
“The demand for a hotel in Battaramulla is increasing. We have the Biyagama Free Trade zone not too far away, and now all the Government buildings are also moving closer to us. Therefore, we need new rooms to cater to this demand and become a complete hotel,” added Fernandopulle.
Fernandopulle explained that this new hotel will cost approximately Rs. 1.3 billion to make and will become a resort within Colombo, by being eco-friendly, smart, and sustainable.
“In our opinion, there is no other city-based Sri Lankan hotel conceived as a resort. City-based hotels in our country are pitched to the corporate market, dine-in guests, and mostly the tourists who travel on work purposes. The Waters Edge Boutique Resort, which is immersed within natural surroundings, would be a blend between both worlds with close proximity to the city, whilst offering a level of service and privacy that genuinely feels like home.”
The current hotel sits on a property of 200 acres, out of which 180 acres is a body of water. The new hotel is set to be five floors in height, with a fitness centre, a restaurant that can cater to up to 30 people and an ayurvedic centre. Additionally, it will also feature an overhead bridge which will be built across the Diyawanna Oya, to connect the new hotel and the existing Waters Edge hotel, solely for the convenience of in-house guests who will also share certain facilities.