• Boutique hotel chain welcomes a thriving year for tourism

The Southern coast of Sri Lanka is one of the best-kept secrets in Asia for its tropical beaches, thriving design scene, café culture, and ancient heritage landmarks. As Sri Lanka slowly begins opening its doors to an influx of tourism, so did Sundara by Mosvold, an eight-room luxury villa by homegrown Sri Lankan chain, Mosvold Boutique Hotels.

Mosvold Boutique Hotels is a homegrown Sri Lankan chain, specialising in ultra-luxe design and experience-led properties on the island’s South coast. A truly east-meets-west collaboration, Mosvold is the brainchild of Norwegian philanthropist Kurt Mosvold and Sri Lankan hospitality entrepreneur Nilanka Martinus. The first of their hotels, Mosvold Villa is situated in the trendy beachside town of Ahangama.

The Sundara boutique hotel is situated in Balapitiya on the southwestern coast of the island and is named after “Sundara”, the Sanskrit word for beautiful.

The Daily Morning Brunch spoke to Mosvold Boutique Hotel Director Nilanka Martinus on the reopening of the hotel and the tourism industry in Sri Lanka right now. He commented: “As Sri Lanka bounces back after a momentary tourism slump, experiential, boutique luxury is surely the way forward.”

According to Martinus, the hotel is currently a top choice for travellers and families looking for a private, luxe getaway with a variety of local experiences and activities. Sundara by Mosvold features eight luxurious rooms with varying themes and decor that reflect the signature style of Sri Lankan tropical minimalism. The rooms and public spaces have been designed and styled tastefully to reflect Sri Lankan aesthetics. The post-colonial, modern interiors, with gorgeously curated furniture and objets d’art, make the whole space perfectly Instagrammable.

“In keeping with our philosophy of boutique, experiential luxury, each of the rooms features its own style and personality,” Martinus told us, explaining that the eight rooms are spread across four different categories – beach villa, deluxe double sea view, deluxe twin sea view, and deluxe double with private garden, with sizes ranging from 45 to 50 sq m.

The pièce de résistance is the sprawling private two-bedroom villa, spread across 110 sq m, featuring its own swimming pool and separate entrance – ideal for a small family or group of friends seeking a discreet and private getaway. The entire villa can accommodate up to 19 people at once. “With uninterrupted views of the beach, you can directly access the pristine beach, which is delightfully non-touristy and offers the most amazing views of the sunset,” Martinus added.

Local experiences

Martinus also stated that while at the property, there are many activities that guests can engage in to experience all that Sri Lanka has to offer. Local experiences offered at Sundara include Sri Lankan cooking classes, a Madu River boat safari, the Ambalangoda mask museum, a cinnamon-related experience, the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery, and Bentota water sports – all located just a few minutes from the property. Last but not least, Martinus added that Geoffrey Bawa’s Lunuganga Estate is a must-visit for design and architecture lovers.

“Our guests at Sundara by Mosvold love to be immersed in our selection of curated local experiences by day and enjoy our gorgeous Sri Lankan design sensibilities and authentic hospitality by evening. This is indeed a unique selling point of our diverse island,” Martinus told us when asked how these activities have been received by tourists.

Additionally, Martinus also told us about the other hotels in the chain, stating: “Amba is a 12-room boutique hotel designed as an Ayurveda and wellness retreat, also in Balapitiya. Among Mosvold Boutique Hotels’ strategic partnerships is Outpost in Weligama, an affordable lifestyle space featuring accommodation, co-working, and F&B spaces, while Kima Surf is a stylish surf camp on the same beach.” With a clear inflow of tourists, and the many long weekends Sri Lanka has been graced with this year, Martinus is very enthusiastic about what this year will bring in terms of tourism revenue. “We look forward to a successful year ahead, and we are prepared to welcome guests with open arms,” he added.