| Galle Fort Hotel | |
|---|---|
 Galle Fort Hotel entrance | |
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| General information | |
| Location | Galle, Sri Lanka |
| Address | No.28, Church Street, Galle Fort |
| Owner | Colombo Fort Hotels |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 12 |
| Number of restaurants | 1 |
| Website | |
| Galle Fort Hotel official website | |
The Galle Fort Hotel in Sri Lanka is a 12-room boutique hotel, situated inside Galle Fort, Galle. The building was originally constructed in the 17th century, during the Dutch colonial period, as a private dwelling.
Galle Fort was built on 16th century by the Portuguese. It was then taken over by the Dutch in 1640. The Dutch improved and modified the buildings inside with Dutch architecture. In 1988, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) listed Galle Fort as a World Heritage Site.
In 1999 the Sri Lankan government lifted the 100% tax on foreign ownership, which resulted in Australian, Karl Steinberg, and his Malaysian partner Christopher Ong purchasing a dilapidated 17th century Dutch merchant's house in Galle Fort. [1] They spent two years renovating the house, which is the biggest in Galle, according to traditional building techniques and using local craftsmen. The house was turned into a 12-room boutique hotel and named Galle Fort Hotel. [2]
The hotel survived the 2004 tsunami. [2]
In 2007 it was awarded the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards of Distinction, for heritage conservation. [3] The citation included the following:
This carefully considered transformation of an abandoned historic residential compound into a stylish luxury boutique hotel has evocatively captured the spirit of place of the colonial World Heritage fortified town of Galle. The restoration has been carried out with sensitivity to the historic fabric and the surrounding urban context, retaining the buildings modest scale and street façade. The removal of unsympathetic elements has revealed the original Dutch Villa and its later English architectural Dutch influences, while the elegant interior design and modern additions have added new layers of meaning. The restoration was undertaken using local expertise and craftsmanship. [4]
The hotel was the winner of 'Sri Lanka's Leading Boutique Hotel' at the 2010 World Travel Awards.
In 2011 it was purchased by Colombo Fort Hotels, an associate company of Lankem Ceylon PLC, for $7.0m (USD). [5]
The Galle Fort Hotel is a member of the network Small Luxury Hotels of the World. [6]
Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the Municipality. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is itself within the urban/suburban area of Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments.
Galle is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, 119 kilometres (74 mi) from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the capital of Galle District.
Galle International Stadium is a cricket stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka, situated near Galle Fort and fringed on two sides by the Indian Ocean. It is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. Before being brought up to international cricket standards, it was known as ‘The Esplanade’, and is the home ground of the Galle Cricket Club. This Stadium is identified as one of the luckiest venues for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.
The National Maritime Museum or National Maritime Archaeology Museum in Galle, Sri Lanka is situated within Galle Fort. It was first opened to the public on 9 May 1992 and is located in a 1671 Dutch Warehouse above the Old Gate of Galle Fort. Whilst the building housing the museum survived the impact of the 26 December 2004 tsunami, the adjoining UNESCO Maritime Archaeology Unit was completely destroyed and all the exhibitions were flood damaged and the majority of maritime archeological artifacts were lost. Under Sri Lanka – Netherlands Cultural Co-operation Program, the Royal Government of Netherlands provided financial assistance for reconstruction of the Maritime Museum. After 3 years period of reconstruction, the Maritime Museum was re-opened to the public.
The Galle Face Hotel, founded in 1864, is one of the oldest hotels east of Suez. It is located on Galle Road, Colombo. The Ceylon Hotels Corporation is now part of the Galle Face Hotel Group. The hotel is a member of Select Hotels and Resorts International. The current chairman of the hotel is Sanjeev Gardiner, since the demise of his father Cyril Gardiner in 1997. It is listed as one of the "1000 Places to See Before You Die" in the book of the same name. It received the "Best Heritage Hotel" title three years running at the Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism, held in June 2010, June 2011 and September 2012. In addition it won the first-ever PATA award for Best International Heritage Hotel, in 2012. In September 2012, it became the first hotel in Sri Lanka to be featured on a postage stamp, along with three other iconic buildings in Colombo.
Bentota is a coastal town in Sri Lanka, located in the Galle District of the Southern Province. It is approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) south of Colombo and 56 kilometres (35 mi) north of Galle. Bentota is situated on the southern bank of the Bentota River mouth, at an elevation of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above the sea level. The name of the town is derived from a mythical story which claims a demon named 'Bem' ruled the tota or river bank.
The architecture of Penang reflects the 171 years of British presence on the island, coalescing with local, Chinese, Indian, Islamic and other elements to create a unique and distinctive brand of architecture. Along with Malacca, Penang is an architectural gem of Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Unlike Singapore, also a Straits Settlement, where many heritage buildings had to make way for modern skyscrapers and high-rise apartments due to rapid development and acute land scarcity, Penang's architectural heritage has enjoyed a better fate. Penang has one of the largest collections of pre-war buildings in Southeast Asia. This is for the most part due to the Rent Control Act which froze house rental prices for decades, making redevelopment unprofitable. With the repeal of this act in 2000 however, property prices skyrocketed and development has begun to encroach upon these buildings, many of which are in a regrettable state of disrepair. The government in recent years has allocated more funding to finance the restoration of a number of derelict heritage buildings, most notably Suffolk House, City Hall and historic buildings in the old commercial district.
The Historic Cities Programme (HCP) of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) promotes the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities of the Muslim world. HCP undertakes the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces in ways that can spur social, economic and cultural development. Individual projects go beyond technical restoration to address the questions of the social and environmental context, adaptive reuse, institutional sustainability and training. In several countries, local Aga Khan Cultural Service companies have been formed to implement projects under the supervision of the HCSP headquarters in Geneva.
Galle Face is a 5 ha ocean-side urban park, which stretches for 500 m (1,600 ft) along the coast, in the heart of Colombo, the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis and rugby.
Deshamanya Geoffrey Manning Bawa, FRIBA was a Sri Lankan architect. He was among the most influential Asian architects of his generation. He is the principal force behind what is today known globally as "tropical modernism".
"It's no exaggeration to say that architect Geoffrey Bawa transformed the look of South-East Asia. And yet what he did is so subtle that we almost take it for granted today. In short, Bawa-tailored modern buildings to a specific environment. It hardly seems revolutionary and yet no one else had done anything like it in the region."
The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of architectural forms and styles. Shaivism has had a many influence on early Sri Lankan architecture, during the region of King Ravana, then Buddhism has had a significant influence on Sri Lankan architecture, since it was introduced to the island in the 3rd Century BCE.
Sunita Kohli is an Indian interior designer, architectural restorer and furniture manufacturer. She had restored and decorated Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House Colonnade (1985–1989), the Prime Minister's Office and Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
Amangalla is a 5-star franchise hotel belonging to the international group of Aman Resorts, located in Galle, Sri Lanka built within Galle Fort, the 17th-century Dutch fort, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just to its north is the Galle International Stadium and roundabout. The oldest part of the hotel dates to 1684, and the complex was completed in 1715. It was known as the New Oriental Hotel for 140 years from 1865. In 2005 it became Amangalla resort complex. Aman means "peace" and galla is the Sinhalese name for Galle.
Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 432 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.
The Groote Kerk or Dutch Reformed Church is located within the Galle fort in Galle, Sri Lanka and is situated near the entrance to the fort. The church was built by the Dutch in 1755 and is one of the oldest Protestant churches still in use in the country.
The Old Dutch Hospital, Galle is one of the oldest buildings in the Galle Fort area dating back to the Dutch colonial era in Sri Lanka. The heritage building has now been developed into a shopping and dining precinct.
Clan House is a two-storey white stone building, located at 24 Church Street, Galle.
The Galle Fort Post Office is the post office in Galle Fort, Sri Lanka.
Nooit Gedacht Heritage Hotel is a three-star heritage hotel in Unawatuna, Sri Lanka, at the base of Rumassala Kanda.
Coordinates: 6°1′35.76″N80°13′3.36″E / 6.0266000°N 80.2176000°E
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