Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts has recently appointed veteran hotelier and industry powerhouse - Kamal Munasinghe, as General Manager for Cinnamon Grand Colombo and Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo. Munasinghe joins the group from his last appointment as General Manager for Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur (a Hyatt Hotels Corporation property).
Munasinghe brings nearly three decades of international and local hospitality expertise in managing luxury hotel brands such as Marriott, Hyatt and Mövenpick, including several local hotels. His appointment comes as part of the group’s strategic restructuring and navigation of the industry to manage the effects of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to ravage Sri Lanka’s travel and tourism industry.
Kamal Munasinghe Colombo commented “I look forward to strategically uplifting the brands and the industry as a whole, as we continue to navigate through a post-COVID world. Focusing on delivering a safe and comfortable environment for guests and associates is of paramount importance whilst we strive for continued excellence”.
“It is my prerogative to enhance their offerings, strengthen their position in the industry and better align the properties to cater to modern travellers. It is imperative that we strike a strategic balance between willingness to take risks once business resumes and having an agile presence in the market. Luxury is all about personalization”.
The Swiss-Sri Lankan dual national’s most notable career accomplishments have been the opening of the first-ever Alila in Malaysia; leading the refurbishment and rebranding of the Inter Continental Hotel to the Kingsbury; a 410-room refurbishment of the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur; and introducing the Liquid Sky Bar at Renaissance Riverside Saigon, to name a few.
When asked about Sri Lanka’s future given the unprecedented times, Munasinge stated, “We need to develop a professional hospitality workforce to deliver a memorable experience for our guests and allow foreign workforces to be part of our industry, so that we can gain much-needed exposure and certify Sri Lanka as a key travel destination. All these will be key factors to develop business post COVID-19.”
In addition, Munasinghe strongly believes that Sri Lanka holds the opportunity to become the world’s most sustainable tourism destination featuring wellness, wellbeing, and mindfulness.
Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts is a diverse chain of Hotels both in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
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