Taj Samudra, trading as TAL Lanka Hotels PLC, is a five-star luxury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The hotel is a listed company on the Colombo Stock Exchange since 1982 and the majority of the shares are held by Taj Hotels. The hotel is located right opposite Galle Face Green facing the Indian Ocean. The hotel is one of the oldest five-star hotels in the city of Colombo.[2] Brand Finance ranked Taj Samudra 78th amongst the 100 most valuable brands in Sri Lanka for 2021.[3]
 | |
 Taj Samudra Hotel is located opposite Galle Face Green, facing the Indian Ocean | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| CSE: TAJ.N0000 | |
| ISIN | LK0162N00004 |
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 14 June 1980 |
| Headquarters | Colombo , Sri Lanka |
Key people |
|
| Revenue |  LKR2,361 million (2023) |
| LKR(550) million (2023) | |
| LKR(1,291) million (2023) | |
| Total assets |  LKR5,129 million (2023) |
| Total equity | LKR(1,488) million (2023) |
| Owners |
|
Number of employees | 601 (2018) |
| Parent | TAL Hotels & Resorts Limited |
| Website | www |
| Footnotes / references [1] | |
History
editThe hotel company was incorporated in 1980 and in 1982 was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Admiral Clancy Fernando, the commander of the Sri Lanka Navy was killed in a suicide bombing in front of the hotel on 16 November 1992.[4] The New Zealand national cricket team was staying at the hotel at the time.[5] After a renovation amounting to US$20 million, the hotel reponed in March 2018. 71 rooms and 15 suites have been renovated with the aim of increasing the occupancy rate by five to eight per cent.[6] Taj Samudra has been named a "Great Place to work" for five consecutive years. Despite that, the employee turnover had increased in Taj Samudra, a study has found in 2018.[7]
Easter bombings
editOne of the Easter bombing perpetrators, Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel failed to detonate his bomb. His target was the hotel's breakfast buffet. Instead, the perpetrator detonated the bomb in a motel in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.[8] The perpetrator entered the Ports of Call buffet restaurant at 08:32 AM. The CCTV footage showed him looking restless and trying to do something. Shortly afterwards, he has exited the hotel with a backpack and two-wheeled luggage.[9]
COVID-19 pandemic
editIn 2020 November, four of the staff of Taj Samudra tested positive for COVID-19.[10] During their 2021 Sri Lankan tour, the India national cricket team stayed at the Taj Samudra hotel. Despite having booked the entire hotel for the team, Krunal Pandya, one of the players tested positive for COVID-19.[11]
Amenities
edit
The hotel has 300 rooms and suites with either ocean or city views.[12] The hotel has six restaurants, Navratna, an Indian restaurant, Golden Dragon, a Chinese cuisine restaurant, Crab Factory, the hotel's seafood restaurant, Ports of Call, a buffet and à la carte restaurant, and Pebbles and Lattice, two lounges that serve finger food.[13][14] The hotel's other amenities include a swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, and a fitness centre. Taj Samudra also has a business centre and provides conference facilities.[12]
Operations
editTAL Lanka Hotels also manages the Gateway Hotel Airport Garden, in Seeduwa, near the Bandaranaike International Airport.[15] The Colombo Club is located on the premises of the hotel.[16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Annual Report 2022/23" (PDF). cse.lk. TAL Lanka Hotels PLC. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- ^ "Taj Samudra Colombo, Sri Lanka". telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Sri Lanka 100 2021 Ranking". brandirectory.com. Brand Finance. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ A. H. M., Razeek. "Remember a true patriot, great officer and gentleman". The Sunday Times. Wijeya Newspapers. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Clementine, Rex (13 August 2021). "How Kiwis bailed Sri Lanka out of cricketing isolation". island.lk. The Island. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Jayaram, Pradipti (12 March 2018). "Refurbished Taj Samudra targets business travellers to Sri Lanka". BusinessLine. The Hindu. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Goonetileke, M.D.N.A.; Samarasinghe, H.M.U.S.R. (November 2019). "Impact of Motivational Factors on Employee Turnover Intention in Taj Samudra, Colombo". Global Journal of Management and Business Research: Administration and Management. 19 (12). ISSN 2249-4588. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Pal, Alasdair; Aneez, Shihar (26 April 2019). "The Western-educated bomber who botched Sri Lanka hotel attack". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Details of attempted terror attack at Taj Samudra revealed at PCoI". adaderana.lk. Ada Derana. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Statement from Taj Samudra, Colombo". adaderana.lk. Ada Derana. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Dhyani, Kunal (28 July 2021). "ND vs SL 2nd T20 postponed: Entire Taj Samudra booked for Team India, BCCI & SLC confused how Krunal Pandya tested COVID positive". IndiaSport. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Taj Samudra". reddottours.com. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Dining". tajhotels.com. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Taj Samudra". yamu.lk. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Tal Lanka Hotels PLC". ft.com. Financial Times. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Colombo Club City's elite social hub". Sunday Observer. Associated Newspapers of Ceylon. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2021.