Cinnamon Grand Colombo’s Two Decade Journey and Its Place in Sri Lanka’s Hospitality Story

Annette Dias Bandaranaike & Ronald Illangakoon, first Sinhalese AG, at their marriage 1914, Old Nuga Tree in the Cinnamon Grand Colombo compound.

 Cinnamon Grand Colombo, one of Sri Lanka’s most distinctive hospitality landmarks, commemorates its 20th anniversary under the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts’ brand, celebrating two decades of service while holding firm to its Sri Lankan identity.

First opened in 1975 as Hotel Lanka Oberoi, the Oberoi Group’s first foray outside India the hotel has undergone multiple reinventions, from its Colombo Plaza era to its transformation into Cinnamon Grand Colombo under John Keells Holdings in 2005. Each chapter expanded its scale, sharpened its brand, and embedded it deeper into the cultural and corporate fabric of the city.

Today, Cinnamon Grand Colombo stands as a rare constant in Colombo’s evolving hospitality landscape. Even as global brands intensified competition through distribution power and loyalty ecosystems, Cinnamon Grand remains as a leading preference and continues to stand out as a classic in a fiercely competitive environment.

“In a market increasingly defined by global standardisation, Cinnamon Grand Colombo’s strength lies in offering our hospitality without sacrificing its Sri Lankan soul”, said Kamal Munasinghe, Chief Operating Officer, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.

Over the last two decades, Cinnamon Grand Colombo refined a strategy that targets Colombo’s most lucrative segments, high spending leisure travellers and the city’s corporate elite. The hotel presents a narrative of contemporary hospitality shaped by Sri Lankan cultural texture from its award winning, recently renovated Nuga Gama restaurant offering village style dining to wellness to city exploration. The property evolved into a cornerstone of Colombo’s event and business infrastructure, consistently hosting diplomatic delegations, multinational boards, sporting events and marquee gala events. Cinnamon Grand’s meeting and events portfolio remains one of the prime choices for guests and corporates in Colombo, headlined by The Oak Room often selected for high profile launches, international conferences, and national gatherings. The Atrium Lobby and its network of modular breakout rooms allow the property to support simultaneous events across scales, a competitive advantage as Colombo continues to court the regional MICE market.

Cinnamon Grand Colombo - 2005

As Cinnamon Grand Colombo celebrates its 20th anniversary under the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts brand, its impact extends beyond hospitality. The property is also home to the Cinnamon Hospitality Academy, established in partnership with SHMA and VET by EHL, which is redefining hospitality education in Sri Lanka. The Academy, which marked its first anniversary this year, celebrated this milestone within the very walls of Cinnamon Grand Colombo.

“For two decades we have been a part of stories of many who has visited the city, be it a celebration, a union a gathering, this milestone is an accumulations of countless stories and milestones of celebrations of our guests over the years, its truly something extraordinary for a brand to experience this level of love and loyalty that has stood the test of time” , said Kamal Munasinghe.

Cinnamon Grand Colombo is a generational landmark one that has shaped the city, its events, culture, its diplomatic engagements, and its definition of Sri Lankan hospitality.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is a diverse chain of hotels spanning Sri Lanka and the Maldives and a member of John Keells Holdings PLC, one of the largest listed conglomerates in Sri Lanka, with diverse interests in sectors ranging from Leisure, Transportation, Property, Consumer Food & Retail, Financial Services, Information Technology, Business Process Operations to Plantations.  

This pioneering hotel chain was launched at The World Travel Market in London on 14 November 2005. Since its launch, it has come to represent a uniquely Cinnamon experience and has steadily risen to become the leading choice for travellers in Sri Lanka. The Cinnamon brand boasts a portfolio of vibrant and modern hotels, colourful and inspiring, unswervingly hospitable and committed to satisfying all patrons' varied and discerning needs.  

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is the pinnacle of Sri Lankan hospitality through comfort, creativity, discovery, and inspired living. Each property is designed to showcase and complement the local environment, character, culture, and traditions of the area it serves. From jungle cabanas to city luxury, water villas in the Maldives to beach chalets in Sri Lanka, each resort is designed to take you on a memorable journey into discovery.  

The Cinnamon Group features three city properties in Colombo, nine resort properties around Sri Lanka, four resorts in the Maldives, and a host of new and exciting projects on the horizon. And the US$1.2 Billion Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort, which is the latest addition to the luxury portfolio, opened in 2024.  

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, your partner and faithful guide to a timeless and fascinating 'Emerald Isle'.  

Cinnamon DISCOVERY is the brand’s loyalty programme, offered in partnership with the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, and is part of the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty platform.

For more information, please visit www.cinnamonhotels.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.