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Best Hotels in GalleGalle Fort Hotel: Sri Lankan History
January 21, 2016
Reviewed on australia.etbtravelnews.com
It is largely thanks to an Australian businessman that Sri Lanka’s once decrepit Galle Fort is now one of the country’s most important tourist attractions. Just over ten years ago, Karl Steinberg left Sydney’s film industry to undertake a completely new challenge. With partner Christopher Ong, Steinberg acquired the largest Dutch-era mansion within the walls of Galle Fort and set out to bring it back to its former magnificence. Galle Fort Hotel opened in 2004 and was an immediate success with Sri Lankan and international travellers clamouring for rooms in this elegant property where history and contemporary design coexist in splendid harmony.
An atmospheric lobby sets the tone for the entire property Thanks to the valuable spices sought after by Arab, Chinese, and European merchants, Sri Lanka saw all of these cultures establish trading posts and forts to protect them along the coast. Galle Fort, originally built by the Portuguese and subsequently enhanced by the Dutch and British who followed, is the best-preserved European fort in Asia. Now it is a tourist magnet that attracts an interesting mélange of visitors. The culture buff revels in the juxtaposition of one culture upon another in a faraway land; admirers of architecture enjoy seeing the fort’s ramparts and fortifications as well as the old buildings coming back to life after decades of neglect, now operating as hotels, shops, restaurants, and art galleries to keep the less specialised visitor equally entertained. For many decades, Galle Fort was forgotten and run down, but all it took was the foresight of a canny visionary to see the possibilities for one of the most historically significant locations in Asia.
Studiously restored and renovated to accommodate modern-day travellers, rooms and suites at Galle Fort Hotel envelop the guest in a sumptuous surroundings. The hotel became the darling of architectural magazines across the world and remains a beacon of inspiration in restoration of historical properties in Sri Lanka and beyond; people come from far and wide to witness what can be done with a big, old house and some imagination. The atmospheric rooms of Galle Fort Hotel vary in size and style, but all of them present guests with memorable accommodation whether in the Porcelain Suite, the Chinese-influenced Admiral Cheng Ho Suite, or the traditional Grand Apartment where antique Dutch furniture recreates a sense of a bygone era in a spacious two-bedroom suite. The hotel’s dining room provides an ideal venue to enjoy the excellent food of Sri Lanka, where the various cultural influences have left their marks on the local cuisine. Although Steinberg has moved on to other projects, Galle Fort Hotel remains in the capable hands of another Australian, General Manager David Elgar, who oversees operations with refined expertise.
Though most closely and most obviously associated with its home country of Malaysia, Air Asia X offers Flatbed Class service to several destinations in Asia beyond Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo being one of them.
The Galle Fort Hotel: a truly historical cultural boutique experience
September 15, 2015Extracted from: http://newsfirst.lk/
Galle Fort Hotel offers and contributes to a truly historical cultural boutique experience. Its 12 individually designed suites open out to the centrally located inner courtyard and the 10m swimming pools offer’s a tranquil exclusive area for guests. Galle Fort hotel rooms are luxuriously and individually furnished with king-sized beds dressed with canopied mosquito netting, crisp white linen and comfortable pillows.
The ‘Admiral Cheng Ho suite’ is a large two-storey suite that commemorates the visit of Admiral Cheng Ho to Galle in 1406. The upper floor bedroom has a carved Chinese opium bed and work desk. A screen made from rare antique columns provides privacy from the living area below furnished with intricate pieces of oriental furniture and a day bed. The attached open-air bathroom has six-metre columns with a large elevated outdoor ‘waterfall’ shower.
The Grand Apartment is a grand suite and its 2,500 square feet occupies the entire top floor of the old wing. The room is divided into two king-sized bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a private verandah. The apartment features original 17th century artworks, antique chests and cabinets, an eight seater antique dining table and two large Dutch period four-poster beds.
The bar-cum-cafe is a great meeting point and has huge potential to attract greater market share. David the General manager plans to make it the hot spot of the area by making it more open and friendly to outsiders and passers by.
Open to non-guests the restaurant is very much in tune with the Fort prices and receives much positive feedback for its Sri Lankan style and western dishes and promotes freshly and locally bought produce.
David Elgar the General Manager has worked across multiple hospitality business sectors including hotel management, resort project management, high end luxury resorts, medi-spa health and wellness retreats, with over 30 years hands on hospitality experience. He has international experience working in ‘developing countries’ such as Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Fiji, Seychelles and now Sri Lanka.
He believes there is an art to managing people. The leadership style he adopts emphasizes and recognizes the importance of engaging with individuals in an approachable, constructive manner in order to achieve business success. As a Manager, he applies critical attention to the continued alignment of training staff, spelling out their expected roles and matching it by performance.
“I believe that while I am working and living in Sri Lanka I will not only be able to make a contribution to tourism in the country but also pass on my knowledge and skills to the staff at the Galle Fort Hotel and make them feel proud about who they are. Encouraging self-confidence and empowering people to think on their feet will improve self-worth and a hotel that promotes good energy is a hotel that will travel to great heights. This is my aim.”
The landscape of Galle Fort continually changes. Today a Museum occupies the stables; jewelry shops abound; cafes emerge from behind restored columns; interior design shops mingle with bookstores and fashion outlets and the supply of new hotels continue to grow. The number of hostels, hotels, boutiques, restaurants and shops are are too numerous to mention so we instead invite you to visit the Galle Fort and walk these beautiful old colonial cobbled streets and discover the treasures of the Fort for your self.
A gorgeous hotel, Galle Fort.
August 27, 2015Extracted from: SOMEWHERE. Unique – Online Magazine for Travel Inspiration.
Among the hotels in Galle, Galle Fort Hotel, a 17th Century Dutch residence, is in the heart of Galle, Sri Lanka. Galle, a former fortified town with a mix of Dutch, British and Sri Lankan architecture, is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of Sri Lanka’s principle tourist destinations.
The hotel has 12 rooms, 3 standard with verandas overlooking the garden, and 9 suites perfect also for families. All rooms are decorated with antique and contemporary furniture, four-poster beds and colonial-style details. Some suites are double storey and adorned with antique Chinese and South-East Asian elements.
The internal courtyard and the garden are ideal for reading a book, taking a tea with freshly baked tarts and the pool is perfect for lying under the sun, or take a swim. The hotel makes amazing fusion food, combining Sri Lankan specialties with Southeast Asian cuisine.
See More about best hotels in Galle: http://www.somewhere-unique.com/galle-fort-hotel/
Reviews from the Aesthetic Voyager
July 20, 2015Extracted from Aesthetic Voyager
Wonderful Galle is a must see on any journey around Sri Lanka. Situated close to the southern-most tip of the island Galle forms a natural post, which is the reason the Portuguese, the Dutch and then the British chose it as the colonial centre of trade, a status Galle only lost to Colombo hundreds of years later.
Stay in this UNESCO World Heritage Site for a minimum of two or three days on your journey around Sri Lanka for an alternative to the beach life, and for a welcome shopping break.
Where to stay
Galle Fort Hotel one of the unique Colonial hotels in Galle, has a wonderful history. Spanning its chequered history, the space has been a town house, a post office and a bakery amongst other occupations.
Set within the 17th-century fortifications of Galle, this hideaway has a calm that attracts writers — including, recently, Paul Theroux and Alexander McCall Smith (who worked on one of his detective books in his room).
Galle Fort Hotel has just eleven rooms, many of which are suites, with their own original features. Aesthetic Voyager stayed in The Library, which in line with its namesake, offered plenty of reading material for lazy poolside afternoons when all the shopping and site-seeing is complete. The interiors have an elegant traditional colonial-tropical look, with four-posters draped with white chiffon.
Read the complete article: http://www.aestheticvoyager.com/galle-fort-hotel-galle-sri-lanka/
Galle Fort Hotel in the top 5 best boutique hotels of Sri Lanka
September 15, 2014Reviewed by international newspaper The London Times
The Galle Fort Hotel, Galle Set within the 17th-century fortifications of Galle, this 11-room hideaway has a calm that attracts writers — including, recently, Paul Theroux and Alexander McCall Smith (who worked on one of his detective books in his room). The interiors have an elegant traditional look, with four-posters draped with white chiffon. The popular restaurant serves Chinese-Thai food. There’s a small swimming pool.
Details Galle Fort Hotel (gallefortehotel.com), from £126 for a double.
Galle Fort Hotel, Galle, Sri Lanka: review
September 15, 2014Reviewed on international newspaper The Telegraph
Galle Fort Hotel : A Hidden Gem
August 11, 2014Reviewed on national newspaper The Sunday Leader
Tucked away in the UNESCO world heritage site of the Galle Fort is the recipient of 2007 Award of Distinction for Heritage Conservation, the Galle Fort Hotel a colonial hotel in Galle. A brainchild of Australian Karl Steinberg, the hotel has been welcoming guests for the past 10 years. Since November 2011, it is under the Lankem Group of Companies.
The 12 room property on Church Street boasts a rich history dating back to 1695, a little younger than the key landmark in which it resides, the fortress of Galle, built by the Dutch East India Company in 1663. The property was once the home to one of the most prestigious gem merchant families in Asia, the Macan Markers, famed for their sapphire collection including the 182 carat “star of Bombay” now in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
The property which ceased to be a private residence in the latter stages of the first half of the 20th century and post independence (1948), spent time, among other identities, as a bakery as well as the Fort Post Office.
Following its restoration the hotel opened its doors in November 2004, just weeks before the Boxing Day Tsunami. In the immediate aftermath of this tragic event The Galle Fort Hotel was a centre of operations for NGOs, journalists and other organisations as well as providing support to the surviving victims
Today the hotel is a collection of buildings from different periods, testament to its prominence through the ages, each reflecting different architectural styles.
The heritage wing, dates to the early 18th century, houses a range of suites each with a unique character. For example, the Admiral Cheng Ho Suite, or ACH as the guests refer to, commemorates the great Chinese explorer who paid several visits to Galle, the first in 1405. The Porcelain Suite has a display of antique Chinese ceramics between the bathroom and bedroom and original Dutch period 9m (30 ft) ceilings.
There are other antiques on display in the other guest rooms as well as the public areas of the hotel. These are all part and parcel of this boutique heritage hotel and add to its charm and character.
The hotel has maintained an enviable reputation for food in its short history, even with the current interest in the Fort due to the increasing range of cafes and restaurants. The hotel offer from casual lunch time cafe menu and tapas bar menu to the fine dining Asian fusion set dinners, well catering for both foreign and local guests. The bar has a full range of drinks including an extensive wine and cocktail list. The restaurant and bar are open to the public daily from 12pm.
The newly revamped page of the Galle Fort Hotel can be found on Facebook
