Features
A TIMELY OFFER – Part 33
CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY
By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca
A Tour with Walkers Tours
Walkers Tours & Travels (Ceylon) Limited, popularly known as Walkers Tours was the largest inbound tour company in Sri Lanka in 1970s. They represented three of the largest European tour operators from West Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, who were actively promoting tourism in Sri Lanka. In late August, 1977, Walkers Tours decided to organize a one-week coach tour around Sri Lanka for representatives from all hotels in Sri Lanka providing rooms to their clients. As the Assistant Manager and Executive Chef, I represented Coral Gardens Hotel on this tour. It turned out to be a fun-filled thank you tour. It was great public relations by Walkers Tours with their local industry partners.
The highlight of the tour was spending a couple of days at their then flag ship hotel – The Village, Habarana. By then, Walkers Tours (John Keells group) which had a few hotel management agreements, was managing Hotel Swanee, and taking over the management of Hotel Ceysands. They were in the early stages of planning a hotel in Kandy which was called Kandy Walkinn (which years later opened as Hotel Citadel). Encouraged with the unprecedented success of The Village as the leading round-trip hotel in Sri Lanka, they were also thinking of building another large hotel on their 40-acre land in Habarana.
My friend Bobby Adams, the Hotel Opening Manager of the Village, was very happy to see me again. Both of us sat at the ‘Don Martin’s’ bar and had a long chat over a couple of drinks. We were served house special cocktails created by veteran barman, Don Martin. He was a legend at the famous Galle Face Hotel where he had worked for many decades before joining Bobby at the Village.
The clever hotelier that Bobby was, he had named the bar to honour Don Martin, who worked very hard just as if he was the owner of the bar. He was an amazingly knowledgeable barman and also a humble man. Bobby explained his other innovative initiatives at the Village. After that, Bobby encouraged me to join Walkers Tours/John Keells Group. He predicted that this group would become the largest and greatest hotel operator in Sri Lanka. Bobby’s prediction was correct.
During the tour, I also met a coach load of young hotel executives, supervisors and front office employees of different hotels. With these interactions, I better understood different cultures of hotel companies. For example, through Yasmine Vitol, a young and bubbly lady working at the front desk of Hotel Palm Gardens, I learnt a lot on how Confifi group of hotels operated. Both of us sat in the front seat next to the driver throughout the tour and we became friends. We stayed in touch for some time after that tour.
An Offer from Walkers Tours
The day after the trip when I returned to the Coral Gardens Hotel, Captain D. A Wickramasinghe (Captain Wicks), called me. He was the gentleman I had met a couple of times with his wife and their beautiful teenage daughter. He said that, “I now work at the corporate office of John Keells/Walkers Tours Group, and I need to meet with you to discuss something very important.” We met the next day. He explained that Walkers Tours had taken over the Hotel Ceysands management from the owners – Ceylinco Group. The original hotel manager (a gentleman with a Navy background) now reported to Captain Wicks who functioned as the General Manager of Ceysands. He was operating from head office with weekly visits to the hotel.
Captain Wicks said that he hired a good Executive Chef – Terrence Hopman (Hoppy) who had gained some valuable experience as the Senior Executive Chef for the Non-Aligned Summit of heads of State and Government in 1976. I said, “I know Hoppy well. He was two years my senior at the Ceylon Hotel School. What do you want from me?” He offered me the post of Food & Beverage Manager and Executive Chef with an impressive package and a 40% increase of my current salary at the Coral Gardens Hotel.
It was a good offer, but I was confused. “Why do you need two Executive Chefs?” I asked him. He then explained that Hoppy was having some serious back pains resulting from a past injury and needed six months to fully recover. “When Hoppy returns, I will reshuffle the duties of the management team of seven professionals, in consultation with the team”, he said. After a pause, Captain Wicks said, “Chandana, we are expecting 100% occupancy from November 1 for six months. We need a good professional like you to join us at least by October 1, to organize the kitchen, restaurant and bars within a month.”
As I deliberately did not show an overly enthusiastic reaction, he continued, “Walkers Tours plan to re-open Ceysands with a bang, but the Hotel Manager and I do not have any knowledge about food and beverage management. Please join our team. You will report to me directly. Your future will be very bright with the John Keells Group.” Captain Wicks continued trying to convince me. “Let me think about it. I will give you a final word within two days.” I ended the discussion keeping my options open.
Compared to Major Siri Samarakoon, the Manager of Coral Gardens Hotel, Captain Wicks appeared to be a much gentler and refined executive. I did some inquiries and found that Captain Wicks underwent his military officer training for two years at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK before being commissioned. His batch mates in Sandhurst included the Crown Prince of Jordan (who later became King Hussein I). Captain Wicks was a good sportsman and had represented Sandhurst in tennis. During his military career he had worked as the Adjutant to the previous Army Commander, Major General Richard Udugama. After leaving the army, Captain Wicks had worked for Yahala Group which owned five boutique hotels around Sri Lanka and later became the General Manager of one of the largest security companies in Sri Lanka.
Having done my research about my potential new superior, I went to meet Hoppy in Colombo. I did not want to accept his position without checking with my friend first. Hoppy was in a bad way. He said that I should accept the offer, as he was unsure as to how long it would take him to fully recover. He was happy that I had consulted him and further said that, “Captain Wicks is a good man. Since I became ill, he regularly visited me at home, even personally bringing my salary, home.”
The next day I signed my letter of appointment to join the largest group of companies in Sri Lanka – John Keells. I gave a month notice to Major, who wished me luck, but did not ask any questions. I felt sad to leave Coral Gardens where I learnt the ropes of management, but at the same time felt happy with the new offer and future career opportunities. I had an eventful two years in Hikkaduwa where I learnt the good, the bad and the ugly of hotel management.
Evolvement of Coral Gardens
A few years after my departure, the owning company of Coral Gardens decided to change the hotel and its management, after a series of unusual and alarming episodes. I heard that Major Siri Samarakoon eventually met his Waterloo there. Malin Hapugoda (Hapu) was promoted as the Director/General Manager of Coral Gardens in addition to his duties managing its two sister hotels.
By early 1980s, all the old buildings of Coral Gardens Hotel were demolished to build a brand new four-star 150-room hotel designed by a French company. Hapu handled the new hotel project and offered me the post of Hotel Opening Manager for the new hotel which opened in 1985. Around the same time, I was offered the post of General Manager of the two largest hotels of the John Keells Group – The Lodge and the Village Habarana, which I accepted instead.
The uniquely vibrant (Coral Gardens) hotel continues its glory today. After recent refurbishing done by John Keells Group it was rebranded as Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon. This hotel is standing tall as a remarkable landmark of the Sri Lankan hospitality after decades of challenges, changes and rebranding. The location chosen hundred years ago for a small rest house in the Ceylon continues to be unique.
I am reminded of one of the most famous quotes to come out of the business world that was proclaimed by the Founder of the Hilton Hotel Corporation, Conrad Hilton. “The key to success is: Location, Location, Location”. Although at times, the local fishermen and beach boys were somewhat intrusive, the location of Coral Gardens Hotel/Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, protected by the famous coral reef is breath-takingly beautiful.
Arriving at Ceysands
During my short ride from Coral Gardens to Hotel Ceysands, I was happy to pass my previous work place where I lived for a year – Bentota Beach Hotel. Passing the bridge over River Bentota was somewhat nostalgic for me. Many a times I had walked on the beach from a rocky point at the end of Bentota right to the river mouth, passing many hotels, notably Bentota Beach and Ceysands.
Situated between the Indian Ocean and the Bentota River, Hotel Ceysands always had a special appeal. All guests, employees, food and beverages and all other hotel supplies had to be taken by boat from the land-side bank to the sea-side bank of the river. This posed a logistical challenge and a costly operation. The apartment first aassigned to me was on the employee side of the hotel.
After I placed my belongings there, I was taken to the guest-side of the hotel in a boat operated by an ex-Navy man. “I am Mendis, Sir. I am in charge of the 12 Ceysands boats, all boatmen as well as the boat maintenance staff whom I recruited from the Navy – mainly Petty Officer who served under me” he said. Later I realized that he was one of the seven executives of the hotel.
“Another expectation was to support the guards at the security post who ensure that no locals enter the hotel premises” Mendis continued. “Here we go again, Chandana! Action follows you!” I thought for myself, while learning the safest way to get off the boat during low tide. With his back injury, I realized how difficult it would have been for Hoppy to get in and out of boats twice daily during low tide.
“Welcome to Hotel Ceysands!” I was warmly greeted by Captain Wicks. He then Introduced me to Alan Silva who was the Hotel Manager. After serving the Navy, Alan had gained some experience in security management at Ceylinco, the owners of Hotel Ceysands. He was relatively new to hotel management. He was a pleasant and friendly gentleman. After a brief chat and some tea, Captain Wicks said, “OK, Chandana, let me show you around and hand over your departments. You have a totally free hand to re-organize your departments as you wish within a month.” “Yes, Captain. Let’s go!” I joined him for the quick introductory round.
Captain Wicks ushered me around and showed me the kitchen, restaurant, three bars, cellar and stores, meanwhile introducing the senior supervisors. He was polite to the employees but did not speak very much with them. I felt that he was well-respected by the team. I was excited to take charge and run these departments as soon as possible after our quick round. I realized that I would have a very busy month prior to the arrival of the first group of tourists on November 1, 1977, when Ceysands re-opened under the new management of Walkers Tours.