Jetwing Lagoon Wins PATA Grand Award

Sri Lanka’s premier hospitality brand Jetwing Hotels made history once again, with the recently unveiled Jetwing Lagoon winning a prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Grand Award for the entry of “A Heartfelt Commitment” in the Environment category. This marks the second occasion where Jetwing has won a Grand Award, with the first being for the Jetwing Youth Development Project (JYDP) held at Jetwing Vil Uyana in 2007. Jetwing Hotels has now become the first Sri Lankan company to win a Grand Award twice.

The PATA Gold Awards put the spotlight on tourism innovation and excellence. This year’s awards attracted 165 entries from 60 organizations and individuals worldwide. Judged by panels of experts, the Gold Awards recognize exceptional achievement in six categories:-Marketing (six Gold Awards and one Grand Award), Environment (three Gold Awards and one Grand Award), Heritage and Culture (two Gold Awards and one Grand Award), Education and Training (one Gold Award and one Grand Award), Marketing Media (nine Gold Awards) and Travel Journalism (four Gold Awards). The winning entries will be showcased at the PATA Travel Mart, September 15-17, 2013, in Chengdu, China.

Jetwing Lagoon holds the distinction of being the first resort design by renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa, as well as Sri Lanka’s first ever resort. Formerly known as the Blue Lagoon, the property was re-imagined and launched by Jetwing a year ago, retaining the classic open style favoured by the master and adding other features such as the 100m straight pool. Now a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the 55 room property is at the forefront of the Jetwing sustainability ethos with LED lighting, biomass boilers and solar panels for power generation, with the air conditioning being run by an absorption chiller which utilizes steam from the biomass boiler.

“This occasion is the second time we have won a PATA Grand Award. It is quite an honour, and I must thank our Engineering team for their dedication and commitment to ensuring Jetwing remains as sustainable as possible. Through the Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme, we believe we can make a positive difference. Being recognized by a global and renowned platform such as PATA can only add to our commitment” said Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing.

Family owned and in the tourism industry for the past 40 years, Jetwing Hotels has surpassed expectation at every aspect. Building on their foundation of being passionate, as well as the experience of true, traditional Sri Lankan hospitality, constantly pioneering discoveries captures the essence of the brand. Such a strong statement and direction have enabled Jetwing Hotels to imagine, create and manage marvels and masterpieces, where distinctive design and elegant comfort complement each other and the environment.

Considered a priority, sustainable and responsible practice is implemented through the award winning Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme; with energy efficiency, community upliftment, and education of earth saving measures to schoolchildren being a few tenets of the Programme.

[Via Daily FT]