One of the greatest pleasures of life is being able to travel the world and wonder in awe at its beauty. From turquoise blue ocean with incredible marine life to picturesque jungles with its exotic inhabitants, magic emerald tea trails, impressive cultural and historical monuments, heritage temples… Sri Lanka has it all! We came to this beautiful diverse country to visit its best spots. One of them or probably the best of them, when it comes to the sea leisure, is definitely The Fortress Resort & Spa.
It is known as a powerful healing and relaxing place because of the white noise of the Indian ocean that beats in unison with your heart and soul. It is scientifically proven that the white noise reduces stress, anxiety and simply helps you to sleep better waking up rested. The Fortress will recharge your batteries and will give you a peaceful and tranquil vacation of your dream.
It is located on one of the Galle’s finest beaches, the 6 kilometre Koggala beach, the all-suite and resident luxury boutique resort have staggering ocean views. The Fortress offers highly personalized levels of service and a strong sense of exclusivity thanks to its perfect location just on a sea shore and next to a natural pool.
The Fortress is boutique in size with 53 guest rooms and suites, designed to reflect the resort’s colourful charm and tranquillity. Guests are able to relax and unwind in their expansive indoor and outdoor spaces that are equipped with all the amenities that ensure an experience of absolute comfort. The resort has Fortress Rooms, Ocean Rooms, Beach Rooms and Beach Splash Rooms built to experience solitude and serenity. Each room designed with either a private courtyard or balcony with breath-taking views. All rooms feature 7ft by 7ft super king beds, open plan bathrooms, world class entertainment systems with 55inch smart screen TV, BOSE DVD players, and surround systems.
It is known as a powerful healing and relaxing place because of the white noise of the Indian ocean that beats in unison with your heart and soul.
If you are looking for an exclusive VIP luxury beach stay The Fortress has two suites categories, Ocean Loft Suites and Fortress Residence Suites. The last one is a 2582.25 sq.ft suite. Luxury here is found in every detail from the personal private butler services to the magnificent marbled bathroom to state of the art technology.
Set to make one of Galle’s most impressive and most luxurious design statements, the architecture of the resort is inspired by the glorious and powerful ancient Dutch Fort of Galle showcasing the country’s Dutch and Portuguese influences. The dying traditional lifestyle of stilt fisherman, the world famous Virgin White Tea gathering and producing and aiding of endangered sea turtle are a few of many experience that you can enjoy during your stay.
Spa Naturel is definitely should be one of them. It is the epitome of calm and rejuvenation with facials, massages, and most importantly signature Ayurveda therapies with natural ingredients sourced locally by hotel’s in-house Ayurveda doctor for the mind, body and spirit using herbal products. Ayurveda is a time tested ancient system of medicine which is now popular around the world. It is a science that not only addresses bodily infirmity but encourages social, spiritual, emotional and psychological well being. Hotel’s well trained local and foreign therapists specialized in their treatments provides you warm and genuine care that flows through their hands to relax, and heal your body and mind to achieve a perfect equilibrium.
Cool off in the infinity pool while you relax and unwind to the spectacular view of the ocean while sipping a tropical cocktail from the pool bar. The resort is equipped with three delightful restaurants promising to satisfy any of your desires. The best in culinary delights are served daily at the White restaurant which offer everything from international and Sri Lankan cuisine to wood-fired Pizzas, and Indian Tandoori specialties, while the Duo (Surf & Turf) an unique wine cellar restaurant which aims to celebrate the experience of wine and fine dining together in a memorable setting. The new Salty Snapper Seafood Beach Restaurant, serving all seafood with a breath-taking view of the blue ocean promises you a magical dining experience. We really enjoyed a tapayaki dinner show, which is available at a special request. You can try the best and freshest seafood that Sri Lanka can offer from lobster to snapper.
After experiencing the amazing healing and relaxing power of The Fortress Resort & Spa we met the man behind the whole concept, the great Mr Dhammika Perera who happens to be one of Sri Lanka’s most respectful and famous entrepreneurs. Unknown to many he is the wielding hand behind a plethora of companies in the country. Many of his acquisitions are successes and his reach has spread across many sectors.
Mr Perera, what has inspired you to invest in the hospitality business?
My biggest inspiration is my passion. 18 years ago I took a decision to build a hospitality empire in Sri Lanka and one year after that I started the construction of my dream place, The Fortress Resort. I was involved into the process on all the stages starting from the design and finishing with spa program and the restaurant’s menu. Our idea was to build a modern and comfortable 200 years old Dutch fortress style hotel with a luxury twist right next to the famous resorts of Galle city and bright blue Indian ocean.
I love to come here few times a year staying in one of the residents that I helped to design myself and enjoying the white noise of the ocean. That’s the best thing to relax and fully recharge!
What is special about The Fortress Resort and Spa?
It is a feeling of happiness and peace that brings this magic place. Anyone who steps here would feel it! The nature and tranquillity create a special atmosphere you fall in love with. It is a luxury space with exclusive design and facilities right on a beautiful beach where you can swim in a natural pool in the Indian Ocean. We are very proud of our service and amenities.
What is exceptional about the service in your resort?
We have 4 staff serving each room and making your stay as comfortable as possible. While a usual ratio in a luxury hotel is 2 staff per room. That makes a difference, which you can see. Also we are constantly improving the service level and exchanging experience with International colleagues from the hospitality industry.
You have amazing dining options of different premium restaurants in the hotel. Tell us about your dining preferences when you come to The Fortress?
We are very proud of our gastronomic options and the food quality. Whenever I come I always order the traditional Banana Blossom salad and the curry mix, plus a shrimp cocktail. The seafood in general is always fresh and tasty. In fact 2 times a week we do a seafood buffet with the freshest catch of the day, good sushi selection, lobsters, tuna, shrimps etc.. Our desserts are quite impressive too!
What to visit around the resort?
A plenty of things! An amazing turtle hatchery is just a few km away. I always come there when I visit The Fortress. A whale watching is something to experience, as well as the famous Bentota boat safari. A wild safari can be organized too and might be done in one day. For someone who likes sightseeing I’d recommend to visit the Galle city with its beautiful architecture and The Gold port. It is also full of interesting boutiques and picturesque restaurants.
What’s your marketing plan for The Fortress?
Most of our clients come from European countries such as UK, Germany, France… We are planning to bring more Middle Eastern clients as this market is becoming more and more attractive for hospitality industry. People travel a lot and spend good money on hotels. There are a plenty of fast flight options. For example, it’s only 4 hrs flight from Dubai!
What are your expanding plans?I’m building another luxury hotel with 230 rooms just 20 km away from The Fortress. It will be ready in another 2 years. Together with The Fortress management team we are creating something exceptional. More details are coming soon!
