Sri Lanka island resort project off, says Six Senses

Feb 07, 2011 (LBO) - International luxury hotel chain Six Senses has pulled out of a deal to manage a resort being built on an islet off Sri Lanka's north-west coast, according to company officials.



Shivdasani said another project with Sri Lanka's Aitken Spence group was going ahead near the southern town of Galle with accommodation in tents. The Dutch Bay Resort project, in Dutch Bay in Kalpitiya, was to have been a joint venture between Six Senses and Swarna Dweep, an investment vehicle set up by European investors and a Sri Lankan entrepreneur.

But Six Senses chief executive Sonu Shivdasani told hoteliermiddleeast.com that the 80-unit resort announced last year for Dutch Bay has been put on hold along with another project in Jordan.

He gave no details but officials with knowledge of the project say Six Senses has pulled out of the management deal.

There has been no word from Swarna Dweep or Sri Lankan tourism authorities about the deal.

The Dutch Bay project was estimated to cost 75 million dollars and consist of 60 mangrove chalets two-storey villas with plunge pools and 20 luxury villas on a lagoon.

The Six Senses decision was part of a revamp by the hotel chai