Jetwing Lighthouse or Lighthouse Hotel, is a five-star franchise hotel, operated by

Jetwing Hotels Jetwing Hotels Limited is a Sri Lankan hotel chain. Jetwing was founded in the 1970s by Herbert Cooray when he purchased the Blue Oceanic Hotel in Negombo from its Swedish owner Vingressor and renamed it Jetwing. Cooray founded Jetwing Travels in ...

, located in

Galle Galle (, ; , ) (formerly ) is a major city on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, south of Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the capital of Galle District. Galle was known as ''Gi ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. It is just north of the Galle Fort on the Indian Ocean coastline.

Geography

The hotel is situated in

, the capital of the Southern Province of Sri Lanka and is located on a rocky promontory to the north of

Galle Harbour Galle Harbour is a natural harbour, located in Galle, on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka. Currently Galle port serves as one of the most active regional ports in the country. It is also the only Sri Lankan port that provides facilities for p ...

, on a site once occupied by a Circuit Magistrates' bungalow.

History

The hotel was commissioned by Herbert Cooray in 1995 for his travel company Jetwings and designed by

Geoffrey Bawa Deshamanya Geoffrey Manning Bawa, (23 July 191927 May 2003) was a Sri Lankan architect. Often referred to as the leader of the Tropical Modernist movement, he was among the most influential Asian architects of his generation. Early life Geoff ...

. The Lighthouse Hotel, as it was originally known, opened on 7 June 1997. The hotel initially had 60 rooms and three suites, two restaurants, a swimming pool and recreational facilities.

Architecture

The Lighthouse hotel was one of Geoffrey Bawa's last major projects. The post-modern minimalist hotel reflects the 17th-century Dutch fort at Galle, in that it looks down on the ocean from atop a rocky promontory. A semi-circular drive leads visitors to a traditional stone façade. A small portal opens to an enclosed entry plaza, which features a spiral staircase, with intricate bronze and copper sculptured balustrading, topped by a blue-tiled Moorish dome. The sculptured balustrading, depicting the '

Battle of Randeniwela The Battle of Randeniwela was fought on 25 August 1630 in the Sinhalese–Portuguese War. It was fought between Portuguese Empire and King Senarth's youngest son Prince Maha Astana, who would later become Rajasinghe II against Portuguese f ...

' between the Sinhalese and the Portuguese, was designed and constructed by Ceylonese architect/artist

Laki Senanayake Laki Senanayake (18 December 1937 - 30 May 2021) was a Sri Lankan sculptor and painter. He was known for his metal sculptures, often of birds. He worked closely with architect Geoffrey Bawa, working for and subsequently being commissioned by Bawa ...

. The main lobby is a lowly lit space that accented by sunlight pooling on the polished concrete floor. The room almost appears to reach the vast blue

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

beyond. The rest of the property unfolds through a series of immaculately sculpted pools, courtyards, and stairs – which almost seem to be part of the natural landscape. Bawa made a number of the natural boulders the focus of the hotel, framing views of them from the air-conditioned dining room and the open-air lounge. The rooms feature teak floors, hand-carved furniture and original paintings, by

Barbara Sansoni Kala Suri Barbara Sansoni (22 April 1928 – 23 April 2022) was a Sri Lankan designer, artist, colourist, entrepreneur, and writer. She was known for her works in architecture, textile designs, and handwoven panels. She founded the Barefoot t ...

and

Ena de Silva Ena de Silva (née Aluwihare) (22 October 1922 – 29 October 2015) was a notable Sri Lankan artist, credited with re-establishing the country's batik industry. She was renowned for her skillsets in the design of batiks and handicrafts and p ...

. In 2013 the hotel was expanded with the addition of a new wing, adding an additional twenty rooms and two suites, together with a new restaurant.

Facilities

The hotel currently has 85 rooms, three restaurants, two outdoor pools, and a spa.

References

External links

Official site
* {{All Share Price Index Companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange Hotels in Galle Hotels established in 1997 Geoffrey Bawa buildings