Sri Lanka second hotel scouted by Swiss leisure group

Jan 18, 2010 (LBO) - Swiss-based MÅ‘venpick Hotels and Resorts, which is to manage a city hotel in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo is looking for opportunity to run a resort elsewhere in the island, an official said. The group has a 12-year deal with options to extend another 10 years with Softlogic.





Softlogic has interests in electronics and healthcare.

Mattmuller says Movenpick's Colombo hotel will command prices of about 200 dollars a night when it is completed in two years time.

Mattmuller said he is optimistic about prospects for Sri Lanka following the end of the war in 2009 and a more stable political environment.

He said the firm operated hotels in Yemen and Beirut and was used to managing risk. The Beirut hotel had around 95 to 100 percent occupancy, he said.

Mattmuller expected strong growth in Sri Lanka with India and China also growing fast.

Movenpick is expanding into Asia and is working with a number of local investors to build and open new hotels in Thailand and China.

The group has hotels in most of the Middle East and was evaluating two opportunities in Iraq.

It had two hotels in Vietnam, one in Thailand, but would open three more soon.

The group will also soon open in