20 May 2014, Colombo- Sri Lanka's premier hospitality brand Jetwing Hotels once again was recognized for its efforts towards sustainable operations, with top-end resort Jetwing Lagoon walking away with the Gold Award in the Hotel Sector at the National Green Awards held on the 12th of May 2014 at the BMICH. In addition, Jetwing Vil Uyana was the recipient of a Merit award.

Organized by the Central Environmental Authority of Sri Lanka under the Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy, the event was held under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Awards were initiated in 2011, to recognize those in the business community who contribute towards eco-friendly activities and also services, local authorities, schools, and other organizations. Agencies and individuals are nominated under different sectors, and are evaluated on subjects such as environmental pollution control, waste and resources management, clean production, etc.

Jetwing Lagoon holds the honour of being Sri Lanka's first resort, and also architectural genius Geoffrey Bawa's first resort design. Formerly known as the Blue Lagoon, the property was re-imagined and launched by Jetwing two years 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. The property was also the winner of the 2013 PATA Grand Award under the Environment category – the highest accolade in the category.

Located in close proximity to the 8th wonder of the world, the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya, Jetwing Vil Uyana is the premier eco-luxury destination in Sri Lanka. Designed from ground up to be one with nature, the resort sits atop a man-made wetland and features 30 individual dwellings. Jetwing Vil Uyana is also the only Sri Lankan property to be listed by National Geographic Traveler in their Best Eco-lodges of the World issue, another PATA Grand Award winner, and most recently the winner of the Environment Award at the 2014 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards organized by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing congratulated the associates of Jetwing Lagoon and Jetwing Vil Uyana, praising their “dedication and commitment to the cause of environment friendly operations, and all their efforts to ensure that Jetwing remains on the green path”. He also thanked the Engineering team for their careful planning and constant outlook at the latest technologies and practices being used worldwide.

Family owned and in the tourism industry for the past 41 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.

Media Relations – Jetwing Hotels

20 May 2013

For any queries regarding this press release please contact us:

Angie Samuel (Marketing Communications Manager)    - angie@jetwinghotels.com

Prasanna Welangoda (Senior Events & Media Executive)              - prasanna.w@jetwinghotels.com

Jetwing Lagoon:

Did you know that for the first time at a Sri Lankan hotel, 100% of the air-conditioning requirements are generated sustainably using absorption chillers that run sustainably via steam generated from the biomass boiler.