Trincomalee Beach Resort & Spa is set to be rebranded as Fairway Trinco and upgraded to four-star standards under a long-term management agreement with Fairway Holdings, strengthening the group’s expansion into hospitality while establishing a beachfront presence on Sri Lanka’s growing east coast tourism market.
The agreement between Trincomalee Beach Resort & Spa (Pvt) Ltd and the leisure arm of Fairway Holdings was signed at Fairway Colombo on September 18. The partnership aims to position the property among Sri Lanka’s leading coastal resorts while contributing to Trincomalee’s development as an increasingly popular tourism destination.
The resort is owned by Kumar Jeyakumaran, Chairman of Platinum Group of Companies. His business interests also extend into the travel sector through Platinum Travel Networks Sri Lanka, which has been developing partnerships with travel agencies in India, Malaysia and Singapore for pilgrimage tour programmes.
“This partnership represents far more than a management agreement. It is a commitment to the future of Trincomalee’s tourism industry,” Jeyakumaran said.
He expressed confidence that the partnership would contribute to economic activity in the Eastern Province, create employment opportunities and encourage further investment in the region.
The 46-room resort is located directly on the beachfront along the boardwalk and features an outdoor swimming pool, children’s pool, beach bar, spa facilities and a conference centre with two meeting rooms.
One of the property’s key attractions is its 1,200-seat marquee, which Fairway Holdings Leisure Sector Chief Executive Officer Abdul Basheer Cader plans to position strongly within the destination wedding market. With capacity for approximately 26 guests for every room at the resort, the venue provides substantial event capacity relative to the property’s accommodation inventory.
The operator expects this combination of accommodation and large-scale event facilities to support occupancy by attracting weddings, celebrations and other major functions that can generate additional room nights.
As part of the planned four-star upgrade, the owner will invest a minimum of Rs.60 million to Rs.65 million in refurbishment work. The investment will cover areas including linen, air conditioning and bathrooms, while Fairway Holdings will project-manage the refurbishment to ensure the property meets its operating standards.
The investment amounts to approximately Rs.1.3 million per room. Cader noted that the existing rooms are already in sound condition, helping to keep the refurbishment investment relatively modest for an upgrade of this scale.
In addition to improvements to the rooms, the partners plan to enhance dining and leisure facilities, introduce professional management systems, strengthen international and domestic marketing and develop new experiences for both leisure and business travellers.
The agreement represents a further step in Fairway Holdings’ growing focus on hospitality. The group is better known for its real estate operations and has developed and sold close to 1,600 apartments. Through management agreements, the group can expand its hospitality portfolio by leveraging operational expertise without taking on the full capital requirements associated with hotel ownership and development.
The hospitality expansion is being led by Cader, who brings decades of senior leadership experience in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. The partners see the east coast’s growing tourism momentum, supported by increasing visitor numbers, expanding infrastructure and rising international interest, as creating opportunities for further development in the region.
Fairway Trinco will join an existing leisure portfolio anchored by Fairway Colombo, the 181-room city hotel located in Colombo Fort, close to the World Trade Centre and Dutch Hospital. The property opened in September 2016 and is positioned as Sri Lanka’s first hotel to integrate robotic technology.
Fairway Colombo marked 10 years of operations on September 15 and currently records an average occupancy rate of around 85%, according to Cader.
The group’s wider leisure portfolio also includes The Planter’s Legacy, comprising three private three-bedroom cottages in Nuwara Eliya located approximately 50 metres from Lake Gregory.
Its other leisure interests include Fairway Travels, a tailor-made tour operator; Go Outdoors, which provides motor homes, caravans and trailers for hire; and Kamu at Fort, a 10-stall food court in Colombo 01.
The leisure sector operates under Fairway Holdings, which is chaired by Virath de Alwis. He assumed leadership of the group in 2025 following the passing of his father and group founder, Hemaka de Alwis.
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