Star Àni ( se )
EXCLUSIVE AND VERY PRIVATE , SIMON GEORGE FINDS THAT ÀNI SRI LANKA OFFERS STAR POTENTIAL
S pice route Spice is synonymous with Sri Lanka . Cinnamon quintessentially , cardamon , cumin and cloves certainly , nutmeg notably and no self-respecting biryani dish or packet of five spice would be without star anise . Collectively they make up the distinctive aromas that pervade the country and provide the essential flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine . In many respects the luxury private resort of ÀNI Sri Lanka has adopted a similar approach , one could argue . By ‘ spicing ’ up its business model , its concept of bespoke luxury has made its MICE offering more exciting , more interesting and more personalised , and in so doing it is starting to forge its own unique identity in high-end luxury . A recent tie-up between parent company ÀNI Private Resorts and Private Jet Services to ferry visitors to its resorts serves to make the point .
A quartet of private resorts The brainchild of US owner Tim Reynolds who made his fortune as a quant trader after co-founding Jane Street Capital at the height of the dotcom boom in 1999 , and Anguilla based CEO Ira Bloom , ÀNI Sri Lanka is one of four private ÀNI resorts worldwide – the other three being based in Anguilla , Thailand and the Dominican Republic . All follow the same template : offer bespoke luxury ; stipulate complete buyouts , thereby allowing guests – whether it is an extended family gathering , wedding or a corporate offsite – to take over the entire resort ; and provide first-class amenities and impeccable service in an environment where privacy is the watchword . Imagine having the run of a beautiful mansion in the Hamptons on Long Island over a long weekend , and hopefully you get the picture .
Opened in 2016 Five years in the making and costing in the region of USD $ 11m , the secluded resort of ÀNI Sri Lanka , set in five acres and comprising 15 elegant suites made out of Burma teak , sports facilities ( tennis court , gym and indoor and outdoor games ), landscaped gardens tumbling down to a palm fringed beach , is situated close to the fishing village of Dickwella in the south of the island . ÀNI Sri Lanka opened in 2016 , yet , significantly , from a MICE perspective , it is still very much in its infancy and this potential still largely untapped , having been forced to close its doors by the pandemic and only recently being allowed to re-open by the authorities after the country ’ s most recent lockdown ended in September .
Incentives experience There is certainly no shortage of exciting incentive experiences on offer for guests . During our group ’ s stay we went surfing at a local beach , visited a tea plantation , a sea turtle sanctuary , the colonial walled city of Galle and Udawalawa National Park to spot wild elephants , buffaloes and peacocks . And massages and spa treatments back at the resort were available to take away the strains .
If you ’ re thinking of brushing up your cooking skills , then resident head chef Cyril will be only too keen to provide you with lessons .
Sri Lanka ’ s economy is only slowly reopening , however , and Covid clouds still circle . Textile manufacturing provides the lion ’ s share of GDP , but it
Below : Event pavilion at ÀNI Sri Lanka is worth flagging that tourism provides about 10 % and as such is an important foreign currency earner . To illustrate just how much the pandemic has ravaged the country ’ s economy , the sharp fall in foreign currency reserves from USD $ 7.5bn in 2019 to USD $ 2.8bn in July 2021 provides a sobering statistic . Clearly , Sri Lanka is keen for its economy to re-open as quickly as possible and to welcome back tourists with open arms .
Giving back to the community Resort manager Dinesh Hewavitharana stresses the philanthropic approach to business , citing ÀNI Art Academies , a non-profit organisation established by Tim Reynolds before the resort was built , which provides free art training to budding young artists . Of the resort ’ s 30 staff , half have been recruited locally and when the resort had to close because of the Covid situation , all staff were retained on full pay . The resort is also providing computers to local schools as part of a government funded IT scheme .
India ’ s biggest market ÀNI ’ s biggest foreign market , perhaps not surprisingly given its proximity , is India and then the Gulf Co-operation Council ( GCC ) countries . An Egyptian family is taking over the resort for 10 days over New Year and there are reservations for the January-April
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