Located in the southwest corner of Sri Lanka, Bentota Beach Hotel sits between stretches of unspoiled beach along the Indian Ocean and the calm waters of the Bentota River.

Green Globe Certification CEO Guido Bauer said, “We are proud to be working with the John Keells Hotels Group and congratulate Bentota Beach Hotel on their inaugural certification.

“Over the years, the region around the hotel has had to recover from the tsunami of 2004 and Bentota Beach Hotel has been a willing contributor to ongoing community development. Guests to this idyllic resort are encouraged to visit and support the local turtle conservation activities of Kosgoda Sea Turtle Hatchery.

“The hotel itself along with its manicured gardens is a significant part of local heritage. This former rubber plantation was first transformed into a landscape garden over 80 year ago and is a living part of Bentota’s cultural experience,” added Mr. Bauer.

The hotel has implemented a number of key sustainability contributions resulting in the improvement of its own operations, as well as of the community in which it operates. Monitoring of energy and water usage is under way, with measures implemented for reducing each. Renewable sources of energy have been used where possible – the additional cooling generated by the pump system has been diverted to the air conditioners in the guides’ and drivers’ accommodation areas, while solar power is made use of for the kitchen, pantry, and spa complex. The garden staff of the hotel are actively working on an organic vegetable garden – still in its infant stages – which, once fully developed, will meet the hotel’s own requirements for organic herbs and vegetables.

Beyond these environmental achievements, however, the hotel has taken significant measures in local community development through its involvement with the Bentota Beruwala Hoteliers Association. The hotel along with the Association has been instrumental in developing the lives and livelihoods of the “Beach Operators” as they are now known - local youth who are now given priority in organizing beach activities along with cultural and environmental tours for guests. The management of Bentota Beach Hotel also has plans to set up an association to protect and conserve ecosystems that are part of the Bentota River.

Mr. Sanjeeva Perera, General Manager of Bentota Beach Hotel, said, “I am extremely proud to achieve a certification from one of the most recognized sustainability brands in the world today. John Keells Hotels Group pledges to ‘Be Green’ and the resort has proven to stay true to this whilst challenging the status quo to constantly improve and emphasize our social and environmental responsibilities.”

City.Mobi

Also in Sri Lanka today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Colombo.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Colombo.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.