Chaaya Blu Trincomalee - Artist Impressions

The almost surreal panorama of white sands edging the azure ocean dimpled with sunlight scattered over the waves conjures the canvas of a picture postcard, direct from Trincomalee. Add the charm of a 1970s resort that has a touch of the esoteric James Bond tale, “Die Another Day” woven into it and one can visualize an orange swimsuit clad Halle Berry rise from the depths of the waves. And it was this Halle Berry image that fuelled master architect Channa Daswatte’s mind to create the new Chaaya Blu Trincomalee .

“Looking at the old Club Oceanic with its double arches reminiscent of the ‘70s architecture reminded me of a leftover James Bond phase. Wanting to get the John Keells Hotels Group first off the mark in Trincomalee in the expected East coast tourism boom, we needed to do something fast, which meant reusing old resources but modernizing the concept. Aligning all this, I also thought of having some retro-fun with this old building, to be slightly off the wall.” Recalling his childhood, Daswatte remembers Trincomalee as being about the sea and lots of light, “because there were few trees unlike on the southern coast. So it was this blue white kind of image juxtaposed with nuances of orange that I wanted people to experience at Chaaya Blu Trincomalee. I’m trying to encapsulate the ring of the hip and maybe those lost teenage retro years which we didn’t notice living through when we were growing up. Looking back, there was something really wonderful about that time, energetic if you like and I want the resort to relive some of that.”

And retro chic it is! Chaaya Blu Trincomalee is all about unusual shades of white with nuances of blue; cool, easy, relaxing; a gathering place for the disco child and the flower power generation and a conversation time for the later generations to be in awe and enjoy an era that is now the theme of movies. Its about terra cotta tiles dipped in white paint for the Caribbean look and feel; (“I want the spirit of the resort to be different to what is portrayed for the southern coast,” avers Daswatte.); clay lamps painted white, Wetakeiya rugs and lots of denim accessorized with mid-century Scandinavian limed furniture touched by an orange hue. It’s about lounging on polished cement based beds within the confines of the cool white of the rooms and looking at tie-and-dye and mosaic walls and reminiscing.

It’s also about looking out at the sea, from everywhere in the resort, whether its the bar, the restaurant or the combination of bleached wood decks that encircle the periphery of the resort and forgetting the hubbub of the world outside. Its about creating centralised spaces to enjoy the sun and sea; dining under the trees, on the deck, by the long infinity pool or even around the white circular bar

with its 1930s denim upholstered chairs or the beach bar built around the Banyan Tree looking out at Swami Rock savoring the famed Trinco crab menu. Or simply sit at bar counters or on comfy lazy chairs at check in, taking in the aura of the mosaic columns and large disco balls strategically placed in corners and enjoying an unusual blue caracao cocktail with a swirl of thambili to begin a holiday with a touch of the exotic. And get on that boardwalk! A timber deck that runs out across the reception and onto the beach and out – for an eyeful of the unique landscape that only Trincomalee boasts of. “I’ve connected all the public spaces from one centralised space to another on simplified movement patterns,” explains Daswatte. And this he has done by connecting the floor pattern via concrete sleepers, continuing the floor from the lounge, to the bar and dining room.

Under the John Keells Hotels Group umbrella, the former Club Oceanic joins the Group’s four star resorts as Chaaya Blu with an inventory of eighty rooms including an addition of twenty chalets and two suites. The investment of Rs 450 million marks the first development project promoting East Coast tourism. As Deputy Chairman of John Keells Holdings Ajit Gunewardene asserts, “Having been involved in Sri Lankan tourism as a group for over 35 years, we are excited and enthused by the emergence of east-coast tourism. We believe that Trincomalee has the potential to become one of the most sought-after destinations in the country and Chaaya Blu Trincomalee with its new retro-chic look will bridge the present deficit for quality 4-star accommodation.” Adds Executive Vice President Jayantissa Kehelpannala who reiterates that Trincomalee has some of the best diving, snorkeling and whale watching spots in the country, says, “Blu is as sea-farers would refer to the ocean and “Chaaya Blu Trincomalee” by name, will be pledged to promoting the rich offerings of the seas of Trinco to the world.”

Written by Savithri Rodrigo

Living - March 2010