Hemas Holdings in partnership with Minor Hotel Group is proud to announce the opening of the first Anantara resort in Sri Lanka, Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort.

In a uniquely secluded beachfront location along Sri Lanka’s southern coast, Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort is inviting its very first guests to experience the private exclusivity of the resort’s secret beach paradise from today, 1 December 2015.

The resort is located on a 21-acre coconut estate overlooking the picturesque Tangalle Bay and boasts 120 guest rooms and 32 stand-alone private pool villas, a sumptuous Anantara Spa, a double level infinity swimming pool, fully equipped cardio-gym, and kids and teen’s club. The allure of the resort is matched by convenient travel; Cinnamon Air offers a daily 40-minute flight or make use resort’s luxury transfer service which takes approximately just over three hours from Colombo.

A variety of restaurant, bar and lounge venues showcase vibrant cuisine, all with sea views. Journeys, the all-day restaurant serves world classics and Sri Lankan, Middle Eastern and Asian specialties. For lunch and dinner, Sri Lankan inspired Teppanyaki dining fires up the taste buds at the Verele beach restaurant. At the resort’s signature restaurant, Il Mare, Italian coastal cuisine is savoured, capturing the Mediterranean’s convivial spirit. Tapas and wine degustation menus are a real talking point at El Vino and the Poolside Bar serves refreshing beverages, light bites and sundowner cocktails. For a charming retreat The Lobby Lounge offers high tea with a Sri Lankan twist.

The Anantara Spa, stimulates holistic wellbeing with ancient healing practices enhancing the connection between mind, body and spirit. Facilities comprise four double treatment suites and four single treatment suites, a beauty salon, facial room, specialist Ayurvedic and reflexology rooms, as well as two tranquil relaxation areas.

The resort is an ideal base from which to explore Sri Lanka’s southern attractions including Yala, Bundala and Uda Walawe National Parks and the Rekawa Turtle Sanctuary.

Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort has already garnered much interest around the world, with CNN including the resort on their list of “11 hotels opening in 2015 we can't wait to check into”.  The list, which was part of CNN’s Quest’s Passport to 2015, acts as a guide to the years’ most anticipated cruises, destinations and events.

Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort is a joint venture between Hemas Holdings and Minor Hotel Group. The second Anantara property, Anantara Kalutara Resort, is scheduled to open in March 2016. Serendib Leisure Management Ltd, the leisure arm of Hemas Holdings, manages Hotel Sigiriya and Club Hotel Dolphin and the internationally branded hotels AVANI Bentota Resort & Spa and AVANI Kalutara Resort.

Photo caption: (From left) Steven Enderby, Group CEO, Hemas Holdings, Abbas Esufally, Chairman, Serendib Leisure Management Ltd and Group Director, Hemas Holdings, Tamir Kobrin, General Manager, Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort and Ranil De Silva, Managing Director, Serendib Hotels PLC

About Anantara: Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the world’s most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.

From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise. The portfolio currently boasts over 30 stunning properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE and Qatar, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Africa.