A Bold Transition to Boutique Hospitality. George Cooper, owner of KK Collection & Boutique Hotel Kahanda Kanda in Sri Lanka, shares his journey from a successful design career in the UK to establishing a boutique hotel rooted in personal heritage. He discusses the evolving challenges in boutique hospitality, from seasonal demand to a sustainable future, emphasizing the unique guest experience at KK Collection.
Can you share a bit about yourself and what inspired you to enter the world of boutique hospitality?
Born and educated in England, I ran my own successful interior design and project management business for many years, working in the UK and internationally. It got to a point where I no longer enjoyed the work, so I took the quantum leap to change my job and my location. At that time I had built Kahanda Kanda with 5 bedrooms, using it as a holiday home maybe twice a year. I took a couple of days out in August 2005 for some introspection, and made the decision to sell up everything in the UK, move to Sri Lanka and open Kahanda Kanda (KK) as a hotel.
What vision did you have when you first started as a Hotelier, and how has that vision evolved over time?
My vision has always been based on my personal experiences. I try to provide the guests with a quality offering – ambiance, food, service, design, comfort etc., based on what I would expect if I were the guest. I don’t think this has changed, although being a late starter in this industry, it has been a steep learning curve!
Why in Sri Lanka? Is there any particular connection?
I first came to Sri Lanka in 1999, because I wanted to visit the two properties that had belonged to my great-grandfather and grandfather. My great-grandfather came to Sri Lanka in 1860 and created these two rubber estates and he and his son spent time here. The estates were sold around 1920, just after the First World War.
How do you define Boutique Hotel Experience or Boutique Hospitality?
To me the defining element of a Boutique hotel experience must be the personal interaction. Whilst some guests might appreciate the anonymity of staying in a large hotel, boutique is a more intimate and personal experience – staff use the guests’ names when addressing them as opposed to using a room number, for example. I believe we can be more flexible in terms of what we offer the guests when we only have 10, 12 or 15 rooms.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a Hotelier, and how do you address them?
The challenges are ever on-going!!! Human Resources is an enormous issue here in Sri Lanka, as so many industry members are seduced into going and working abroad to earn more money. The last five years have been especially challenging, with the Easter Bomb Attacks in April 2019 – that decimated our business for the rest of that year, and then of course, Covid hit. Whilst struggling our way out of Covid, we then had political and economic collapse in August 2022, which resulted in a large number of cancellations and it has been a long road to recovery, trying to assure potential visitors that we were open for business etc. Another issue is the seasonality of our business. Our main season is from December through to April, and we get another spike in August, but the rest of the year, we depend mainly on domestic business. The remaining moths are the two monsoon seasons and most foreigners believe that this means torrential rain throughout and so not a good time to visit. This misconception needs to be debunked as it can be a really good time to explore the island – it is not so hot, fewer tourists and hotels offer better rates. Smaller issues are the climate – it is very humid here so our expenditure on maintenance is huge – we repaint every room each year, and electrical products such as air conditioning units break down regularly.
How do you choose your vendors and partners? What do you look for in those relationships?
Professionalism must be key in how we choose our partners.
What in your life gives you a strong sense of purpose?
I think I am lucky in that my father instilled in me a strong work ethic, and that motivates me. In addition, we now have over 130 people on the payroll, and the responsibility of ensuring their salaries to feed their families is a heavy and sobering duty.
How does a normal working day look like for you?
My day starts with coffee! After that a visit to the gym at KK, followed by breakfast and then I hit my desk. Our head office – if we can call it that – is at KK – reservations for all three hotels are handled here, along with management accounts and centralized purchasing. I will spend time responding to emails, going and visiting KK Beach or The Villa Bentota once a week as well as the two retail shops. In the evenings I tend to go and talk to guests staying at KK before dinner, checking that they are enjoying their stay with us, offer suggestions for activities and excursions, and inevitably telling them how an Englishman ended up in Sri Lanka 18 years ago.
How do you like spending your time off?
Sundays are my day off, but usually, this does not start until midday as I will spend the morning in the office. My house is 4km from the hotel, I enjoy reading and gardening and, in the tropics, the rewards come quickly as everything grows so fast here. For holidays I enjoy trekking so sometimes up in the highlands here in Sri Lanka, or further afield.
What is your favorite hotel in the World?
I don’t think I have a favorite hotel – there are so many places in the world that I still want to visit, so I rarely go back to the same place.
What do you see as the next big thing in the hospitality industry?
I think that sustainability is becoming ever more important – not just for us in the industry, but for guests when it comes to decision-making. The damage that mankind has done has to be reduced drastically.
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The KK Collection, founded by George Cooper, is a boutique hotel portfolio in Sri Lanka that includes the luxurious boutique hotels Kahanda Kanda and the KK Beach, as well as The Villa Bentota. Known for combining refined design, personalized service, and a deep respect for local culture, the KK Collection offers guests unique, immersive experiences in both lush hillside and beachfront settings. Kahanda Kanda , nestled amidst the lush tea plantations near Galle in southern Sri Lanka, is a luxury boutique hotel offering an intimate and tranquil escape with a strong focus on design, comfort, and personalized service. Began as a private holiday retreat and evolved into one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated boutique hotels. Kahanda Kanda combines traditional Sri Lankan aesthetics with modern luxury, featuring individually designed villas that seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor spaces, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the surroundings.
