Amaya Resorts & Spas
A Sri Lankan hospitality company operating resort, boutique-hotel and wellness properties under the Amaya brand.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Amaya Resorts & Spas is a Sri Lankan hospitality company associated with resort accommodation, boutique hotels, wellness retreats and spa-oriented leisure travel. The business began operations in 1981 under the name Connaissance as a tour operator. It later moved into hotel development, building a chalet-style property beside Kandalama Lake in 1994. That property, initially associated with the Culture Club concept, was subsequently upgraded and rebranded as Amaya Lake in 2005. The company’s early portfolio also included Amaya Hills in Kandy and Amaya Langdale in Nuwara Eliya, establishing a positioning built around scenic destinations, cultural settings and nature-oriented stays rather than a standardized urban hotel model. Hayleys acquired Amaya Leisure PLC on 1 September 2011. At the time, the company consisted of three principal resorts: Amaya Lake, Amaya Hills and Amaya Langdale. Following the acquisition, Amaya expanded its portfolio through additional properties and management arrangements. In 2012, it acquired Lake Lodge in the Kandalama area and announced plans to increase its room capacity. The group subsequently developed a broader collection that combined conventional resort hotels with smaller boutique properties and a specialist Ayurveda retreat. The brand’s portfolio has included Amaya Beach in Pasikudah, Amaya Hills in Kandy and Amaya Lake in Dambulla, alongside the Langdale Boutique Hotel, Oliphant Boutique Villa, The Villas in Wadduwa and Amuna Ayurveda Retreat in the Sigiriya area. The company has also managed properties for third-party owners, meaning its operating footprint has not been limited to assets it directly owned. Reference material describes a portfolio of nine properties with approximately 439 rooms, including six owned properties and three managed on behalf of other owners; the precise current portfolio may change over time. Amaya’s hospitality proposition combines accommodation with destination experiences, landscape, local culture and wellness. Amuna Ayurveda Retreat in Kimbissa near Sigiriya represents the most specialized expression of this positioning. The retreat was designed to evoke a traditional village, uses recycled materials in its construction and promotes locally produced medicinal oils and vegetarian food. Its wellness orientation was recognized when it received the Best Wellness Retreat award at the 2017 World Spa Awards. Amaya Langdale, a luxury boutique hotel, was also included among TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Sri Lanka in 2014. The company became publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange on 11 March 1996. Hayleys later became the controlling shareholder, with the referenced Wikipedia material reporting a 61.66 percent stake held directly and through Dean Foster (Pvt) Ltd. The company has traded under the corporate name Hayleys Leisure PLC, while Amaya Resorts & Spas functions as the consumer-facing hospitality brand. In 2016, the business sold an 84.3 percent interest in The Beach Resorts Limited, which owned a freehold property in Wadduwa, in a related-party transaction. The same year, it entered the Maldives through the acquisition of a 51-villa luxury resort. In 2020, Brand Finance ranked Amaya Resorts & Spas 87th among Sri Lanka’s 100 most valuable brands. The available reference material does not establish a complete current property list, current executive roster or the exact present legal relationship between the corporate entity and all Amaya-branded properties.
History
Amaya Resorts & Spas traces its origins to Connaissance, a Sri Lankan tour operator that began operations in 1981. The business entered hotel development in 1994 by constructing a 106-room chalet-style hotel beside Kandalama Lake. The property was later upgraded to four-star standard and rebranded Amaya Lake in 2005. Alongside Amaya Lake, the early resort portfolio included Amaya Hills in Kandy and Amaya Langdale in Nuwara Eliya. Hayleys acquired Amaya Leisure PLC on 1 September 2011. The acquisition placed the resort business within one of Sri Lanka’s major diversified corporate groups. In 2012, Amaya added Lake Lodge in Kandalama and discussed a substantial room-expansion program. Its portfolio subsequently developed into a combination of owned resorts, boutique hotels, villas, wellness facilities and properties managed for external owners. The company’s Sri Lankan collection has included Amaya Beach in Pasikudah, Amaya Hills, Amaya Lake, Langdale Boutique Hotel, Oliphant Boutique Villa, The Villas in Wadduwa and Amuna Ayurveda Retreat near Sigiriya. Amuna was designed around a traditional-village concept and incorporated recycled materials, locally produced medicinal ingredients and vegetarian cuisine. The retreat received the Best Wellness Retreat award at the 2017 World Spa Awards. Amaya Langdale was recognized by TripAdvisor in 2014 as one of the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Sri Lanka. Amaya also pursued transactions beyond its core resort portfolio. In 2016, it sold an 84.3 percent interest in The Beach Resorts Limited, which held a freehold property in Wadduwa, in a related-party transaction reported at LKR 330.1 million. That year it also entered the Maldives by acquiring a 51-villa luxury resort for US$23 million. The business was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange on 11 March 1996, and the referenced material identifies Hayleys as its controlling shareholder. The corporate business has been referred to as Hayleys Leisure PLC, while Amaya Resorts & Spas remains the principal hospitality brand name. In 2020, the brand appeared at number 87 in Brand Finance’s ranking of Sri Lanka’s top 100 most valuable brands. In 2021, long-serving director and shareholder Lalin Samarawickrama reportedly disposed of his approximately nine percent holding to Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. Reference material describes nine properties and about 439 rooms, with six properties owned and three managed for third parties. Because property portfolios and operating arrangements can change, the exact current estate and legal structure require verification from current company disclosures.
- 2021
Significant shareholder exits
[1]Lalin Samarawickrama reportedly sold an approximately nine percent holding to Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and left the company.
- 2020
Brand Finance ranking
[1]Amaya Resorts & Spas ranked 87th in Brand Finance’s list of Sri Lanka’s top 100 most valuable brands.
- 2017
Amuna Ayurveda Retreat wins wellness award
[1]Amuna Ayurveda Retreat received the Best Wellness Retreat award at the World Spa Awards.
- 2016
Portfolio restructuring and Maldives expansion
[1]The company sold its majority interest in The Beach Resorts Limited and acquired a 51-villa luxury resort in the Maldives.
- 2014
Amaya Langdale receives TripAdvisor recognition
[1]The boutique hotel was included among TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Sri Lanka.
- 2012
Lake Lodge acquisition
[1]Amaya acquired Lake Lodge in Kandalama and outlined plans for additional room capacity.
- 2011
Hayleys acquires Amaya Leisure
[1]Hayleys acquired the hospitality company and integrated it into the Hayleys Group.
- 2005
Culture Club property rebranded as Amaya Lake
[1]The Kandalama-area hotel was upgraded and adopted the Amaya Lake name.
- 1996
Listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange
[1]The company was listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange on 11 March 1996.
- 1994
First chalet-style hotel is built at Kandalama
[1]The company developed a 106-room chalet-style hotel beside Kandalama Lake, later known as Amaya Lake.
Products and positioning
Sri Lankan destination hospitality combining resort accommodation, boutique stays, scenic locations, cultural experiences and wellness-focused travel.
Resort hotel · 1994
Amaya Lake
A resort beside Kandalama Lake in the Dambulla area. It originated as a 106-room chalet-style hotel developed in 1994, was upgraded to four-star standard and adopted the Amaya Lake name in 2005.
Hill resort
Amaya Hills
A Kandy resort associated with the Amaya portfolio and Sri Lankan hill-country hospitality. The property was formerly known as Le Kandyan and combines resort accommodation with a scenic cultural setting.
Beach resort
Amaya Beach
A beach-oriented Amaya resort in Pasikudah on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast, extending the brand beyond its central highland and cultural-destination properties.
Boutique hotel
Langdale Boutique Hotel
A luxury boutique property in Nuwara Eliya. It was recognized by TripAdvisor in 2014 among the Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Sri Lanka and represents Amaya’s smaller-scale luxury positioning.
Boutique villa
Oliphant Boutique Villa
A boutique villa in Nuwara Eliya included in the Amaya collection, offering a more intimate alternative to the group’s larger resort hotels.
Villa accommodation
The Villas
A Wadduwa property included in Amaya’s boutique collection. It is associated with villa-style accommodation in a coastal destination south of Colombo.
Wellness retreat
Amuna Ayurveda Retreat
An Ayurveda-focused retreat in Kimbissa near Sigiriya. Its design evokes a traditional village and uses recycled materials; the retreat also emphasizes locally produced medicinal oils and vegetarian meals. It won the Best Wellness Retreat award at the 2017 World Spa Awards.
Brand decisions
2016
Sale of The Beach Resorts Limited interestM&ABackground
The Beach Resorts Limited owned a freehold property in Wadduwa.
Action taken
Amaya Leisure sold 84.3 percent of the company to Dhammika Perera in a related-party transaction.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced Amaya’s ownership exposure to the Wadduwa property.
Transaction value. LKR 330.1 million (2016)
2016
Entry into the MaldivesM&ABackground
Amaya pursued regional expansion beyond its Sri Lankan resort base.
Action taken
The company acquired a 51-villa luxury resort in the Maldives.
Aftermath
The acquisition gave Amaya an international resort presence, although later operating details are not established by the supplied material.
Acquisition price. US$23 million (2016)
2012
Acquisition of Lake LodgeM&ABackground
Amaya sought to expand its resort presence in the Kandalama destination.
Action taken
The company acquired Lake Lodge and discussed adding approximately 400 rooms.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened the company’s local resort portfolio, although the referenced material does not confirm completion of the full expansion plan.
2011
Hayleys acquisition of Amaya LeisureM&ABackground
Amaya Leisure operated a small resort portfolio centered on Amaya Lake, Amaya Hills and Amaya Langdale.
Action taken
Hayleys acquired Amaya Leisure PLC on 1 September 2011.
Aftermath
The transaction brought the hospitality business into the Hayleys Group and supported subsequent portfolio expansion.
Sources1 sources
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