Colombo’s Cinnamon Life At City Of Dreams Offers A High-Living Experience To The Modern Traveller

Despite a tumultuous past and economic turmoil, the emerald island of the Indian subcontinent continues to lure travellers of all demographics. Sri Lanka has forever been an exotic destination for travellers and luxury hospitality specialists—from the beaches of Mirissa, tea estates of Nuwara Eliya, forests of Yala National Park or historic Galle, there is much to explore.

However, the first port of call and national capital, Colombo, continues to be an important key to unlocking the wonders of the nation. Of the major hotel openings Sri Lanka saw in 2024, the most talked about is Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams. The brainchild of one of Sri Lanka’s biggest hospitality groups, John Keells Group, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams is by far one of the most ambitious projects that the country has seen. The integrated resort has seen an investment of over USD 1.2 billion intending to become South Asia’s largest entertainment hub with luxury hotels, conferencing facilities, casino, and residential and commercial spaces. The flagship hotel in this complex is Cinnamon Life, one of Sri Lanka’s biggest hotel chains by the John Keells Group, which is already operational. The shopping mall and entertainment areas, including the gaming facility, and the 113-key ultra-luxury Nuwa hotel are scheduled to open in mid-2025.

Design On Mind

The futuristic expanse of concrete and glass, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams stands tall in the heart of Colombo, overlooking the great Indian Ocean, on the banks of Beira Lake. The structure was designed by the legendary British Sri Lankan architect, Cecil Balmond who was inspired by the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and its structures. The building itself represents a moonstone in addition to being the modern and future-forward Sri Lanka while staying true to the cultural heritage. A theme that is ingrained in Cinnamon Life’s philosophy.

The 687-room property boasts a living gallery featuring more than 1000 commissioned art pieces and installations by renowned Sri Lankan artists. These artworks can easily be spotted in public spaces, common floors and conferencing facilities. There are also artists’ residencies and spotlights planned at Cinnamon Life. The first Artist Spotlight features award-winning Sri Lankan artist Kingsley Gunatillake; some of his best artwork and installations are on display throughout the property.

Wedding Vows

The scale and importance of architecture are best understood in the cantilever ballrooms that jut out from the main structure and look almost extraterrestrial. Both these flagship event spaces overlook the Indian Ocean and Beira Lake, on the banks of which Cinnamon Life stands. These two spaces are expected to lure couples who want a modern-day destination wedding.

One of the two cantilever ballrooms, Cumulus, features a bespoke ceiling made of Lux Light Cloud to give an illusion of drifting clouds.

Apart from the two cantilever banquet venues, there are three other ballrooms and three outdoor event spaces. In total, the hotel has 60,000 sq ft of space that can be configured as per event scale and requirements including can host over 5,000 guests.

Contemporary Creature Comforts

The 687 rooms at Cinnamon Life are split into five categories—Premier Life Cityscape rooms, Premier Life Oceanfront rooms, Oceanscape suites and Skyline suites. All stacked with state-of-the-art amenities and creature comforts, these rooms offer a quiet reprieve from the magnanimity and the hustle and bustle of the hotel and the integrated resort experiences.

These rooms have a contemporary design ethos that is generously sprinkled with local flavours such as the colourful tuk-tuks embroidered on the bathrobes and the unique Sri Lankan artwork on each room. More importantly, with an ocean-facing room or suite, there is a sense of serenity that overcomes you as wake up with a breathtaking view of the Indian Ocean.

The Pool Bar, Dreams & Beats, and Infinity Pool Lounge are the best places to appreciate the glory of a sunset on the distant horizon of the sea. A sundowner here is yet another great way to momentarily dissociate and relax—best done with a refreshing cocktail in hand.

Gourmet Extravaganza

A key highlight and draw of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams is the 12 restaurants and bars. Each of these dining spaces offers a different dining experience—it will be a challenge to be bored of eating out at Cinnamon Life. While some of the speciality cuisine restaurant openings have been staggered to keep the conversation going about the property—this includes Indian, Japanese and Chinese restaurants—the all-day dining restaurant, Quizine; American Steakhouse, Staten; dessert bar, Sweet Lab and French café-style restaurant, Bistro are already keeping in-house guests and diners excited.

To best appreciate the hotel’s focus on the beverage programme, Cloud Wine, the wine bar and Gatz, the Champagne and the cocktail bar are must-visits. The wine list for the hotel has been carefully selected by sommelier, Wellington Muromba, to showcase the best of new-world and old-world winemaking heritage and to pair impeccably with whatever meal you choose to eat at Cinnamon Life. The cocktails too have had a lot of thought given with a focus on staying true to their roots but adding a little local (or speciality) flair—but for perfect classic cocktails, Gatz is the place to be.

The long-term vision for Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams is to be the hub for entertainment, art, music, fashion, and culinary exploration that draws people from the world over. A task that does not pose a challenge based on the international tourist numbers in Sri Lanka—approximately 1.9 million tourists came to the country between January – November 2024, according to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, a whopping 56% increase in annual tourism figures.