News & market updates

Akash Rajapaksha of Cinnamon Lakeside was crowned winner of Bar Champs 2025 at The Hotel Show Colombo. The island-wide bartending competition, powered by Rockland Distilleries, featured six finalists and showcased hospitality talent across Sri Lanka.

Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams (John Keells Hotels) will host the SCY Awards 2025, India’s first international creator fest, alongside the grand opening of City of Dreams Sri Lanka in Colombo. The event, organised by Gold Coast Films, invites global digital creators and includes a 'Life in the Sky' photo award.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts (John Keells Hotels) won the PATA Gold Award 2025 for Best Ecosystem & Wildlife Conservation for its Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project. The 59-acre project has planted 22,797 native trees (85–90% survival), recorded 251 fauna species including 54 endemics, and supports Cinnamon's 2030 sustainability goals.

Chandana Amaradasa was elected President of the Australia-New Zealand Business Council (SLANZBC) and urged Australian and New Zealand investment to expand Sri Lanka's tourism capacity, noting only ~9,500 of ~50,000 rooms are 4- and 5-star. Panelists also flagged raising digital economy contribution to 15% of GDP by 2030 and boosting NZ arrivals from 10,000 to 50,000.

Chandana Amaradasa was elected president of the Australia-New Zealand Business Council and urged ANZ investment to expand Sri Lanka's tourism capacity; New Zealand plans to boost arrivals from 10,000 to 50,000 and the government aims to lift the digital economy to 15% of GDP by 2030.

John Keells Holdings (JKH.N0000) and Melco opened NÜWA at City of Dreams Sri Lanka, a 113-room ultra-luxury hotel within a USD 1.3bn integrated resort. The development includes residences, offices, retail and a casino and is expected to create over 20,000 jobs.

John Keells Holdings' City of Dreams Sri Lanka will officially open on 2 August with Hrithik Roshan attending; the integrated resort represents a private-sector investment exceeding $1.2 billion.

John Keells Holdings' City of Dreams Sri Lanka will officially open on August 2, with Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan attending. The USD 1.2bn+ integrated resort includes the Nüwa hotel complex and a major shopping mall, positioned as South Asia’s first fully integrated resort.

John Keells Hotels' Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts will stage the inaugural Sri Lanka Wildlife Festival in London from 15–17 July 2025, featuring a curated exhibition of 65 wildlife images and expert-led sessions to promote Sri Lanka as a wildlife tourism destination. The event is partnered with Cinnamon Nature Trails, the Wilderness and Wildlife Foundation and the Sri Lanka High Commission to target eco-conscious travellers and industry partners.

John Keells Hotels' Cinnamon Life will host Karma Fight League’s KFL 005 on July 25 at the Lumina Ballroom in a strategic venue and hospitality partnership, supporting rising sports tourism demand in Colombo.

Skal International Colombo will host the 54th Asia Congress in Colombo from 26-28 June, welcoming over 200 delegates; Taj Samudra is the main venue and Cinnamon Grand is a partner hotel. Aitken Spence Travels is the official ground-handling partner and SriLankan Airlines the official carrier.

John Keells Hotels and Melco Resorts will begin operations of the City of Dreams Sri Lanka casino and the Nuwa hotel in Colombo on August 2. The US$1.2bn integrated resort adds a 113-room Nuwa to the existing 687-room Cinnamon Life and is expected to boost tourism and FX earnings, JKH said.

Hosking Partners says it invested tens of millions of USD in Sri Lankan equities in 2023, buying stocks such as Aitken Spence, John Keells, Dialog and others at deep discounts after the CSE market-cap fell to about $9bn (~70% USD decline). They point to rupee-driven inflation, 30% interest rates and a tourism-led recovery as key drivers.

Sri Lanka Tourism hosted a 10-day Familiarization Tour for ten leading Australian travel agents, with Aitken Spence Travels providing transport and five-star accommodation and a B2B session held at Cinnamon Life Hotel; Australian arrivals stood at 47,603 to 18 June 2025.

John Keells Holdings said Melco is expected to open the City of Dreams casino in Colombo in August as Sri Lanka tabled a bill to create a Gambling Regulatory Authority to regulate physical/online casinos and license junket operators.

ASPI rose 0.9% to lift its YTD return to 10.74% as turnover reached Rs.5.68 billion led by LVEF (Rs.500m), RCL (Rs.304m) and TILE (Rs.269m), with banking and capital‑goods/construction counters among the session’s key drivers.

Cinnamon Life was ranked No. 2 in LMD’s New Brands Annual 2025, marking strong consumer recognition for the development as a lifestyle and hospitality brand in Colombo.

Cinnamon Life (John Keells group) will host 'Retro Throwback with Dad' at GATZ on 14 June 2025 with live music, DJ sets, themed cocktails, dining packages (Rs.9,500–15,000), bottle discounts and restaurant offers across the complex.

Savin Edirisinghe won the 32nd Gratiaen Prize and Priyangwada Perera won the H.A.I. Goonetileke Prize, announced by the Gratiaen Trust in association with John Keells Foundation at Cinnamon Life City of Dreams. John Keells Foundation (the group's CSR arm) and Cinnamon Life were event partners.

Director Deepa Mehta will film her new Sherlock Holmes-inspired comedy 'Sher' in Sri Lanka using Cinnamon Hotels properties (including Cinnamon Life and Cinnamon Bentota) and Nuwara Eliya; casting begins July 2025 with principal photography later in 2025 and a late-2026 target release.

Dividend · Rs 0.10 · XD Jun 5, 2025

Final dividend of LKR 0.1/share; XD 2025-06-05; record 2025-06-05; payable 2025-06-25; FY 2024-25

Cinnamon Life announced an Artist Spotlight featuring contemporary artist Firi Rahman and named Sanjiv Hulugalle as its new CEO & General Manager. The property houses over 1,000 commissioned artworks integrated across the hotel, restaurants and public spaces.

Gatz at Cinnamon Life (part of the John Keells hotels group) is now offering High Tea every Thursday–Saturday from 3:00–6:00 PM. The three-tier menu features cold, warm and sweet items with vegetarian options and drinks; the venue shifts to a cocktail-focused Golden Hour from 6:00–8:00 PM.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts will host Oscar‑nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta for a 'Signature Weekend' on 31 May and 1 June at Cinnamon Bentota Beach – Signature Selection and Cinnamon Life; single screening tickets are Rs.10,000 with stay packages from Rs.75,000.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts will host Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta for a 'Signature Weekend' on 31 May–1 June 2025 at Cinnamon Bentota Beach and Cinnamon Life, featuring screenings of Midnight’s Children, Water and Funny Boy; tickets/packages start at LKR 10,000.

Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams hosted DWP Privé from Apr 9–11, 2025 with 100 top planners and 50 global suppliers, underscoring the venue’s strength for luxury weddings and MICE and supporting prospects for John Keells Hotels (KHL.N0000) and parent John Keells Holdings (JKH.N0000).

Sri Lanka launched the UAE chapter of the Sri Lanka Conference Ambassador Programme on 29 April 2025 to promote MICE events and attract international conferences to Sri Lanka, boosting demand prospects for local hotel operators and Cinnamon Life’s 160,000+ sq ft MICE space. Ten ambassadors were appointed for 2025/2026.

The Sri Lanka–Italy Business Council and the Italian Embassy hosted a workshop on 'Winning & Retaining Italian Tourists' to discuss Italian traveller preferences and strategies to boost arrivals. Industry leaders and Italian agents discussed personalised itineraries, language issues and service standards to improve Sri Lanka's competitiveness.

John Keells Hotels' Cinnamon Bentota Beach Signature Selection hosted Sinhala & Tamil New Year celebrations, attracting international guests with traditional games and a lavish Awurudhu buffet.

Cinnamon Grand Colombo (John Keells Hotels) will host FitCon Sri Lanka 2025 on May 3, a full-day fitness, wellness and lifestyle expo featuring over 50 wellness brands, curated zones, a sunrise duathlon and a vendor showcase.