The lobby at Dwell in Colombo,Sri Lanka.Credit:Eresh Weerasuriya
There are flamingoes in my room,pink of course,flying across a beige wall behind my bed. I'm not dreaming. And I'm not surprised – not after seeing a fully grown tree in the high-ceilinged lobby,elephants and monkeys almost leaping out of a massive jungle mural behind the front desk,vertical gardens and pot plants galore – but it's refreshing to see natural touches like these in Colombo,Sri Lanka's otherwise chaotic capital.
Welcome to Dwell,Sri Lanka's first Japanese hotel,which opened in March.
Arriving late one afternoon,I'm met by smiling Sri Lankan staff members wearing striped Japanese Uniqlo tops and straw hats,the Dwell uniform,who usher me to the elevator and up to reception on the top floor,level 7. Putting reception on the top floor makes penthouse views available to all guests and is an innovation popping up in hotels all over the world.
The pool at Dwell.Credit:Eresh Weerasuriya
There,I find another jungle mural,also created by Tokyo-based Russian artist Karina Eibatova,who studied Sri Lanka's native animals and plants to make her paintings as realistic as possible. Checking in,I feel a warm sea breeze and can see the Indian Ocean,a block away,through wide open windows.
Next to reception is a library with books on architecture and sustainable living as well as classics by Melville and Austen,which guests can take to their rooms or read at the timber-slab table. There is also a small shop showcasing organic,natural products made in Sri Lanka,such as teas and T-shirts. Along the corridor there's a 14-metre swimming pool and a rooftop bar with 360-degree city views.
The second thing I notice about my Ocean View room on level 6,after the wall-to-wall flamingoes (other rooms feature mermaids,figs or elephants),is that it lives up to its name. There's no ocean breeze,however;the windows are sealed shut,but that's probably a good thing with Galle Road's four-lanes of traffic just outside.
A room at Dwell in Colombo,Sri Lanka.Credit:Eresh Weerasuriya
It's all perfectly comfortable. There's a king bed,a rainwater shower head and Dwell-branded toiletries,a bathrobe and slippers,a kettle,a desk and a TV with (free) movie channels. A compendium on a clipboard recommends,in hip typography,Colombo's best cafes and restaurants. Thoughtful,touches include universal power points (no need for adapters) and a"take me home"card for each guest,which bears the hotel's address in Sinhalese,to be shown to tuk-tuk and taxi drivers.