COLOMBO, SRI LANKA—In Sri Lanka, there’s beauty everywhere you look. Amid the verdant tea gardens, sacred Buddhist temples, lush wetlands and alluring beaches sits Galle Face Hotel, a place so majestic you won’t soon forget it.
Rathnayaka Mudiyanselage Punchi Banda, a longtime doorman here, knows this all to well as he has observed many travelers—including notables Indira Gandhi and Fidel Castro—as they’ve come through the doors of this 150-year-old waterfront property. With 50 years of service under his belt—a significant milestone—Banda has been a big part of the hotel’s past and plans to be a part of its future as well.
“I’m 71 years old and I have no plans to retire soon. My mentor, Kottarappu Chattu Kuttan, worked at the hotel until his passing in 2014. He was 94 years old and worked at the hotel for 72 years,” Banda said.
Banda’s career in hospitality began at the age of 21 when he left his rural village in Hakgala for the bustling city of Colombo in search of employment. While living in a boarding house, he met one of the men who would have an influence on his life and career.
“His name was Shelton Wijeyeratne and he lived nearby and worked as the bar manager, at that time, for the Galle Face Hotel. He used to come by the boarding house and we’d all play boardgames. We quickly became friends and he asked me to come and work for him. I was working at a brewery, but took the job. I would work at the brewery for eight hours and then start work at the hotel from 4 p.m. to midnight. Shelton saw something in me. He saw that I needed to be in hospitality and meeting people, not behind the scenes, and he helped me get there,” Banda said. “Coming from a rural area to Colombo was a big change for me. It was so busy and everyone was in such a rush. I remember when I first saw the property, I had never seen anything like it. It was so big and beautiful, and I was proud to be a part of it when I did join the team there.”
Much has changed in the five decades since he began working at the hotel, including the types of travelers visiting the country and seeking accommodations. Fifty years ago, the main clientele were comprised of foreigners working at the tea plantations—not the physical laborers, but the management, according to Banda.
“They’d show up on Friday with their families in tow and stay the weekend. There were only three hotels in Colombo then: Galle Face Hotel, Mount Lavinia and the Grand Oriental Hotel. We had a saltwater pool and are located right on the water’s edge. That’s why they chose us,” Banda said. “Today, guests come for the hotel’s history as well as its location. In the past, our guests were mainly British, but now they visit from everywhere: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, America, Russia and the list goes on.”
What does he love most about working in the hospitality industry? It’s the ability to meet diverse people from many different cultures and, as a result of this experience, he’s learned a few things along the way.
“I’ve come to understand how to greet people in different ways. For example, when I should extend a hand or when I should bow. I see this makes them happy and, in turn, it makes me happy. My life is joyful and I want to share this joy with each guest,” he said.
Of the many roles he’s held at the hotel, including bar staff and security, it is the role of doorman that is the most satisfying because of the people he encounters each day. The opportunity to meet dignitaries and celebrities is an added perk of the job.
“I’ve meet many famous people over the years. One memory I have is of M.G. Ramachandran, a famous Tamil actor, who visited the hotel. Once, when he was here, it felt like the whole Tamil community had shown up on the Galle Face Green in front of the hotel in order to try see him. He came out to wave and they stampeded the place. They actually broke the wall around the hotel as they charged excitedly at him. It was quite a short wall and we had to rebuild it. The next time around, we built it higher,” he said. “Fidel Castro, Indira Gandhi and Marshal Tito all stayed at the hotel at the same time. It was such an amazing experience to have them all here. What was special, though, was despite their status, they were kind and shared sincere words with me.”
According to Banda, his greatest achievement is being able to provide for his family, including a son and daughter, through his work at the Galle Face Hotel. Looking back over the years with gratitude, he shared, “I’ve had a good life because I’ve worked here. The reason I’ve stayed so long really is the leadership. I’ve been well-looked after and I’ve never had a dull or bad moment. I feel that things need to work both ways and if you have a good employer, it’s your duty to reciprocate and be a good employee. I’ve always felt that there has been good communication from the chairman and communication from leadership is crucial to a hotel’s success.”
—Corris Little