W15 Hanthana Estate and W15 Ambuluwawa honoured at the 33rd annual World Travel Awards in the Maldives
Sri Lanka’s emerging luxury boutique hospitality sector has received a significant international endorsement, with W15 Hanthana Estate and W15 Ambuluwawa of the W15 Collection receiving recognition at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2026.
The recognition was presented at the 33rd annual World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony, held at CROSSROADS Maldives on 27 September 2026. The event brought together senior figures from the international travel and tourism industry to celebrate excellence across the region.
A milestone for W15 Collection
Receiving the awards on behalf of W15 was Hardy Jamaldeen, Chairman of W15 Collection, marking a significant moment for the brand and its ambition to establish Sri Lankan boutique hospitality as a globally recognised proposition.
For Jamaldeen, the recognition represents more than an accolade for two individual properties.
“This recognition is a tremendous honour for W15 Collection and, most importantly, for the people behind these properties. Hanthana and Ambuluwawa are very different experiences, but both are rooted in what makes Sri Lanka extraordinary — our landscapes, heritage, culture and genuine hospitality.”
He added that the recognition reinforces W15’s philosophy of creating smaller, highly individualised properties rather than conventional hotel products, with each destination designed around its own sense of place.
W15 Hanthana Estate – heritage and highland luxury
Set amongst the tea country of Kandy, W15 Hanthana Estate is a restored tea estate bungalow that combines colonial-era character with contemporary luxury.
The property sits within the Hanthana landscape, surrounded by forests, tea valleys and mountain views, while remaining approximately 15 minutes from Kandy city. Its accommodation includes the original Stable Suite, Bungalow Suites and Executive Suites, complemented by curated experiences ranging from guided mountain walks and birdwatching to tea-estate excursions and traditional Sri Lankan cuisine.
Hanthana has previously represented W15 on the international boutique-hotel stage, having been nominated for the 2025 Asia’s Leading Luxury Boutique Hotel category at the World Travel Awards.
The property was also among the nominees for Sri Lanka’s Leading Luxury Boutique Hotel 2026, reflecting its growing international profile.
W15 Ambuluwawa – a distinctive new destination
W15 Ambuluwawa offers a markedly different proposition, positioned near the iconic Ambuluwawa Tower in Gampola and built around the dramatic landscape of Sri Lanka’s central highlands.
The property forms part of W15’s broader strategy of creating distinctive hospitality experiences in locations that possess a strong geographical and cultural identity. W15 Ambuluwawa combines accommodation and dining with access to one of Sri Lanka’s most recognisable hill-country attractions.
W15 Ambuluwawa was also nominated for Sri Lanka’s Leading Boutique Hotel 2026 at the World Travel Awards.
Recognition from one of travel’s best-known awards
Established more than three decades ago, the World Travel Awards describes its purpose as recognising, rewarding and celebrating excellence across the global travel and tourism industry. The 2026 Indian Ocean programme included leading international hotel groups, resorts, destinations, airlines and tourism organisations.
The scale of the programme places W15’s recognition alongside some of the world’s most established luxury hospitality brands and destinations, providing valuable international visibility for both the properties and Sri Lanka as a destination.
For W15 Collection, the achievement also comes as the brand continues to expand its portfolio across Sri Lanka — from the southern coastline and Colombo to the central highlands — with a focus on creating individual properties that reflect their surroundings rather than applying a standardised hotel model.
Building a Sri Lankan luxury hospitality brand
Jamaldeen said the achievement would encourage W15 to continue investing in distinctive Sri Lankan hospitality.
“Our objective has always been to build a Sri Lankan hospitality brand that can stand confidently alongside international names while remaining deeply connected to the character of the island. These awards give our team enormous pride and reinforce our belief that Sri Lanka has the talent, locations and stories to create truly world-class boutique hospitality.”
The dual recognition of W15 Hanthana Estate and W15 Ambuluwawa therefore represents not only an achievement for two individual properties, but another step in the development of W15 Collection as a Sri Lankan luxury hospitality brand with an increasingly international profile.
W15 Collection currently spans a portfolio of boutique hospitality experiences across Sri Lanka, encompassing coastal, hill-country and urban destinations.
Source: World Travel Awards and W15 Collection.