Jetwing Lagoon Wellness.

Between the ocean and a vast coastal lagoon on Sri Lanka’s west coast lies a hotel with serious architectural pedigree.

Jetwing Lagoon Wellness is the legend of 20th-century architecture you’ve never heard of. Opening as The Blue Lagoon in 1966, it was the first hotel designed by Geoffrey Bawa and the first ‘modern’ hotel constructed in Sri Lanka—a seminal moment in the development of tropical modernism that, as a movement, might look different today had it been born anywhere else.

Set on seven dreamy acres between the Indian Ocean and Negombo Lagoon, the hotel boasts a ripper of a setting, too. It’s a 15-minute tuk-tuk ride into the vibrant centre of Negombo (a major fishing port known as ‘Little Rome’ thanks to its wealth of cathedral-sized churches) and just half an hour to Bandaranaike International Airport, making this low-slung beauty the perfect spot to start or finish your Sri Lankan sojourn.

Style.

Geoffrey Bawa is often described as the father of tropical modernism, although it’s too reductive a term for the nuanced sophistication of his work. Fusing vernacular architecture, Dutch and British colonial influences and the simplified lines of modernism, he created a new design language at once gentle and cutting edge, with an emphasis on natural ventilation and environmental harmony.

In the realm of hotel design, few architects have been so influential. His 35 hotel designs, of which 20 were built, have influenced some of the greatest hotels around the equator, from The Datai to various outposts of Aman, Capella and Banyan Tree. Aman founder Adrian Zecha even went as far as describing Bawa’s country house, Lunuganga, as the ultimate Aman.

At this, his first hotel, chunky white pyramidal columns support a pitched roof in terracotta tiles, forming an open-air reception that must have been quite the sight when the hotel opened in 1966. Rooms flank a giant lawn leading down to a second open-air pavilion, the restaurant and lagoon just beyond. Interiors sport a palette of white plaster, timber and terracotta, earthy and elegant. Bawa’s landscaping remains a hallmark of the property, with frangipani, ficus and yellow flame trees amongst a jungle of edible plants, many of which make their way onto the menu. Between the generous scale, breezy architecture and abundance of tropical vegetation, Jetwing Lagoon captures Bawa’s core philosophy beautifully, blurring the lines between inside and out.

Story.

With the arrival of the jet plane came a new form of package tourism and lovely Ceylon, as it was previously known, packed a lot of punch. From cuisine and ancient culture to nature, wildlife and beaches to die for, the island had it all. It was affordable, peaceful and safe—at least in the early days—and much of the population spoke English. Just one thing was missing: modern accommodation.

Apart from a handful of colonial-era properties such as Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, travellers had to rely on a network of government rest houses—basic but often charming digs in lovely locations. The typical rest house comprised a line of rooms, each with its own veranda and bathroom, connected by a covered walkway to a central loggia and dining room—a template-to-be for Geoffrey Bawa.

He produced designs for several hotel projects in the early 1960’s that failed to get off the ground, although the experience allowed for a rich exploration of ideas—ideas that finally bore fruit in 1965, when hotelier G.E.B. Milhausen commissioned Bawa to design and build The Blue Lagoon. Constructed on a narrow spit across Negombo Lagoon from Colombo International Airport, it was the island’s first purpose-built tourist hotel, a contemporary and more lavishly proportioned take on the traditional rest house.

Trailblazing and lovely, yes, but commercially successful The Blue Lagoon was not. “Although it was set in an ideal location and became a popular destination for day trippers from Colombo,” writes Bawa scholar David Robson, “the hotel eventually failed, mainly because it was too small for package tours.”

The remedy came a half century later when, in 2009, Sri Lankan hotel group Jetwing acquired The Blue Lagoon. Following a three-year renovation, the property reopened as Jetwing Lagoon Wellness. 25 rooms were added, as well as a spa and 100-metre swimming pool (the longest in Sri Lanka), under the watchful eye of Bawa protege Vinod Jayasinghe. Changes being made to such an architecturally significant property might seem like a difficult pill to swallow, but Jayasinghe’s additions blend seamlessly into the original design. 

Suites.

This is where Bawa shines. From the standard Luxury Room (63m2) to the expansive Lagoon Suite (118m2), guest rooms are generously proportioned, pared-back havens of calm. After an 11-hour flight from Sydney, my Luxury Room with Terrace (72m2) felt like the perfectly formed space for the tropics, with a lofty raked ceiling and the cool touch of waxed terracotta floor tiles underfoot. A sleek timber desk sits behind a king-size bed, flanked by wonderfully simple table lamps with coolie shades. A pair of Anglo-Ceylonese armchairs face a long window seat overlooking the garden, giving the space sculptural curves. To the side, a panel of fabric above the sofa recalls Bawa’s longtime collaboration with Barbara Sansoni and Ena Da Silva, the two great mavens of Sri Lankan textiles.

A highlight is the indoor-outdoor bathroom, a concept we associate with Balinese resorts from the 1970’s onwards, that was in fact pioneered at The Blue Lagoon. With a freestanding tub, separate rain shower, zen garden beds and an Anglo-Indian daybed—in a space as large as the bedroom—bathing becomes a ritual of tropical pleasure.

Spaces.

The 100-metre-long swimming pool is flanked by lawn and towering palm trees on one side and the Prana Wellness Centre on the other. A keystone of Jetwing Lagoon, the centre features treatment rooms and a gym, alongside Ayurvedic doctors and an array of therapists, including the highly intuitive Insam, a visually impaired masseur.

Paths lead down to the dining pavilion, also home to a bar, library and yoga hall, morning and evening classes included in the stay. Meals are healthy and delicious, with plant-based whole foods, lean meat and fabulous seafood, much of which was just caught in the lagoon. Start the day with detox smoothies and wellness elixirs and finish in a deck chair on the lawn—Ayurvedic cocktail in hand—under the branches of an ancient yellow flame tree as the sun sets across the water.

The really great thing about Jetwing Lagoon is the scale. Even if the hotel was running at 100% occupancy, there’s so much space you wouldn’t notice—a rare luxury today.

Service.

You’d be hard pressed to encounter bad service anywhere in Sri Lanka and Jetwing Lagoon Wellness is no exception. From the super-charming housekeeping staff to smiling gardeners and general manager Romello, who gave me a marvellous tour of the garden explaining which plants are edible and which are used in Ayurvedic medicine, you’ll receive a level of care that’s usually the domain of more expensive hotels. Don’t miss morning and evening yoga—the guru-like instructor will have you relaxed and nimble in an instant.

Sustainability.

Jetwing Lagoon integrates sustainability into all aspects of its operation, featuring Sri Lanka’s first vapor absorption chiller, a biomass boiler using sustainably harvested cinnamon wood and a 270 kW solar PV system. Hot water is provided entirely through renewable energy and treated wastewater is reused for gardens and cooling systems. Drinking water is provided in refillable glass bottles, fruit and vegetables come from an organic garden and food waste is used for compost. The hotel also nurtures the local community through the Jetwing Youth Development Programme, providing free hospitality training and career opportunities. Bawa would have been proud.

Spend.

Rooms from USD150 including taxes and breakfast.

To book a room at Jetwing Lagoon Wellness, go to jetwinghotels.com.

Photography: Jason Mowen.