A new Era of luxury: Inside the launch of City of Dreams Sri Lanka with Krishan Balendra and Lawrence Ho

With the grand unveiling of City of Dreams Sri Lanka on August 2, 2025, South Asia has officially welcomed its first integrated resort. Set against the stunning waterfront of Colombo, this landmark destination is poised to redefine luxury, entertainment, and hospitality in the region. A joint venture between Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings and global entertainment giant Melco Resorts & Entertainment, the project is a testament to a shared, ambitious vision.

The sprawling complex features an 800-room luxury hotel, a state-of-the-art casino operated by Melco, a premium shopping promenade, and a curated collection of signature dining experiences. It also boasts expansive MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities designed for global business events. The accommodation includes the 687-key Cinnamon Life hotel and the introduction of Melco’s flagship ultra luxury brand with the 113-key Nüwa hotel.

On the eve of the launch, we sat down with Krishan Balendra, Chairman and CEO of John Keells Holdings, and Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, to discuss the inspiration behind this monumental project, the power of their partnership, and their vision for the future of tourism in Sri Lanka.

What inspired you to take on a project of this scale and ambition?

Krishan Balendra: "We started building 11 years ago, and we conceptualised this a few years after the war ended in Sri Lanka." "We could see the huge opportunity for tourism." We had two hotels in Colombo which were the two biggest hotels, Cinnamon Grand and Cinnamon Lakeside, and we knew that Colombo didn't have a venue for big events, conferences, weddings out of India. "And we could also see looking around the region where there were a few integrated resorts like in Manila and Singapore and Macau, how well they were doing. And we knew that in South Asia, in India and the rest of South Asia, you didn't have an integrated resort. So we thought we'll add to Colombo the facilities for big events, conferences like Marina Bay Sands, and also bring in the gaming element."

Lawrence Ho: "We first came to Sri Lanka in 2013, and we were looking around. Of course, the whole, you know, the horizon looked different at that point; none of these buildings were there. I think it was at that point that we met the John Keells group. When I saw the design of this, I was like, 'Yeah, that's never going to happen. It's impossible.' Especially back in the day, in Sri Lanka, none of these buildings were there. To have this vision. But then, of course, we were very lucky, post-COVID, post some of the issues that the country suffered through, we came back and then we saw the building was 90% built at that point, so we were extremely impressed."

This project is a significant partnership. How did this collaboration come about?

Krishan Balendra: "Gaming was not a business that we knew, and that's where Lawrence and Melco fitted in. We wanted to bring in a best in class operator and partner for the project to bring that element here."

Lawrence Ho: "What is always very important to us whenever we get into a market is to have the best partner there. And, you know, hands down without a doubt... John Keells Holdings is by far and away the best partner. We have similar philosophies in terms of how we treat our colleagues, in terms of understanding hospitality and trying to do really something great for the country."

What does this property signify for Sri Lanka’s position on the global tourism map?

Krishan Balendra: "The big opportunity for Sri Lanka is really outbound tourism from India. It's grown exponentially in the last 10 years. It's the biggest market into Sri Lanka right now, it's about 20% of all arrivals into Sri Lanka, but still it's a small number. This year we may get close to 500,000 Indian nationals travelling to Sri Lanka, but that should be substantially higher. And we think that this kind of property will help to attract more people from India in particular, but not just India, from the rest of South Asia and from the Middle East and Southeast Asia." "This is just early days for tourism in Sri Lanka, but a project like this, I think will really help to drive that tourism growth."

Lawrence Ho: "This is the first and only integrated resort in South Asia. Because South Asia really doesn't have an integrated resort. Whether it's India and Goa, or the facilities here, they're not integrated resorts... they're very traditional, 30-year-old casinos. There's nothing like it in South Asia. I think that's why we were so attracted." "Yes, you know, Singapore has Marina Bay Sands, Macau has a lot of integrated resorts, but within this region, being as close to India and the 1.4 billion people, it just simply doesn't exist."

You have two distinct hotel brands on one property. How do Nüwa and Cinnamon Life cater to different travellers?

Krishan Balendra: "Nüwa is their high-end hotel brand. It's only 113 rooms, so that will be mainly for their higher end customers who come for the gaming experience and others as well. We will be almost like in two different segments, and it's not... 113 rooms compared to Cinnamon Life which has 687 rooms. So they will focus on an even more exclusive experience."

Lawrence Ho: "Everywhere we've had Nüwa globally, so in Macau, Manila, we've been very fortunate to have the Forbes Travel Guide five-star rating, which is the highest tier. So I think the goal is to really fill that with high end players and also for travellers from our part of the world, Southeast Asia or in Greater China who know the Nüwa brand."

What have been some of the key learnings from this international partnership?

Lawrence Ho: "Every new market we get into, there is always learning. I would say this is quite similar to when we opened in Cyprus two years ago; it was a brand-new industry. Yes, there has been casino gaming in Sri Lanka for many years, but nothing of this magnitude. This is a real integrated resort. It's how do we blend what are the best international practices with what works locally as well."

Krishan Balendra: "We handed over a shell to the Melco team about a year back, and most experts in Sri Lanka said they will never fit this out and be ready on the 1st of August. But we learned from Melco how to execute a fit out and equipping in record time. Very impressive. They brought in the resources... and they got the job done and they kept their commitment." "Generally, I think there's a lot we have in common, which is good, very professional business practices. And that's important in a partnership, that you have a meeting of minds because it's a long-term partnership. The way we work is very similar, so that helps."

Finally, with 17 restaurants on the property, do you have a personal favourite?

Krishan Balendra: "I like Staten here, because simply because I like steaks and it's the best steaks in the city."

Lawrence Ho: "It's a tough choice. Staten's good, the Japanese is really good... I'm a foodie, so I like everything. The team have done a great job. It's hard to pick. It's like asking me to pick a favourite child."