City of Dreams Sri Lanka Wins Asia’s Leading New Resort and Sri Lanka’s Leading Luxury Resort at the World Travel Awards 2026

Representatives receive World Travel Awards trophies. Photograph: Lanka Business News.

City of Dreams Sri Lanka has marked a significant milestone in its first year of operation by earning two titles at the World Travel Awards 2026: Asia’s Leading New Resort 2026 and Sri Lanka’s Leading Luxury Resort 2026.

The double recognition, reported by Lanka Business News, places the Colombo property on both the regional and national hospitality map, reinforcing its emergence as a new destination within Asia’s luxury tourism landscape while highlighting the growing depth and sophistication of Sri Lanka’s premium hospitality offering.

The awards are significant because they recognise two distinct dimensions of the property’s development. The Asia’s Leading New Resort title acknowledges City of Dreams Sri Lanka’s early establishment within a highly competitive regional market, while the Sri Lanka’s Leading Luxury Resort accolade reflects the country’s expanding capacity to deliver sophisticated, internationally positioned hospitality experiences.

A new integrated destination in Colombo

City of Dreams Sri Lanka is described as South Asia’s first fully integrated resort, bringing luxury accommodation, dining, entertainment, wellness, retail, business and events together within a single destination in the heart of Colombo.

The development is anchored by Nüwa, its ultra-luxury hotel, and Cinnamon Life, with the combined destination designed to offer guests a seamless spectrum of experiences. Its positioning reflects a contemporary hospitality model in which accommodation, leisure, dining, corporate gatherings and special events are connected rather than delivered as separate offerings.

AI-generated illustration based on the resort’s integrated luxury hospitality concept. The image is illustrative and does not depict the property directly.

For Sri Lanka, this model represents an important development in the evolution of Colombo’s premium visitor economy. A major integrated resort can serve several audiences at once, including international leisure travellers, business visitors, corporate groups, wedding parties, conference delegates and Sri Lankan families seeking a high-end city experience.

The destination has been developed to combine international standards of hospitality with the distinctive character and warmth of Sri Lanka. That balance remains important in a competitive regional market, where visitors increasingly seek both consistency of service and a meaningful sense of place.

Recognition during the resort’s first year

The World Travel Awards recognition arrives as City of Dreams Sri Lanka completes its first year of operation, a period during which the property has introduced new accommodation, dining and entertainment experiences, alongside an expanding calendar of international events.

The awards therefore represent more than a ceremonial achievement. They provide an early industry benchmark for a new property that is still establishing its identity, developing its operating rhythm and building long-term relationships with guests, event organisers and commercial partners.

According to the World Travel Awards’ official category page for Asia’s Leading New Resort 2026, the title places City of Dreams Sri Lanka among the leading new hospitality developments recognised across the region. The property was also listed as the winner of Sri Lanka’s Leading Luxury Resort 2026.

Together, these honours strengthen the property’s profile as Colombo continues to develop its role as a destination for premium leisure, business and international events. The recognition may also support the city’s ability to compete with established luxury destinations across South and Southeast Asia, particularly as travellers and event planners assess the combination of accommodation, venues, restaurants and entertainment available within one location.

Michael Habashi highlights the people behind the achievement

Michael Habashi, Vice President and Property General Manager, City of Dreams Sri Lanka, attributed the recognition to the commitment of the resort’s colleagues and to its broader ambition for luxury hospitality in Sri Lanka.

> “We are deeply honoured to receive these two World Travel Awards in our first year. They represent an important milestone for City of Dreams Sri Lanka, but more importantly, they are a reflection of the passion, commitment and attention to detail demonstrated by our colleagues every day. We set out to create a destination that would bring a new dimension to luxury hospitality and integrated resort experiences in Sri Lanka, and this recognition gives us confidence as we continue that journey. Our ambition is not simply to build on what we have achieved, but to keep raising the bar, creating experiences that resonate with our guests and contributing meaningfully to Sri Lanka’s position as a leading destination in the region.”

The statement places emphasis on the operational foundations of the award, including service consistency, attention to detail and the contribution of employees across the property. In luxury hospitality, such elements are instrumental because the guest experience is shaped not only by architecture and facilities, but also by the quality and reliability of daily interactions.

AI-generated illustration of an integrated luxury hospitality interior, created for editorial context.

Part of a wider Melco achievement

The recognition also forms part of a strong showing for Melco Resorts & Entertainment at the World Travel Awards 2026.

City of Dreams Macau was recognised as Macau’s Leading Casino Resort 2026 and Macau’s Leading Resort 2026, while City of Dreams Manila was named Asia’s Leading Casino Resort 2026 and Philippines’ Leading Resort 2026.

Together with City of Dreams Sri Lanka’s Asia’s Leading New Resort title, these results demonstrate the continued recognition of Melco’s integrated resort portfolio across Asia. They also place the Colombo property within a wider network of destinations that combine hospitality, entertainment, dining, events and premium leisure facilities.

AI-generated illustration of an event setting within a modern integrated resort; created for editorial context.

Relevance for Sri Lankans at home and abroad

For Sri Lankans living in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and elsewhere, the awards offer a timely indication of how Colombo’s hospitality landscape is changing.

City of Dreams Sri Lanka may be relevant to visitors considering a premium stay in the capital, as well as to families arranging milestone celebrations, companies planning conferences, and organisations seeking a central venue for formal events. Its integrated structure offers the potential for accommodation, dining, entertainment and event requirements to be arranged within one destination.

For Sri Lankans living in the country, the awards provide recognition of a local development that seeks to bring a new dimension to Colombo’s premium hospitality proposition. The longer-term value of the project will be measured through the consistency of its service, the strength of its local partnerships, the opportunities created for events and business, and its ability to present Sri Lankan hospitality alongside international standards.

The World Travel Awards titles do not represent a tourism-arrivals statistic; rather, they constitute industry recognition at an important stage in the property’s development. Their significance lies in the way they position City of Dreams Sri Lanka within both the regional luxury market and the national hospitality sector.

As the resort moves beyond its inaugural year, the challenge will be to sustain the standards that supported this early recognition while continuing to develop experiences that are distinctive, reliable and connected to Colombo’s evolving identity. For Sri Lanka’s premium hospitality industry, the achievement presents an encouraging example of how investment, service excellence and integrated destination planning can broaden the country’s position within the Asian market.

Source: https://www.lankabusinessnews.com/city-of-dreams-sri-lanka-earns-dual-world-travel-awards-2026-recognition/
Additional source: https://www.worldtravelawards.com/award-asias-leading-new-resort-2026
Additional source: https://www.worldtravelawards.com/award-sri-lankas-leading-luxury-resort-2026
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