Established in 1837 as a British military barracks, the property was later developed into military quarters before being transformed in 1875 into the luxurious Grand Oriental Hotel under the direction of Governor Robert Horton, with architectural guidance from J. M. Smither, renowned for his work on the National Museum, Colombo Municipal Council, and Colombo General Hospital.
Officially opened on 5 November 1875 with 154 well-furnished rooms, it became the first hotel in Sri Lanka to operate under European ownership with sophisticated hospitality standards. Historical records note that Filipino national hero Dr. José Mercado visited the hotel on four occasions, while celebrated Russian author Anton Chekhov stayed here in the 1890s and wrote his famous short story “Gusev” during his visit. The hotel also had the honour of catering for Queen Elizabeth II and her entourage during an official visit to Sri Lanka.
Around the 1940s, during British rule, the hotel was opened to local travelers, and in 1950, due to rising political and ethnic tensions, its management was handed over to the Bank of Ceylon by its then-administrator, Seeri Sam de Vos, who subsequently renamed it as “Taprobane Hotel”. A major refurbishment was completed in 1966 under the vision of world-renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa, resulting in the creation of the Harbour Room restaurant overlooking the port on the fourth floor. The hotel also became home to Sri Lanka’s first nightlife venue, the iconic Blue Leopard, located on the ground floor. In 1989, the property reclaimed its historic name, Grand Oriental Hotel, and in 2000 underwent further renovations, funded by the Bank of Ceylon.
In 2016, then Government instructed the State Enterprise Ministry to call for bids for its sale and by 2020, the hotel was restored once again under a joint initiative by the Bank of Ceylon and the Urban Development Authority, with administrative operations subsequently transferred to the state-owned Selendiva Investments.
Subsequently, with the change of Governments, Bank Of Ceylon appointed a separate Board of Directors to manage the hotel. Due to “Covid Pandemic” and economic downturn hotel operations too, had a critical adverse effect which was beyond the control to sustain. In 2025, Bank of Ceylon appointed new Board of Directors and situation starts improving. Since month of May 2025 major management changes were taken place and GOH got in to the right path and celebrating its 150th year anniversary in grand style giving hopes to all GOH lovers. Old glory is coming back and legacy continues.
