La Maison Nil Manel - Art of living at Monique & Chanaka’s

Art of living at Monique & Chanaka’s

If the art of living is feel good factor orientated, then you’re in good hands!

Monique and Chanaka wear many hats; they’re architects, interior decorators, chefs, guides and gardeners … She’s the fairy godmother who discreetly makes sure that guests are happy and feel great. He splits his time between the kitchen and days out devised with guests in mind and the cinnamon plantation (Mirala Duwa).

monique et chanaka

Monique loves beautiful objects and is on an ongoing quest to add to her collection. Bargain hunting has been a passion for years: as a youngster she scoured flea markets and antique shops in her native Savoy before exploring a growing interest in interior design and architecture. A few years later she landed a job in hospitality at the lavish Richemond Hotel, a jewel in the crown of luxury hotels overlooking Lake Geneva. She echoes this refined way of life at La Maison Nil Manel.

Chanaka first fell in love with nature at the Madu Ganga lagoon. As a child he accompanied his grandfather on long bike rides through family plantations. Inquisitive and hungry for adventure, he spent part of his youth exploring Europe before honing his cooking skills in Vienna and Geneva in the kitchens of prestigious international brands. An entrepreneur at heart, he carried out his projects with the all the drive that distinguishes those impassioned by what they do. Twenty years after the doors of La Maison Nil Manel first opened for business his latest challenge is to produce the best cinnamon in Sri Lanka!

How did La Maison Nil Manel come about?

Serendipity… And these two are certainly proof of that!

Their first meeting in Geneva, subsequent marriage and complementarity spawned a romantic and ambitious project: to set up home in Sri Lanka and convert the old family distillery into a guesthouse with a fine dining restaurant.

1997 - building works begin.
After two years of work, La Maison Nil Manel was becoming a buzz word amongst an international clientele drawn to small, exclusive hotels.
The hotel celebrated Christmas 2004 with a promising extension to the premises – a beautiful three storey colonial villa – when suddenly disaster struck: “the tsunami swept the original building clean away. Only the villa remained!”
All that remains of the initial La Maison Nil Manel building is a golden-hued book with faded pages in which you can still read wonderful comments by German, Swiss and French guests, some of whom have become friends for life. But our two didn’t hang about; their characteristic tenacity meant that they immediately rose to the challenge of getting things back to normal! In 2005, the new, revamped La Maison Nil Manel was ready for business and with some flair, to boot.