They say ‘Home is where the Heart is’. How true! Especially when the place you call ‘home’ is the place that gives you rest after a tiring day and shelters you from the world.
It is indeed true that the concept of ‘home’ is unique to each person, but usually, its design hails from some cultural heritage or architectural background. For instance, in towns like Negombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and Galle in the south, the traditional homes boast of thick tree-trunk columns on the verandahs or sitting areas, and high ceilings for better air circulation. The island, being blessed with lots of tropical sunshine and good weather for the most part of the year, contains many homes that are airy and built to draw in the natural light.
In Jaffna, in northern Sri Lanka, the homes have lovely, long verandahs at the front of the house, extending from one side to the other, while the inside of the home usually possesses an open space where the sky is visible. The space, which is square or rectangular, is sometimes used as a garden, and is often used by housewives to dry spices, and all household members to sit down for some relaxing time in the soft, evening light.
The only All-Suite Boutique Hotel in Jaffna, ‘The Thinnai’ has built on this very concept. Lovely open spaces dominate, and allow for rest and relaxation in serene surroundings, so much so, that you don’t feel you are in a hotel at all. ‘The Thinnai’ in Tamil means ‘Rest’ and this goes hand-in-hand with the traditional Jaffna architecture where homes are constructed with verandahs and open spaces that enable absolute relaxation and peace of mind. This lovely boutique hotel epitomizes this, with green spaces between buildings, and small gardens between suites, perfect for sitting with a book in the evenings, or just enjoying the cool breezes of the morning.
The Thinnai is a clever amalgamation of the traditional Jaffna life and modern luxury living. Just like a beautiful home in Jaffna, the hotel welcomes its guests to feel at home and enjoy the comforts and security that one is accustomed to, under their own roof. Providing the best of both worlds, The Thinnai gives you another reason to visit Jaffna and experience the allure of the beautiful North.