AHUNGALLA, SRI LANKA — Friday can’t come soon enough for RIU Hotels & Resorts, which will inaugurate its first-ever property in Asia on Aug. 5.

The five-star Riu Sri Lanka will open its doors for the first time in Ahungalla, located in the southeast region of Sri Lanka. Newly constructed, the hotel offers 24-hour all-inclusive service, three large pools and a children’s pool, sunbathing terraces, Jacuzzi, gym and the Renova Spa wellness centre. There are also several dining venues ranging from Asian to Italian cuisine, not to mention two buffet restaurants and four bars.

After a detailed study of the markets, RIU saw this destination as the ideal location from which to launch its operations in Asia. According to the company, Sri Lanka, known as ‘the tear drop of India’ due to its shape and proximity to the country, is a tourist destination, which attracts guests from Europe, India, China and Australia.

With the opening of Riu Sri Lanka, RIU will open three more hotels throughout the Asian continent between 2018 and 2019. The first will be in the Maldives, where two hotels will be inaugurated offering a combined total of 422 rooms, including suites constructed over the water. In addition, the chain plans to open its first hotel in the UAE in Dubai in 2019; with 750 rooms, it will be the largest-ever constructed and the first to offer 24-hour all-inclusive service.