Kottarapattu Chattu Kuttan ( si, කොට්ටරපට්ටු චට්ටු කුට්ටන්) was an iconic

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

doorman at the

Galle Face Hotel The Galle Face Hotel, founded in 1864, is one of the oldest hotels east of Suez. It is located on Galle Road, Colombo. The Ceylon Hotels Corporation is now part of the Galle Face Hotel Group. The hotel is a member of Select Hotels and Resorts Int ...

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

. He is considered as one of the oldest and most famous hotel employees in the world. He became the trademark of Sri Lanka's hospitality industry and was known for his friendly manner, excellent memory for guests and white hair with a handlebar mustache. His photograph adorned the covers of many travel magazines all over the world. He had been part of Galle Face Hotel's culture since 1942, working as a waiter, bell boy and finally as a doorman for seven decades.

Early life

Kuttan was born in 1920 in the present day

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

state of Southern India. At age 19, after his mother's death, Kuttan left home without telling his two brothers and three sisters. He arrived at the northern seaport town of

Talaimannar Talaimannar ( ta, தலைமன்னார்; si, තලෙයිමන්නාරම) is a settlement in Sri Lanka located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island. Transport Sri Lanka's northern railway line was destroyed, disrupted o ...

of Sri Lanka (then

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

), by crossing the sea. He then made his way to

in 1938, with 25 rupees and the clothes he was wearing. In Colombo, before getting a job at

in 1942, he worked as a domestic servant for one of Colombo's elite families . He married a Sri Lankan Christian.

Career at Galle Face Hotel

Kuttan started as a waiter, then became a bell boy, before finally becoming a doorman, continuing into his 90s. He hobnobbed with guests from all over the world and served many dignitaries.

Death

After suffering a brief illness, Kuttan died on 18 November 2014 at the age of 94. He had amassed more than 72 years of hospitality service.

Legacy

The image of K.C. Kuttan is the avatar for the chat feature on the Galle Face Hotel's website.

References

2014 deaths 1920 births Sri Lankan people of Indian descent People from Colombo People from Thrissur {{SriLanka-bio-stub