The Hill Country
This rest house is pleasantly situated next to the fast-flowing Belihul Oya river. Its six rooms are pretty tired in terms of decor, but the hotel has a…
Must-see hotels in Sri Lanka
The Hill Country
On the edge of a tea plantation and spice garden, this hotel has elegant rooms and a bucolic location. The building itself is an elongated, somewhat…
Colombo
Geoffrey Bawa fans can stay in his Colombo home. Within his artful estate, which is a popular place for tours, a suite of two bedrooms is rented out. Only…
Nilaveli
This blinding-white-outside hip hotel ticks all the right contemporary boxes, with sleek accommodation finished in subtle shades of cream: all with…
The Hill Country
This smart hotel is the best in the region, combining a languid ambience with, from some rooms, fine lake views. Standard rooms are actually better value…
Bundala National Park
A friendly homestay 2km east of Bundala National Park's northern entrance gate. Rooms are functional; some suffer a little from traffic noise, but those…
Negombo
This small German-run beachfront pad might be discreet, but it packs all mod cons, along with plenty of sun loungers and a good restaurant. The six…
Uda Walawe National Park
This lodge has huge cottages, built from mudbrick and thatch, which are spacious and quite stylish, with open-air showers. However, the pool is often out…
Colombo
The sort of place you might have lived if you owned a plantation, this hotel is in a beautiful colonnaded 250-year-old mansion. The 11 suites are very…
Ella
Set in tea gardens 2km east of town, the elegant stilted cottages here have fabulous views towards Little Adam's Peak. Rooms are of the earthy, rustic…
Habarana
This rural guesthouse is run by a very accommodating couple: Mutu is a superb cook and Ajith takes good care of guests. The environment is great, with a…
Polonnaruwa
There are two blocks at this friendly place. The old block rooms have a fan, but can be hot, while the new block has much more modern, spacious air-con…
North of Colombo
This French-run kitesurfing camp has a good range of accommodation aimed at surfers, from simple tents to comfortable en suite villas. There's a sociable…
The South
This feels more like a private estate than a small hotel, with its expansive grounds and rooms in a colonial house (or cottages). Personal service is…
Sigiriya
This bungalow set back off the road has three spacious, quiet rooms next to a creek, with air-con and solar-heated hot water. It was just starting up at…
Habarana
Formerly the Rest House, this attractive historic structure has been very sensitively updated and offers high comfort levels and an excellent location…
Dambulla
This smart midrange resort is within a short stroll of the caves and museum. The grounds aren't exactly spacious, but staff (some Swedish) are attentive…
Arugam Bay
Inviting modern four-storey hotel with a prime beachfront location (you can watch the fishing boats come and go from the sea-view rooms). The minimalist…
Mirissa
Adrift in a web of rural lanes a five-minute walk inland from the highway, this family-owned place has a selection of agreeable rooms and cottages…
Bentota, Aluthgama & Induruwa
One of the best-regarded Ayurveda resorts in Sri Lanka, with the full compliment of treatments and excellent doctors. Most people stay for a minimum of a…
Galle
Parts of this large resort hotel, located 3km up the coast from the Fort, were designed by legendary Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, though other…
The Hill Country
High in the hills, 20 minutes’ drive southwest of Kandy, this 100-room hotel incorporates a stunning open lobby, a clifftop swimming pool, a fine spa and…
The Hill Country
Like most former government rest houses in Sri Lanka, this place has the best location in town, with great views over the countryside. The large, spartan…
Anuradhapura
This neat little guesthouse enjoys a near-rural location with peacocks strolling the surroundings in the mornings (and fireflies lighting them up at night…
Anuradhapura
There are two distinct options at this hotel. The stylish, modern new building is all sleek lines and white walls, with a swimming pool and modern…
The Hill Country
This place has helpful staff and a pretty riverside location next to a swimming hole with lots of hammocks and easy chairs. Accommodation, ranging from…
Kataragama
The smartest address in the area is the Rosen, which is surrounded by woodlands 2km south of the centre. The rooms are good, but the hotel’s most unusual…
Dewasiri Beach Restaurant & Hotel
Hikkaduwa & Around
Ideal for surfers on a budget, this slightly ramshackle place overlooks Main Reef and has a variety of simple but clean (cold-water) rooms, the priciest…
Unawatuna
At the heart of this compound is an atmospheric 1735 Dutch colonial mansion, which is slightly tumbledown but perfectly enchanting. Rooms are divided…
Hotel Renuka & Renuka City Hotel
Colombo
The well-run Renuka is bifurcated into two different buildings. Its 99 rooms are well maintained and have safes, fridges and 24-hour room service. It's…
The Ancient Cities
An elegant, if somewhat threadbare, colonial villa with a veranda overlooking the lake in a leafy part of town. Its four rooms have been renovated and…
Galle
High in the hills above Galle this elegant country villa (built in 1712) has been expertly converted into a heritage hotel, with just four suites. After a…
Nilaveli
This beachside hotel has attractive rooms in a long two-storey building, though only suites have sea views. It's worth a visit for lunch or dinner as a…
Nuwara Eliya
A quirky place to stay, King Fern is a minimalist's nightmare with its clashing colours, garish bedspreads, huge handmade beds and logwood tables. However…
Jaffna
This stunning 19th-century colonial manor house in landscaped gardens has beautifully presented accommodation, most with open-air bathrooms. Perhaps a…
Ella
Quaint Little Red Riding Hood wooden cottages squirrelled away in a forest that, if not the home of a big bad wolf, is probably home to a monkey or two…
Nilaveli
Set just off the beach, the inviting Seaway offers a wide choice of accommodation in a huge grassy compound. There are three classes of rooms, from…
Tissamaharama
Set in mature gardens around a heat-busting pool, these spacious rooms are perhaps a little old-fashioned, but they are comfortable and the location is…
Mirissa
You get no points for guessing the nationalities of the owners of this immaculate six-room hotel on its own little beach west of Mirissa. Rooms feature…
Colombo
This small budget hotel is tall and narrow and hemmed in by even taller neighbours. It has 24 clean but plain rooms at reasonable rates (cheaper ones are…
