Cheap hotel near to Colombo Airport (CMB)?

Hi all,

Ill be arriving into Colombo CMB airport at 2:20am so does anybody know of a decent and cheap guesthouse nearby?

Many thanks

Sonny

Hi Sonny,
A couple for you.
1/
The Silver Sands,
229 Lewis Place,
Negombo..Tel; +94-(0)-31-2222880........www.silversands.go2lk.com
2/
The Oasis Beach Hotel,
31 Poruthota Road,
Negombo......Tel; +94-(0)-31-2279022

The Silver Sands is the cheapest . Friendly place , with good food. Rooms are bit worn but OK.
The Oasis is a bit bigger and a little more in cost but still cheap. Advantage is that it has a decent swimming pool . Also, both open out onto the beach at the rear but the Silver Sands area of the beach is very grubby... Oasis opens out onto a much cleaner area .

I'd be happy to stay in either but usually go for the Oasis because of the pool. A real bonus when you've just landed and are getting used to the heat again.
Both about 20 minutes from the airport by taxi. A bit longer on the bus as you have to get the free airport shuttle bus into the little town of Katunayake, next to the airport and a Negombo bus from there.
Rod.

hello Rod,

do you make reservation on-line/in advance?
as on the website the rates are not as you mention in other threads (2000 rp).
how do you make the reservation?
we are looking to go as well and the plain arrives at 00.00 midnight.

thanks,

menno

Hi menean,
I didn't make any advance reservations.. I very rarely do that. Only if I know I'm going somewhere that is holding a big festival or something so I know accommodation is gonna be tight.
The two places I've mentioned, in Negombo I stayed in both on the last trip. Arrived in Lanka and stayed two days at the Silver Sands and 4 weeks later, when leaving Lanka, stayed for a couple of dasys at The Oasis.

Silver Sands, I chatted to the owner and asked him for a list of prices that I could quote on herel.
Upstairs, double room with sea views and air con.. . 2200.
Upstairs at the rear, no sea view , double room, fan... .1760.
Double room, no breakfast Non beach views.. 1540.
Mr Fernando, the owner wrote those prices down for me about 10 weeks ago.

The Oasis gets more complicated... I was paying 1800 to 2000 ( depending on time of year ) for a double room , withn breakfasts, up until the volcanic ash cloud last year.
I'd stayed at the Oasis, payed the usual fee at the start of my trip.. 4 weeks later we returned to the Oasis for the last couple of days only to find it full of " ash cloud refugees ". They'd been dumped out of their rooms from various resorts all over the island. Got to the airport and couldn't fly, so they descended on Negombo for ""cheap "" accommodation.
Trouble is, their idea of cheap is different to ours. They were happily paying 6000 a night , tipping stupid amounts of money and generally ruining the economy for everyone else.

After bargaining and argueing for a while, we managed to pay our usual sum. About 2000 rupees for a double with breakfasts..
Unfortunately, the owner had now got the idea that he could charge high prices even after the ash cloud dispersed.
So, strong bargaining is required...Taking account of recent , general price rises in Lanka , 2500 to 3000 would probably be a fair charge for a double room including breakfasts.

You don't need to pre-book unless you really want any particular place in Negombo. There's plenty of good cheaper guest house accommodation if you're prepared to stay on the inland side of the beach road. Wander along Lewis Place and the Poruthota Road and there's plenty to choose from and always rooms available as most people want beach side.

Rod.

hello Rod,

we arrive (with 2 childeren) in the middle of the night.
so I think it is wise to make reservation before?

do you have email address of oasis? (we prefer because of the pool for the kids).
you can sent to my private mail, no problem.

and do you think that for Xmas and New Year we should make any reservations (along the south coast).

Thanks!

Menno

Hi Menno,
Sorry, they havn't yet caught up with internet communication. That means it's telephone /Fax or snail mail.
Or, using a local agent.
I've always just walked in and got a room with no problem but arriving late, especially with children, I can understand you wanting a confirmed booking.

The phone number that I have for them is Tel;.. +94-(0)-31-2279526

http://www.go-lanka.com/Negombo/oasis_hotel/oasis_beach_resort_negombo.html

That site gives you an idea of the hotel.. Go Lanka sems to be acting as a booking agent for them so you could at least enquite through them although the one Go Lanka employee that I met was, in a bar and he was more interested in his drink than in his business.

How are you travelling onward from Negombo ?
If you're using a local driver / guide then he'd be able to negotiate a booking there for you.

You might find more useful info on this site , it's a mix of the Oasis and their other hotel which is in Newara Eliya. Unfortunately, they only quote for half board bookings on there but I always book as a room with breakfast basis so again, it comes back to getting in touch with them , using your driver guide if you have one or finding an agent.

If you're staying in Negombo for a longer period, you could always book firstnight at the Siolver Sands and next day check out the Oasis so you can then see it and negotiate face to face. I( wouldn't accept the first price. I'd estimate that about 3000 rupees for a double room with breakfasts woulb be fair.

Rod.

Rod.

hi Rod,

recently gave them a call.
For room the price they ask is 10.000 rupees.
(11.000 including tax)
Seems they want to get rich very fast!

(silver sands 3500 rupees)

Any other "budget" options?

Menno

Hi Menenan,
What to do.

I stayed in both of those places earleir this year. Both just walking inn from the street, no pre-booking.
At Silver Sands we paid 1750 LKR for a double room, including breakfasts.
At the Oasis we paid 3500 , again for a double room including breakfasts.

I know the Oasis was given at a cheaper rate than normal because we've been staying there regularly for quite a few years but even so, that diferential is crazy.

I certainly wouldn't dream of paying those prices. I'd just turn up and check out a few places and rather than get ripped off to that extent, I'd sleep on the beach and then head off somewhere else where they havn't completely lost the plot.

As it happens me and my wife have , this morning, been chatting about planning a trip and accommodation costs are playing a big part in the discussions. Cambodia is looking like a possibility.

Rod.

Rod.

hi,

Sleeping on the beach sounds good if we were just with the 2 of us.
But now with 2 kids it is out of the question....
We will see, Topaz has sent us a reasonable offer yesterday.

cambodia is great, been there few years ago (without any kids back then).
Loved Phnom Phen and Ankor but also the back country is beautiful!

Good luck,

we will see where we end up.

Thanks