Sri Lanka is generally blessed with impressive hotels usually situated in stunning settings. The coastal areas, especially the west and south, have innumerable resort hotels. Several are designed by Geoffrey Bawa, one of the 20th-century’s foremost Asian architects.
Galle Fort Hotel is found within the protected Galle Fort. Housed in a converted gem merchant’s mansion, the property is more opulent home than small-scale hotel; its 12 rooms overlook a central, colonnaded courtyard with a pool and garden flush with blossom and the shaded terrace serves as a relaxed dining room.
Casa Colombo- manages to draw travelers with its distinctive design and relaxed atmosphere. In a colonial building, the 12-suite property is finished in a modern, glitzy style that borders on camp. The pink pool is flanked by glass sun loungers and headless mannequin busts; strips of neon lighting glow from beneath bed frames.
Kingsbury Hotel – this hotel is located by Galle Face Green in central Colombo, with the attractive Old Colombo Dutch Hospital, now converted into boutiques and restaurants, by its side. Following a renovation, the hotel reopened in December 2012 and, while rooms are comfortable and service friendly and eager, the property as a whole feels sterile and lacks personality.
Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel & Spa- overlooks the ocean and provides a base for naturalists keen to go whale watching in Mirissa. Cool, elegant and contemporary, the hotel also attracts design fans eager to experience Bawa’s work firsthand.
Residence By Uga Escapes – Offering an outdoor swimming pool, Residence by Uga Escapes is located just 900 metres from the famous Sri Lanka National Museum. The hotel is located just 1.2 km from American Embassy and 2.4 km from the popular Khan Clock Tower. The Bandaranaike International Airport is 29 km away.
Hill country towns such as Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Bandarawela feature colonial era hotels, and for those who venture farther afield, perhaps to indulge in adventure sports, there are beautifully converted colonial homes, tea and rubber plantation buildings, jungle cabins, tree-houses and eco-lodges, but also guesthouses and home-stays offering economy deals for travelers on a budget.
