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If you want to visit Sri Lanka while it’s still cheap and uncrowded, now is a wonderful time to do it. This will likely change in the near future as more tourists swarm to the island’s main area. In addition to its stunning beaches and crystal-clear oceans, Sri Lanka is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, an abundance of elephants, lush tea plantations, and an array of fascinating (but spicy) cuisine. There are many world-class resorts and hotels in Sri Lanka (with more exciting hotel openings announced in the near future). Here is a list of the best Sri Lankan resorts.
1. Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort
While still near Tangalle, this resort is located closer to town. It is located on a 42-acre old coconut plantation on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, where the Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort can be found. It seems like something out of a picture as it lies on a golden-sand beach with a blue ocean and a line of palm trees and green spaces behind it.
Rooms and villas at the resort all face the ocean, with 152 total. The villas are luxurious, self-contained homes with plunge pools. In some instances, you can get right to the water’s edge. Villa Hosts, or butlers, are included in every villa.
For those who stay in one of the ground-floor rooms, you’ll have access to the beach right from your balcony or terrace. The resort is centered on an ocean-facing infinity pool that encircles the property. An expansive wooden terrace is furnished with lounge chairs for guests to enjoy.
2. Amanwella
In Tangalle, the Amanwella is a small ultra-luxury resort with only villas from the Aman company. Like other Aman hotels, the design is integral to the experience. Tropical Modernism, a sophisticated, Asian-influenced mid-century modern style, is reflected in Amanwella.
All 30 villa suites have their own private courtyard, plunge pool, and a private sun deck. The suites have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors on both sides, creating an indoor/outdoor experience with mild air movement. However, the resort provides in-room massages and other services.
For a more authentic experience, you may walk to the village of Amanwella in a few minutes. Restaurant and Beach Club serves Sri Lankan seafood and cuisine that feature Sri Lankan spices.
3. Mermaid Hotel & Club
For 45 minutes from Colombo International Airport, Mermaid Hotel and Club sits on an idyllic Kalutara beach surrounded by coconut palms. Guests at this four-star resort can enjoy an all-inclusive package.
With just over 100 rooms, the resort has a boutique vibe. There are various room types to choose from, including some with a sea view. There are lots of vivid colors, wood floors, and expansive windows with doors leading to patios with furniture in each.
In addition to the restaurant’s outdoor dining area, meals are served there. For guests, there is direct access to the beach, complete with lounge chairs and parasols. The two swimming pools are surrounded by a more significant number of sun loungers. Additionally, there is a sports facility with a wide variety of activities to choose from.’ You can also go to the gym, play games, or get pampered at the spa.
4. Villa Saffron Hikkaduwa
Sri Lankan architect created Villa Saffron, a stunning boutique luxury villa on the shores of Hikkaduwa. As a result, the owners have a design shop in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka. Antiques, paintings, furniture, and other furnishings designed or curated by the hotel’s owners are for sale at the boutique shop in the lobby area.
Since the boutique hotel only has five rooms, it seems more like staying at a friend’s house than a hotel. A big patio and a spa-like bathroom are included in each suite. A few even offer ocean views, which is a nice perk. Only five rooms, but a 24-hour front desk and daily housekeeping are included as part of the package.
As a convenience, the hotel has free Wi-Fi, and it’s happy to arrange a variety of activities and excursions for you (as well as a shuttle service from the airport).
5. Shangri-Hambantota La’s Golf Resort & Spa
The Shangri-Hambantota La’s Golf Resort & Spa is the closest thing to a mega-resort in Sri Lanka. It’s a massive resort in terms of space (the largest resort in Sri Lanka), but it maintains an intimate, elegant vibe because there are only 274 rooms (including 20 suites). For golfers, this beach resort is the most fantastic option on the island because it features an 18-hole golf course.
Elegantly furnished, the rooms and suites provide stunning views of the tropical gardens, golf course, and ocean, to name just a few of the many attractions nearby. All of them have a tropical feel to them, thanks to the brand’s strong Asian influence.
The Shangri-La has a lot more to offer than just a few pools and a secluded beach. In addition to the water park, there’s a trapeze show here. An artisan village additionally supports local craftspeople. Evening music and dance performances are held at venues where visitors can learn about (and purchase) local art and crafts.
6. Cape Weligama
With its palm-fringed shoreline, Cape Weligama has become one of Sri Lanka’s most popular beach resorts, following in the footsteps of some of the most famous explorers of all time, including Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta. The property is located 30 minutes east of Galle on a unique promontory that rises majestically above the Indian Ocean.
Private getaways designed by Lek Bunnag are the perfect complement to the stunning views that abound. For guests looking for a place to eat, the hotel has a wide variety of options, including a giant crescent-shaped infinity pool that looks like it’s flowing into the sea, and the beach is awash with beautiful waves as the sun sets.
7. Ceylon Tea Trails
Ceylon Tea Trails, the world’s first tea bungalow resort, is a model for modest luxury resorts. As a collection of five colonial-era tea planter mansions that have been restored to their former glory, Tea Trails is Sri Lanka’s most sought-after luxury lodging option, thanks to its period furniture, elegant butler service, and fine dining options. The hotel has beautiful views of the mountains and verdant tea fields that are part of Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands World Heritage Site.
Tea Trails’ award-winning “all-inclusive” experience is characterized by a non-hotel, private-house atmosphere in each resort’s bungalows. Take a walk through the beautiful Ceylon tea gardens, relax in a bungalow, or watch the twilight mist come in a while sitting by a crackling fire.
8. The Elephant Stables
It’s hard to go wrong when you stay at Elephant Stables Weligama Bay, which has just four rooms with imaginative names like “Chocolate Tree” and “Sugary Apple.” A sand settlement, Weligama is home to the Elephant Stables. Water sports enthusiasts can enjoy anything from scuba diving to surfing at the beach while neighboring Mirissa serves as a starting point for trips to see whales such as the blue and sperm whales that are native to Sri Lanka’s coast.
Those rooms, named after a Sri Lankan fruit, have just as vibrant decor as the fruit itself. The interconnecting twin room in the Chocolate Tree suite is suitable for families, while the big private garden and verandah in the Passion Fruit suite are wonderful for couples.
A swimming pool and covered gardens are available at Elephant Stables. Dinner consists of a four-course set meal of Sri Lankan, and Western cuisine served each night. Between the months of November and April, the hotel operates a beachside Hopper Hut where guests may enjoy some of Sri Lanka’s most popular regional dishes. There is also an elephant stables in Kandy with the same name.
9. Paradise Road The Villa
This is the road to paradise. Geoffrey Bawa turned the Paradise Road The Villa into a modest boutique hotel in the 1970s. There are two acres of tropical gardens with a coconut palm lawn and direct beach access at the hotel.
There are 15 unique rooms and suites in this establishment. There is also a tiny Ayurvedic massage room with two swimming pools, one of which is tucked away inside the villa’s walls. This is the road to paradise. An excellent collection of contemporary art by Sri Lankan artists can be found throughout the Villa Bentota, including in every one of its guestrooms and suites.
There is nothing better than a tamarind chili martini at Villa Café and Lion Bar as the sun sets. A private dining experience on your terrace is also an option.
10. Galle Fort Bazaar
It is possible to create an exclusive and luxurious boutique hotel out of a 17th-century townhouse. Fort Bazaar in Galle, Sri Lanka, is an excellent illustration of why this seaside town should be on your “to-visit” list. With its old houses, cobblestone lanes, charming shops and restaurants, and many other attractions, Galle’s old fort district immediately transport you back in time. The Fort Bazaar is no exception and radiates old-time charm while including some contemporary aspects. You can’t help but feel that your stay here will be enhanced because of the harmonious blend of old and new.
Due to its small size (only 18 rooms and suites), this hotel gives the impression of a private downtown mansion. All rooms include four-poster beds, immediately striking the eye as you enter. Take a deeper look, and you’ll find all the modern conveniences you could want. Light and airy apartments sometimes include balconies that look out into picturesque streets and courtyards. The rooms are distinguished by their freestanding bathtubs, and one even features a mezzanine for the children so that the parents can relax in peace.
11. Uga Bay By Uga Escapes
The renowned Pasikuda Bay’s Uga Bay is a Uga Escapes property and is a very affordable luxury resort. As a result of the bay’s shallowness, it’s a favorite spot for snorkeling and scuba diving enthusiasts.
Attractions in the resort include fourplexes, each of which has a beach view and a garden view. Interiors feature open floor plans with hardwood flooring and ceiling fans. You’ll have more room to stretch out with a two-story Beach Villa or a Bay Suite.
The beach in Uga Bay is more than a mile long and has a wide variety of water sports and beach activities available for guests to enjoy. Several of Sri Lanka’s most incredible dive and snorkel sites can be found nearby. A beautiful restaurant overlooking the pool serves a la carte meals throughout the day at Uga Bay, located in an exclusive hotel. Locally caught fish is an important part of the resort’s dining options.
