We just came back from Sri lanka after staying at the Bentota beach hotel.We found it on a web site called Island Escapes,it was all inclusive for £770 each with transfers at £22 each way to and from the airport.What a cracking place,you take a 5 minute boat ride to get to it as it has a lagoon on one side with the beautiful Indian ocean on the other not 2 mins walk from your room.The beach is superb and totally empty for miles.pure White sand and the warmest sea you will ever feel.The rooms are simple but nice and clean,don't expect the quality of the Hilton but the showers are good.The service is very good and everyone is very friendly as is the whole country really.The food is good with lots of choice,drinks are easily available throughout the day,liked the tea and cake at 4pm each day.I have been to a lot of far off countries and hotels and this is up there with the best.
One downside,the travel.God.The transfer was 3 hours by car,it's like travelling through London for 3 hours,fortunately they are opening a motorway in the next 2 months so it would then be a smooth hour,we only did a local tour as the elephants were 6 hours away.
My advice is go,you will love it and the country.One more thing you don't get hassled for tips or by touts or beggers.

We arrived as a threesome, my two 6ft sons and myself, to be shown a dingy, dirty small room with two beds and furniture that was literally falling apart. They put a third bed in the room and there was only just enough room to have our suitcases on the floor standing up, no room at all to open even one case without placing it on a bed. We immediately complained and were told there were no other rooms available. We were later moved to a marginally better room and offered a bottle of house wine and a plate of fruit (freely available at the buffet) and a room upgrade in two days time.

The whole hotel is in dire need of an urgent upgrade. The whole place is extremely shabby, the rooms are certainly not up to scratch as a 4*, what a laugh, 3* if they are lucky. The pool area was run down, the cushions for the sunbeds were falling apart and the towels very threadbare. If you had a drink or lunch the plates/glasses were left out in the sun for the ants for hours before they were collected.

Many parts of the hotel had cracks and even holes appearing in the structure and the corridors were all damp and in need of redecoration. I have not stayed in such a place for many years and hope I never have to again.

I would not recommend this hotel to anyone, even my worst enemy. Kuoni seem to think everyone loves it, but not the people I spoke to when we were there.

Followers of my articles will know that I take an average of 12 holidays annually

I have never written a bad report on any hotel since I started using Trip Advisor

This hotel is absolutely appalling and deserves to have its ludicrous 3 stars totally removed ; I am writing separately to Mercury Holidays about my experiences.

It is not a holiday hotel..........It should be renamed STRESS HOTEL !

I am not going to waste any more space on this establishment

Allthough w e`ve booked a Sujperior room (Last minute offer) we got a deLuxe room.The best
way to earn friends is,spending some money to the driver and boys directly after arrival.
I
The only minus have been the mosquitos.Try to get something against them in a local
pharmacia.Ive been the 4th time in different hotels in Sri Lanka.
This one was the best!