Great location - water sports center over the fence, railway station across the road, pharmacy, grocery store, decent restaurants and bank in vicinity, far from the noise of the busy town. The hotel itself is derelict, that is true, but cheap and very cosy. Everything is organized in a perfect holiday way - there is no room without a view, the beach, the lagoon and two pools are all waiting at the doorstep. And the staff is ultimately helpful and charming, though clumsy. I already miss them!

The hotel have now been sold, and a renovation is soon under work. The staff is wonderful and helpful and give very good service. The staff made us forgive that the hotel was rather "tired".

We spent our Christmas Eve and 7 days at Ceysands. The hotel has a very good location placed on a half-island. The river is from one side, and the Ocean on the other side. The town is on the other side of the river and there is a little boat that take you whenever you like, to the other side and it is free. The hotel is well guarded also on the riverside.

The beach is wonderful to walk on and you can also if you are carefully, swim there. The sea is dangerful!! Vawes and understreams take you suddely away. But you can go to the west on the beach where the wawes are less dangerful.

The half-island has a rock in its end.. There is a tempel that you can visit. On the other side of that beach, comes boats that take you for 100 rupies to the other side of the river, and you can walk furter along the beach and see the other hotels. They are more fancy,than Ceysands but the beach is much more dirty and there are not so good peace and nature as it is on Ceysands.

The tuc-tuc drivers know all the town Alutgama&Bentota, so it is just to ask them for nice places to visit. In the town is a very big tempel to see and if you like to have a tour there are several that you can take - organised via the travelagencies linked to the hotel, but also other do arrange trips.

We took one trip to Galle and saw Hikkadua, and we spent also time on the river to see krokodiles, varans etc. The animals are very important for the tourism in Sri Lanka.
A very good tailor you do find near the entrance to the hotel, and the little shop at the Ceysand hotel, can fix nearly everything you like to buy, to a cheap price. It is just to tell the women there what you like and she find it to the next day.

The Ceysand Hotel will we gladly visit again, when its restored. The watersystem need some money.

And buy from the very first moment creme to prevent from moscitos and sandflies. The sandflies is a hell, but with right and very carefull treatment the holiday can be bitefree.

$150 USD a night? Are you kidding me? My sister and I stayed here for one night and spent the next two nights trying to forget the dingy pool area, the moldy rooms, rusty bathroom and overall listlessness of this craphole that markets itself as an 'upscale escape.'

The worst affront was the price tag. Ceysands was the most expensive hotel we stayed in during out whole 6 night stay in Sri Lanka. When a phone conversation starts with "are you foreigner," you know you should just pull down your pants and take it up the A__ (most of the other hotels in the area were full)

The one saving grace is the beach, which is very beautiful, and the staff, who, like most Sri Lankans, were warm and welcoming.

stayed for 2 nights too long.
hotel has been up for sale for several years, staff then hope money will be spent (lots) upgrading it to a reasonable standard. so, for now avoid this tired place. there is nothing to recommend this hotel for.