Ooooooh, what a quiet beautiful place to relax...that's what this colonial estate/boutique hotel is made for. We spent our time swimming, reading or playing cards by the pool, drinking tea and strolling around the grounds. Somehow, the staff always knew what we wanted--appearing with fresh pool towels, a menu for snacks in the early afternoon or offering tea and cakes later in the day. Early in the morning, you can order tea and drink it in the sitting area outside your room and enjoy the garden views. During our 3-night stay, we watched many people come and go for one-night stays (to avoid a stay in Columbo). I would recommend a bit longer to really absorb and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere here. The rooms are elegant, spacious and very comfortable with good A/C. The food is some of the best we had in Sri Lanka--a wide variety in generous portions served on a table sprinkled with fresh flowers from the garden. Nalin, the manager, was especially helpful to us--for example, helping us wrap an unwieldy package (wooden sculpture) for safe transport. This is the perfect place to start or end your trip to Sri Lanka.

I agree with all the positive comments by previous reviewers. The rooms are lovely, although lighting very dim. We enjoyed drinks outside in the garden, but there is actually only one table outside, so I think it would be good if they added a few more dotted round the place. Dinner was served in the very charming reception room, with very attractive place settings and candles. But as we sat down the staff turned on extremely bright wall lights! Ambience somewhat shattered. We dined there twice - the first time at around 7.30 and the food was delicious and served hot. The second night we ate around 8.15 and the food was almost cold which was a shame. I would highly recommend the hotel to all sorts of travellers for relaxation and a gentle introduction/conclusion to a Sri Lankan holiday. The swimming pool is obviously quite a new addition which blends in well with the gardens. However, there were a couple of young children there at the same time and they rather shattered the calm and took over the pool. Apart from a walk around the local little village, there really isn't anything else to do, which is of course part of its charm.

We stayed for 2 nights on the final 2 days of our honeymoon. Whilst it is an hour's drive from the airport, it is well worth it either as a first or last stop on a tour of the country. The colonial style building is spectacular with stunning suites, excellent cooking, a really friendly staff and an awesome sea water swimming pool.
The whole ethos of the place is for you to do whatever, whenever. You can eat whenever and wherever you like, have cocktails or tea by the pool, go for a bull-driven cart tour of the estate, there's just no way you can't feel relaxed.

Although initially put off by the odd booking procedures, we were delighted by our stay. The rice and curry was exceptional (as was the breakfast). The room was large and comfortable; the garden great for the kids to charge around in; the pool was a great size and we enjoyed the bullock cart ride, the fruitbats trees, the coconut plantation walk, the trip to the village etc etc