Colombo
This four-storey hotel features 16 tidy rooms. There’s an internal courtyard and many of the rooms have a small balcony. The engaging staff are helpful.
Must-see hotels in Sri Lanka
Trincomalee
Right on Dutch Bay Beach, this simple guesthouse has a narrow front on the sand. The basic rooms, spread across three storeys, are clean.
Colombo
This soaring new top-end hotel is 47 storeys tall and will have 475 rooms when it opens by 2018.
Colombo
Looming behind Galle Face Green, this new luxury resort has 500 rooms and should open by 2018.
The East
In a leafy neighbourhood 1km south of the centre, the likeable Monty is a well-run place. Design-wise, it's slightly quirky: some communal areas resemble…
The Hill Country
Nature conservation – Mahausakande is part of a rainforest regeneration project – healthy and holistic eating, and nature walks are the attractions at…
Sigiriya
This centrally located guesthouse is cheered up by plants and canary-yellow walls. The nine rooms at the rear are a little chintzy, but fair value, and…
Jaffna & the North
The Nelly has an ungainly appearance. You enter through a banquet hall. But its wide choice of large rooms offer decent value and are the best choice in…
The Hill Country
This hotel, with its partially obscured mountain views and a pool fringed by tropical forest, is a reasonable choice. Decor is a bit dated throughout:…
Nuwara Eliya
It’s a century since this property did service as the residence of the colonial governor. Today he would be doubtless be underwhelmed with the poorly…
Dambulla
This family-run shoestring place, halfway between the caves and bus station, has five basic, clean-if-spartan rooms that have mosquito nets and a piece of…
Mirissa
'Palace' is pushing it, but this hotel certainly has a fine position on the headland at the western end of the bay. The raised cottages have Hindu accents…
Polonnaruwa
Basic budget rooms (the cheapies have fans and cold water) are pretty good value in this rambling old house, though the owner is often not around – call…
The East
The Victory's smoked-glass facade looks dated. The 16 rooms here (some with balconies and most with wooden trim), are also old-fashioned, though…
Colombo
This old Y is a bit shabby, but if you’re on a very tight budget this could be it. It offers male-only dorms and a few very basic single and double rooms…
Hikkaduwa & Around
This guesthouse is right at the southern end of the tourist strip on an appealing patch of beach. The rooms themselves are plain, with only cold-water…
The Hill Country
Tucked into the hills a few hundred metres from Weddagala, these seven rustic huts are a bit too rustic for the high prices they charge. Still, the views…
Hikkaduwa & Around
A smart but sterile place with welcoming staff. The more expensive rooms are enormous, which could make them worth considering for families. A big plus is…
Ella
Perched high on a hillside overlooking Ella, this concrete hotel has a wide choice of accommodation, from balcony rooms with views to cheaper interior…
Nuwara Eliya
The exterior of this inn is all twee wood panelling and looks very impressive. However the dark, musty rooms are in poor shape and in real need of…
Polonnaruwa
With a flashy lobby, well-tended grounds and an idyllic setting, the tour-group-dominated Sudu Araliya would be a good option if it weren’t for the bland…
Jaffna & the North
Very clean, very white rooms are the hallmark of this newly renovated mainland hotel on the A14 right where the Madhu Rd starts north. It's popular with…
The South
This aging hotel has a wonderful elevated location above the waves and the owners are helpful. However the accommodation has not been renovated for years…
Anuradhapura
Close to the New Bus Station, this two-storey villa-style guesthouse is well set-up for travellers. Its seven rooms are clean, if a little old-fashioned,…
Kandy
This is one of the cheapest places in Kandy, a former pilgrims’ guesthouse located in a gem of a building. Rooms are very basic, all with shared bathrooms…
Galle
A heritage-listed Dutch building, the Hotel Weltevreden has real colonial character, though its ten rooms, set around a courtyard garden, are basic and a…
Mirissa
On its own shady plot of sand at the west end of the beach, this compact hotel has basic, slightly overpriced rooms spread between a three-storey main…
Unawatuna
A very simple guesthouse that can’t be beaten on price, but could be better maintained. All 11 rooms have private bathrooms and a balcony or veranda,…
The Hill Country
This clean place is pretty basic and rooms (some have shared bathrooms) are a shade overpriced, but it is just across the bridge and very close to the…
The Hill Country
This rest house has a lingering colonial vibe. The rooms' decor is a tad tired but they are kept clean, and the terrace restaurant is a perfect…
Kandy
It’s not quite the ‘highest view’ but we won't quibble because the views are pretty darn good. You'll find pastel-coloured rooms, quiet shared areas and a…
The Hill Country
Just over 1km out of town in the direction of Polhengoda Village, the family-owned Travellers Halt has ageing rooms in a sprawling old house, some with…
Dambulla
The three simple rooms at this sound little guesthouse have private hot-water bathrooms, mosquito nets and fans. Yes, it's close to the road, but the cave…
The Hill Country
This popular wedding-venue place has spacious tiled rooms that are featureless but about the best Badulla has to offer; some have been recently renovated…
Tangalla & Around
Offers modern and pleasantly decorated rooms in leafy, lush grounds, though rates are a tad steep given the location: the beach is down and across the…
Polonnaruwa
Very central, this established hotel has an older block with overpriced rooms and a better new wing offering modern, spacious, inviting rooms set around…
Tangalla & Around
Bright colours abound at the best ultra-cheap option on the strip. The very basic rooms are adequate for a night or two if you're really intent on rupee…
Negombo
The five simple but clean rooms in this family house are set around a pleasant roadside garden, though it suffers from traffic noise. Breakfast is Rs 600…
Jaffna & the North
If you're really on an economy drive, this dated hotel might suffice for a night. Rooms, with TV and mossie nets, are spacious but ageing.
The Hill Country
This 1970s-era concrete hulk has dated, poorly designed rooms but at least staff are friendly and there's a restaurant.
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