Habarana Hotels

"Hotel was great, so peaceful and located near enough to all of the sites. "

"We booked 3 nights in a deluxe double room - if that was the case I dread to think what their standard rooms were like. Our room was damp and mouldy. Our clothes in the suitcases smelt damp. The room had big cobwebs everywhere. The ceiling fan was filthy. The bathroom had mould and the toilet brush was disgusting. The listing said it had mosquito nets but this was not the case. The menu for dinner was limited with a lot of items unavailable. Breakfast was not good either again limited options and the cooked items were cold. Of course I discussed the room situation with the staff but there wasn’t the option to move. The staff did their best with organising tuk tuks and transfer to Negombo which we were thankful for. We decided to move on a day/night early to get away from the mould and damp. The above makes us sound like divas but that is not the case. We are seasoned travellers and accept that accommodation in the forest/jungle of Sigiriya would not be 5 star especially when they have a lot of rain, but we would like to think the listing on this site would be representative of what we would get. By all accounts there are better places to stay close by, perhaps I didn’t look closely enough. Don’t make the same mistake we did!"

"Big hotel complex but very well run"

"Nice enough but very much a tourist hotel, pool size was too small to actually swim in. Poor access to internet when I mentioned it response was “oh the hotel is full” internet capacity should be made for a full hotel! Buffet was on. Wine was very expective "

"Wonderful staff . nothing was too much trouble. Lovely accommodation. Bit difficult for driver to find but very secluded. Only negative was the stray dogs roaming around and 1 in particular sleeping outside our front door."

"We had a fabulous stay. The hotel is beautiful and the staff wonderful, particularly our butler, Prasanna."

"Lovely calm resort. Felt like a retreat. Loved the location. Set in the jungle. Dinner was lovely. "

"The standout from this place was the pool. Easily the best to date in Lanka. It runs directly East to West so has the sun permanently on it, making it lovely and warm. It also appears in very good nick so I would guess is relatively new. The room was pleasantly adequate with no complaints. The odd thing was there was no reception as such so to find someone, I discovered ‘hollering’ ended up being the best way. Location is definitely Marmite with peace, quite and seclusion giving it a glowing reference but distance to shops and Tuktuk making less preferable for some. I would have stayed a lot longer but internet can only be described as sporadic at best so if that’s an essential for you, I’d pass or enquire as to whether they’ve upgraded or not "

"We are architects and the property is one of the most architecturally significant modern properties in Sri Lanka blending vernacular architecture with modern design. It’s fabulous considering a slightly odd site accessed only via a new bridge. The architecture and furniture and some of the best I’ve seen. The staff are great and friendly. slightly too over attentive at meal times but that’s probably just me! The only shortfall is the integration of the amenities into the overall operation - it needs a designated bar (apparently in the works) as after dinner the only option is to go to your villa room. Not a problem per se but would be nice to socialise a bit after. During the day if you hang out at the property we missed some attentive drinks and snacks being considered for the pool area (lovely pool overlooking the pady fields!) when you felt slightly left to your own devises. If this was a soho house there would be someone around acknowledging your presence and servicing from time to time - you have to go and find the staff who then they snap into action. A bit snoozy if you are trying to have a fun time! - major issue is the lack of variety of drinks - beers and wines only - I could have done with a gin and tonic or two beside the pool - slightly not understanding why management haven’t worked this out (I know licensing is tricky in Sri Lanka) as I would have probably spent 50% more on my extra/ ove bill (over and above the half board) if this had been worked through 4/5!"