64 of the best · Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Where to Stay in Sri Lanka: Colombo, the Coast, the Hills and the Parks
From an 1864 seafront hotel to tea planters’ bungalows and safari tents.
Our 64 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
What's onThis week in Sri Lanka
Insiders' picks
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Sri Lanka.
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Since 1864
Galle Face Hotel
The grand old hotel at the end of Galle Face Green, founded in 1864, with lawns running down to the sea.
2 Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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The old New Oriental Hotel
Amangalla
Aman’s hotel inside Galle Fort, in a Dutch-era building that was for generations the New Oriental Hotel.
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Restored planters’ bungalows
Ceylon Tea Trails
Restored tea planters’ bungalows on working estates in the hills near Hatton, run by Resplendent Ceylon.
The full list: Hotels, A–Z
Colombo 13
In the city.
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The city’s social hub
Cinnamon Grand Colombo
A big, central five-star hotel on Galle Road, home to The Lagoon and many other restaurants.
77 Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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The new skyline
Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams
The tallest new hotel on Colombo’s skyline, part of the City of Dreams complex with restaurants, bars and shopping.
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Since 1864
Galle Face Hotel
The grand old hotel at the end of Galle Face Green, founded in 1864, with lawns running down to the sea.
2 Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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Near the Fort
Hilton Colombo
A long-established international hotel near Colombo Fort and Beira Lake.
2 Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2Explore View on map
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Colombo’s newest grand hotel
ITC Ratnadipa
ITC Hotels’ tower hotel on the Colombo seafront, with ocean views.
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Rooftop pool
Jetwing Colombo Seven
A modern boutique hotel on Ward Place in leafy Colombo 7, with a rooftop pool.
Ward Place, Colombo 7Explore View on map
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A governor’s seaside mansion
Mount Lavinia Hotel
A colonial-era hotel on a headland south of Colombo, built around a former governor’s residence.
Hotel Road 100, Mount LaviniaExplore View on map
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Modern and central
Mövenpick Hotel Colombo
A modern hotel off Galle Road, convenient for the city centre.
Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha 24, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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Towers facing Galle Face Green
Shangri-La Colombo
A large luxury hotel on Galle Face, with restaurants, a spa and views over the ocean and the green.
1 Galle Face, Colombo 2Explore View on map
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Facing Galle Face
Taj Samudra
A large hotel set in gardens facing Galle Face Green and the ocean.
25 Galle Face Centre Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
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At the Fort
The Kingsbury
A large seafront hotel at the edge of Colombo Fort, next to the old lighthouse, with a rooftop bar.
48 Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 1Explore View on map
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Paradise Road
Tintagel Colombo
A small, stylish boutique hotel by Paradise Road in a grand early 20th-century house on Rosmead Place.
65 Rosmead Place, Colombo 7Explore View on map
Galle & the south coast 14
Fort and beaches.
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The old New Oriental Hotel
Amangalla
Aman’s hotel inside Galle Fort, in a Dutch-era building that was for generations the New Oriental Hotel.
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30 suites on a crescent beach
Amanwella
Aman’s beach resort near Tangalle: 30 suites with plunge pools in a coconut grove above a crescent beach.
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A clifftop beach resort
Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle
A large resort on a rocky headland and beach east of Tangalle, with pool villas and a spa.
Matara-Hambantota Road, TangalleExplore View on map
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Villas above the bay
Cape Weligama
A Resplendent Ceylon resort of villas on a headland above the Indian Ocean, near Weligama.
Abimanagama Road, WeligamaExplore View on map
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Inside the walls
Fort Bazaar
A boutique hotel in an old merchant’s house on Church Street, inside Galle Fort.
28 Church Street, Galle FortExplore View on map
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A merchant’s mansion, 11 suites
Galle Fort Hotel
An 11-suite boutique hotel in one of the grand mansions of the Fort, around a courtyard and pool.
Church Street, Galle FortExplore View on map
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Among the paddy fields
Jetwing Kurulubedda
A boutique hotel set among paddy fields inland from Galle, with villas and a pool.
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By Geoffrey Bawa
Jetwing Lighthouse
A hotel by Geoffrey Bawa on the rocks just north of Galle, with a famous spiral staircase sculpture.
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Horseshoe bay
Praia Bay Hiriketiya
A small hotel by Hiriketiya, a horseshoe-shaped surf bay near Dikwella.
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Surf town
Salthouse Weligama
A relaxed hotel in Weligama, part of the Sri Lanka Rest House Collective.
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Beach, golf and family facilities
Shangri-La Hambantota
A large beach resort with a golf course on the deep south coast, on the way to Yala.
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Hilltop house
Sun House
A boutique hotel in a 19th-century merchant’s house on a hill above Galle harbour.
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Beachfront
The Fortress Resort & Spa
A beachfront resort at Koggala, east of Galle, inspired by the architecture of the south.
Negombo & the west 7
Near the airport.
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Bawa heritage
Cinnamon Bentota Beach
A beach resort on the site of Geoffrey Bawa’s famous Bentota Beach Hotel, between the river and the sea.
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Hikkaduwa beach
Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon
A lively beachfront hotel in Hikkaduwa, close to the reef and the surf.
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Close to the airport
Jetwing Blue
A beach hotel in Negombo, about 15–20 minutes from the airport, good for a first or last night.
Poruthota Road, NegomboExplore View on map
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Bawa design
Jetwing Lagoon
A hotel by Geoffrey Bawa between the Negombo lagoon and the sea, with one of the longest pools on the island.
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On the rocks
Saman Villas
A boutique hotel of suites on a rocky outcrop above the Indian Ocean, south of Bentota.
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Bawa touches
The Villa Bentota
A boutique hotel in a 19th-century villa on the beach at Bentota, remodelled by Geoffrey Bawa.
138/18 Galle Road, BentotaExplore View on map
Hills & tea country 13
Cool air.
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Among the tea
98 Acres Resort
A resort of chalets on a tea estate hillside near Ella, facing Little Adam’s Peak.
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Restored planters’ bungalows
Ceylon Tea Trails
Restored tea planters’ bungalows on working estates in the hills near Hatton, run by Resplendent Ceylon.
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On the Mahaweli
Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
A riverside hotel on the Mahaweli River, a short drive from central Kandy.
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Garden setting
Ella Flower Garden Resort
A resort in a garden setting near Ella, with views of the hills.
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One of a kind
Helga’s Folly
A famously eccentric hilltop hotel in Kandy, filled with art, murals and family memorabilia.
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A converted factory
Heritance Tea Factory
A hotel inside a converted tea factory high in the hills near Nuwara Eliya, surrounded by tea.
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Paddy fields
Jetwing Kaduruketha
A hotel among paddy fields at Wellawaya, below the hills, on the way from Ella to Yala.
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Victorian grandeur in the hills
The Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya
A Victorian-era hotel in the centre of Nuwara Eliya, beside the golf course.
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Since 1876
The Hill Club
A stone clubhouse in Nuwara Eliya from 1876, with log fires and formal dining.
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Tea estate
W15 Hanthana Estate
A boutique hotel on a tea estate in the Hantana hills, above Kandy.
947 Uduwela Road, HantanaExplore View on map
Cultural Triangle 5
Near Sigiriya.
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Safari base
Cinnamon Lodge Habarana
A garden hotel by a lake at Habarana, well placed for Minneriya, Kaudulla and Sigiriya.
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By Geoffrey Bawa
Heritance Kandalama
Geoffrey Bawa’s celebrated hotel, built along a rock face above Kandalama tank and slowly covered by jungle.
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Villas in the paddy fields
Jetwing Vil Uyana
Private dwellings among paddy fields, reed beds and lakes created on former farmland near Sigiriya.
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Walauwa estate
Uga Ulagalla
A luxury resort of villas around a 150-year-old walauwa (manor house) near Anuradhapura.
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Near the rock
Water Garden Sigiriya
A resort of villas around water gardens and paddy fields near Sigiriya.
Safari lodges 7
By the parks.
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On the edge of the park
Cinnamon Wild Yala
A Cinnamon hotel of chalets on the edge of Yala National Park, by the sea.
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Between park and sea
Jetwing Yala
A large hotel on the coast near Yala, between the park and the sea.
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Elephant-shaped villa
KumbukRiver Eco-Lodge
An eco-lodge by the Kumbukkan Oya near Yala, famous for its villa built in the shape of an elephant.
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Luxury camping
Leopard Trails
Luxury tented camps near Yala and Wilpattu, with naturalist-led safaris.
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Under canvas
Mahoora Tented Safari Camps
A long-running operator of tented safari camps near Yala and other national parks.
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By the park
Uga Chena Huts
A luxury safari lodge of cabins with plunge pools, on the coast near Yala.
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Cocoon tents by Yala
Wild Coast Tented Lodge
Resplendent Ceylon’s tented lodge on the coast beside Yala National Park.
The east coast 4
Trincomalee and Arugam Bay, in season from about April to September.
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Near Arugam Bay
Jetwing Kottukal Beach House
A small boutique beach hotel near Pottuvil, a short drive from Arugam Bay.
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Wild beach
Jungle Beach by Uga
A luxury resort of cabins between the jungle and a quiet beach, north of Trincomalee.
Jaffna and the north 1
The Tamil north, with its own food, temples and islands.
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Rooftop bar
Jetwing Jaffna
A modern hotel in the centre of Jaffna, with a restaurant influenced by South Indian cooking and a rooftop bar.
Price guide per room per night in high season: $ budget, $$ moderate, $$$ upmarket, $$$$ top end. December to March is high season on the west and south coasts.
