Luxury guide · Sri Lanka
Luxury Sri Lanka: Our Favourites
The finest of Sri Lanka, gathered in one place: the grandest hotels from Galle Fort to the tea hills and Yala, the best tables, rooftops, spas, golf, gems and design, and luxury cars.
What's onThis week in Sri Lanka
Grand hotels
-
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
-
Colombo’s newest grand hotel
ITC Ratnadipa
ITC Hotels’ tower hotel on the Colombo seafront, with ocean views.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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
-
Restored planters’ bungalows
Ceylon Tea Trails
Restored tea planters’ bungalows on working estates in the hills near Hatton, run by Resplendent Ceylon.
-
Villas in the paddy fields
Jetwing Vil Uyana
Private dwellings among paddy fields, reed beds and lakes created on former farmland near Sigiriya.
-
Cocoon tents by Yala
Wild Coast Tented Lodge
Resplendent Ceylon’s tented lodge on the coast beside Yala National Park.
-
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.
-
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
-
Beachfront
The Fortress Resort & Spa
A beachfront resort at Koggala, east of Galle, inspired by the architecture of the south.
-
On the rocks
Saman Villas
A boutique hotel of suites on a rocky outcrop above the Indian Ocean, south of Bentota.
-
Near the rock
Water Garden Sigiriya
A resort of villas around water gardens and paddy fields near Sigiriya.
-
Walauwa estate
Uga Ulagalla
A luxury resort of villas around a 150-year-old walauwa (manor house) near Anuradhapura.
-
By the park
Uga Chena Huts
A luxury safari lodge of cabins with plunge pools, on the coast near Yala.
-
Luxury camping
Leopard Trails
Luxury tented camps near Yala and Wilpattu, with naturalist-led safaris.
-
Wild beach
Jungle Beach by Uga
A luxury resort of cabins between the jungle and a quiet beach, north of Trincomalee.
-
Near Arugam Bay
Jetwing Kottukal Beach House
A small boutique beach hotel near Pottuvil, a short drive from Arugam Bay.
-
On the headland
Taj Bentota Resort & Spa
A Taj beach resort on a headland above Bentota beach, managed by the Indian Hotels Company (IHCL); formerly Vivanta by Taj Bentota.
Beach Road, BentotaExplore View on map
-
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
Fine dining
-
Lagoon crab, the Colombo icon
Ministry of Crab
The famous crab restaurant in the Old Dutch Hospital, founded by chef Dharshan Munidasa with cricketers Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara.
Old Dutch Hospital, Hospital Street, Colombo 1Explore View on map
-
Dharshan Munidasa’s first restaurant
Nihonbashi
The Japanese restaurant with which chef Dharshan Munidasa began, cooking with Sri Lankan seafood.
-
Dim sum and Peking duck
Shang Palace
The Chinese restaurant of the Shangri-La Colombo, for Cantonese, Szechuan and Dongbei cooking and dim sum.
Shangri-La Colombo, 1 Galle Face, Colombo 2Explore View on map
-
Sushi with a view
Tenkū
The Japanese restaurant at The Kingsbury, with city views, more than 50 kinds of sushi and sashimi and a teppanyaki room.
The Kingsbury, 48 Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 1Explore View on map
Rooftops & cocktails
-
Drinks above the Dutch Hospital
Botanik Bistro & Rooftop Bar
A rooftop bar and bistro on Hospital Street, looking over the Old Dutch Hospital and the Fort.
Hospital Street 7, Colombo 1Explore View on map
-
Ocean view
Sky Lounge at The Kingsbury
The rooftop bar of The Kingsbury hotel, beside the old lighthouse in Fort, with views over the ocean and the harbour.
48 Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 1Explore View on map
-
Ninth-floor rooftop
Sky Bar at Headquarters by W15
A rooftop restaurant and bar on the ninth floor of HQ Colombo, with city views and cocktails, open daily from noon.
9th floor, HQ Colombo, 464A T. B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10Explore View on map
-
Cocktails at the Shangri-La
Sapphyr Lounge
The cocktail lounge of the Shangri-La Colombo, for an elegant evening drink by Galle Face.
Shangri-La Colombo, 1 Galle Face, Colombo 2Explore View on map
Spas & wellness
-
A city-centre spa
CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La Colombo
Shangri-La’s spa brand, with treatment rooms at the Colombo hotel.
1 Galle Face, Colombo 2Explore View on map
-
A wellness resort in the hills
Santani Wellness Kandy
A wellness resort on a former estate in the hills outside Kandy, built around stays with yoga, treatments and set menus.
-
Bathing rituals in the Fort
Amangalla, The Baths
The bathhouse and spa at Amangalla, inside the walls of Galle Fort.
Golf
-
Golf in the city
Royal Colombo Golf Club
Colombo’s historic golf club, an 18-hole course in the middle of the city.
-
Above the Victoria reservoir
Victoria Golf & Country Resort
An 18-hole course in the hills near Kandy, overlooking the Victoria reservoir and the Knuckles range.
-
Founded 1889
Nuwara Eliya Golf Club
A historic hill-country course in the centre of Nuwara Eliya, founded in 1889.
-
A resort course on the south coast
Shangri-La Hambantota Golf
The golf course at the Shangri-La Hambantota beach resort, on the deep south coast.
Gems, jewellery & design
-
Designer Shanth Fernando, since 1987
Paradise Road
The design store founded in 1987 by Shanth Fernando, for homeware, tableware and gifts.
Alfred House Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
-
Handwoven colour
Barefoot
Barbara Sansoni’s celebrated store for handwoven cotton textiles, toys, books and gifts.
Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
-
A fair-trade handloom maker
Selyn
A Sri Lankan fair-trade handloom company, selling textiles, clothes and toys.
-
Sri Lankan luxury toiletries
Spa Ceylon
A Sri Lankan brand of Ayurveda-inspired bath and body products, with boutiques across the island and abroad.
-
Since 1922
Colombo Jewellery Stores (CJS)
One of Colombo’s oldest jewellers, founded in 1922, known for gems and fine jewellery.
-
A Colombo jewellery house
Sifani
A Sri Lankan jewellery house with showrooms in Colombo, specialising in gems and fine jewellery.
-
Sapphires and gemstones
Zam Gems
Gem merchants and jewellers with showrooms in Colombo and on the road into Kandy.
-
Handcrafted furniture
Raux Brothers
A Sri Lankan maker of handcrafted furniture and home décor, including colonial-style pieces.
-
Since 1928
Raja Jewellers
A family jeweller established in 1928, with its main showroom on Galle Road and branches in Kandy and Negombo.
173 Galle Road, Colombo 4Explore View on map
Luxury cars
-
The official importer
Mercedes-Benz Sri Lanka (DIMO)
The authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer and service network in Sri Lanka, run by DIMO.
-
Range Rover, Defender, Discovery
Land Rover Sri Lanka
Land Rover’s official Sri Lankan website and dealer, for Range Rover, Defender and Discovery.