Health hazard at Bentota Beach Hotel
by TripAdvisor Member chunkychoccy
The combination of the cold damp rooms and ridiculous prices outweighed the benefits of the lovely pool, fabulous food, beautiful grounds, friendly squirrels, gym, tennis courts, resident elephant, friendly squirrels, river with sports facilites, sea just outside the back gate, Ayurvedic massage available on site...
Sri Lanka is fabulous and I will definitely return next year. However I would not stay at this hotel again because of the unsavoury condition of the bedrooms.
The room was made freezing cold by the air conditioning but if we turned it off and opened the door to the balcony to let in warm air, the room immediately stank of damp and water ran down the walls in rivulets of condensation.
The pillows were covered in mildew, merely hidden by the clean pillow slips. The beds were soaked through with the damp. It was a serious health hazard staying there.
We changed rooms with little improvement, our pillows were replaced with ones that smelled equally damp but at least did not show black mildew patches. Later in the week our beds were thrown out and replaced with less damp ones, assumedly from another room, but the smelly pillows remained.
Overall a fabulous holiday; Sri Lanka is a great place. The local people are very friendly, the hotel staff excellent, the food at the hotel is an amazing array of choices of flavours of styles and some is even cooked in front of you in the restaurant. Be careful ordering wine - I managed to get one that cost more than the price of three full buffet dinners!
The staff were fabulous. Very friendly, helpful and attentive. It was always possible to get something to eat and drink, whether at the restaurant, the bar, the pool bar or terrace restaurant.
Interesting sales strategies by the local lads and ladies who needed us to buy their wares and take up their tourism trip opportunities. Most people are genuine but some, as anywhere else in the world, are just there to part you from your money.
A friend of mine stayed at a little guest house down the road and was much better off. The landlady was lovely and cooked them tasty local meals every day. It was small and a bit damp from the rainy weather but clean and warm.
My advice would be give this hotel a miss until they have done the promised refurbishments - all the beds and pillows need to be replaced.
Hotel at Bentota
by datapanik about Bentota Beach Hotel
Another stunning location with the Bentota River on one side and a short stroll to the Indian Ocean on the other! The hotel is built on the site of a 17th century Dutch fort and all rooms are air conditioned. There is a good range of watersports available and also an outdoor freshwater swimming pool in the hotel grounds.
4 star hotel at Bentota Beach
by Sunchild about Bentota Beach Hotel
As this hotel is the neighbour hotel to Serendip hotel, we visited it a few times (mainly for dancing reasons - they offered life music at their large bar room).
The hotel really looks nice - inside and garden - but really big (which I am not too fond of!). They have no views on the beach from their garden (sun beds are only in the garden) which would be a big "minus" for me.
We did not see any of their rooms, though and therefore cannot judge.
Nice hotel. Good life music and dancing facilities in their bar room.
Bentota Beach
by TripAdvisor Member Liz73
Just come back from a fabulous 2 weeks in Sri Lanka.
After a weeks tour of the north of the island we spent 6 nights at Bentota Beach. Were slightly apprehensive as we had been given the option to change hotels while they renovated and then the renovation was put on hold but from what we could see a renovation didn't need to take place! Hotel and facilities were great, staff very friendly and helpful and so much food to choose from we even had our own elephant on the beach !
Just be aware of the locals trying to sell you anything from a sarong to a boat trip as you take your morning walk along the beach, once you have said No they soon get the message!
A beautiful, small hotel
by bentota about Waterside Boutique Villa and Restaurant
A Boutique Villa, with 6 double bedrooms, a small hotel with excellent facilities. On arriving you are greeted by smiling professional staff and shown to your room. This is incredibly pleasant especially if you have had a long flight and travelled 3 hours from Colombo.
When you enter your spacious room you notice that you have all the comforts found in the larger resorts, air conditioning, satellite tv, mini bar, phone, a proper bathroom with a shower which you will be craving after your travels. You walk out onto your veranda, or upstairs, the balcony, and look out onto a wonderful view of the River. You feel able to relax straight away and by the end of a few days I felt thoroughly pampered and spoilt, by having everything I needed when I needed it!
As the hotel is off the main road leading to Galle, it is surrounded by jungle and a small village, so there was the odd cow sat in the road here and there, an elephant munching on bananas - tethered and cared for as he was a working elephant I hasten to add. It all adds to the local character and charm of the place. Everything works more slowly and leisurely in Sri Lanka, so it is far better to relax and enjoy the scenery. It was so nice to be met at the airport by a chauffeured, airconditioned car provided by the Waterside, the driver was able to point out places of interest and kept his eye on the road especially with the tuk tuk drivers who seem to have created their own highway code! I understand that there is a seaplane which can be arranged from the Airport and lands on the river by the Waterside which would have been an incredible experience and far quicker had I known beforehand. Next time I would like to try that, must remember to have the video camera handy to take aerial shots.
There is a private pool within gardens and a short walk to a splendid restaurant which serves international and sri lankan cuisine. Do try the local dishes and the seafood, very delicious. The fact that this hotel is so new, it is clean, fresh and modern with attention to small details, I felt safe from the fear of food poisoning and such like that I know can happen. The hotel was nicely decorated throughout. On the top floor is a roof bar with stunning views and tree tops, reminding you that you are in a jungle. Along the riverside are mangroves and a jetty where a boat can take you into Bentota, to the 3 mile long bentota beach, or across to Aluthgama. Plenty of places to explore and friendly staff to help you find your way.
Whether a short stopover or staying for two weeks or more, this is a relaxing safe location to rest and a great place to go start your exploration of the rest of the Island. The staff are happy to arrange excursions and can recommend reliable professional guides to take you on a safari. They can recommend things to do, places to visit.
There is a small temple nearby, as this is mainly a Buddhist community, which is interesting to visit. The people are respectful and as a consequence I felt the need to show respect to the monks and to the local people.
Splash the cash
by mafi_moya
At the opposite end of the scale Sri Lanka has some truly excellent top class hotels - a much better selection than most visitors expect. Colombo, Kandy and the big towns are particularly well blessed but there are others near beach resorts such as Bentota (the Bentota Beach) and Kalutara (Royal Palms) that deserve a mention.
As well as standard international chains (like the Hilton) there are some unique colonial style hotels (eg The Galle Face, The Mount Lavinia), and original creations such as those of Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's most famous architect. He designed luxury hotels such as Bentota Beach and the Lighthouse in Galle. There are various other highly original and luxurious places to stay such as Elephant's Corridor and the Tea Factory.
So if you've got plenty of money to burn then the choice is yours! It's worth noting that Sri Lanka's official government policy of charging tourists higher prices also applies to top-end hotels. If you're a Sri Lankan citizen or a foreigner with a residency visa (like myself ha ha) then there are some absolutely amazing bargains to be had. Otherwise things can get quite expensive.
Photos
The grounds of the Bentota Beach Hotel
Bentota Beach
Bentota Beach
Bentota Beach
Forum Posts
bentota beach hotel
by richardtz49
Was interested in opinion of Bentota beach hotel vs Triton beach hotel. Supposedly renovated bewntota beach hotel within two years. Als is swimming safe in January at the beach? Thanks in advance.
Re: bentota beach hotel
by Nilanka
Both hotels are equally good. Triton has better food I would say. let me know if you need any info: nilankap@sltnet.lk
Re: bentota beach hotel
by Rogietlegs
I think you will find that Bentota Beach hotel is more centralised and you can walk into Aluthgama from there. Also there are other shops and restaurants nearby. The Triton is very much out on a limb with nothing to do in the surrounding area. Whilst we stayed in Bentota, friends on the same tour stayed at the Triton and they were very frustrated that they could not get out and about under their own steam. Hope this helps.
Re: bentota beach hotel
by suemac
I agree Bentota beach is the better location with other good hotels and restaurants you can visit , you do not get hassled by beach boys as they are not allowed on that area.
Sign in with Facebook
