Bit dark

Unusual set up, very cool design although 27 years old! Set around a rock

Stayed in October 2023

The rooms will soon need sensitive updating.

It's a fascinating building wonderfully situated right in the heart of the jungle, with plants growing over it. Marvellous views over the nearby lake, just slightly spoiled by the fact that a drought had left it nearly empty. Service was superb with tremendous attention to detail. I enjoyed the meals, both the buffet breakfast and dinner, each of which provided a very wide choice. The rooms are very comfortable and spotlessly clean. A memorable place to stay.

Stayed in October 2023

Expensive

Excellent food, lot of to choose

Stayed in September 2023

Lack of english knowlage 3/5 you are in the middle of nowhere,

View, stuff atitude, spa, architecture and the fact that it is in a jungle

Stayed in October 2023

nothing

Delicious and arranged very well

Stayed in September 2023

The lake is gone almost

The jungle experience was amazing

Stayed in September 2023

The hotel does look a little tired and could do with a little renovation to bring some life back to its walls and rooms. Watch out for monkeys stealing from your room if you forget and leave the balcony doors open!

This is an OG Sri Lankan hotel and has a reputation for being a great hotel. The property is massive and fantastic, with nature and wildlife all around, a rustic aesthetic, 2 swimming pools and excellent food. It is a fantastic place to unwind and relax in but can get a bit crowded especially if there is a wedding happening. The rock pool is a nice touch and the ambience here is very relaxing.

Stayed in July 2023

The only thing that was not quite there was the lack of sockets and the problem with the lights. It was not easy to find a free socket to charge our devices. Also, for some reason on a second day some of the lights stopped working.

The breakfast and dinner was very good. Many options and everything was delicious. The personnel was kind and responsive. We got a top quality support while checking in and out. We also asked for a doctor and he was also quite professional and helpful. We spotted about 10 monkeys at our balcony and had a beautiful view. We would love to come back.

Stayed in September 2023

Maybe the food is not the best. Trying to be something that kandalama is not. A mix in between English and Sri Lankan… kind of weird. Not bad, but not what I expect

Incredible staff, amazing installations. The hotel is amazing, super into nature. You can see free elephants in the horizon. There’s monkeys all over the place. Everything super classy and glamorous.

Stayed in September 2023

The building / rooms are ready for renovations. It is already planned according to the staff. Still the overall experience was great.

The true treasure of this place is the surrounding nature & wildlife, view and the great staff. We had a great day with our driver and guide Bandara. He knew so much about the area and animals. He had such a great spirit and made this day very special for us. We will never forget :)

Stayed in September 2023

Nothing

Beautiful Hotel with Exceptional experience of nature.. Coming from a city filled with buildings, this place was a haven for us..

Stayed in September 2023

The cost was quiet high compared to other Heritance hotels we had stayed in but the experience was worth every penny

The location was spectacular. We stayed in room 501,king panoramic, we had a fabulous view of Sigiriya rock and saw elephants from the shower. The food was amazing and the staff were even better. Our driver was looked after well also. An absolute highlight of our trip, Thank you

Stayed in September 2023

The chefs were watching while we were serving food at the buffet. That felt us uncomfortable little much.

The view was picturesque and calming. The meals are so delicious and clean and well planned and arranged. And the staff were very friendly, especially Mr. Shantha and Mr. Madushanka who were guided us around the hotel.

Stayed in September 2023

Need to give product knowledge to the staff about what facility in hotel,and leader have to give 100% product knowledge to their employees so they know how to give answer to the guest

The staff hotel truly friendly madu one of the staff at bar best so far,the building so unique,lot of story behind of that really need more to know about tht.and I’m really enjoyed stay at u hotel

Stayed in September 2023

Food and drinks were significantly more expensive than anywhere else we have stayed. No formal dining area for dinner other than buffer. A la carte (not the snack back) would be more suitable for many guests who do not want to dine with huge numbers of people.

Absolutely breathtaking location. Rooms were gorgeous. Staff very friendly and accommodating. Location fab to explore Sigiriya, National Parks etc.

Stayed in September 2023

There weren’t a lot of dinner options. We opted for the a la carte restaurant for our dinners, which had amazing food, very impressed with the chef. However, it would be nice to see more local food on the menu, as it feels they are catering too much to westerners with burgers and hotdogs etc.

From the moment we arrived at kandalama, we were greeted by the most lovely staff. The facilities are incredible, the staff are wonderful, and the views and scenery are so special. A special shout-out to Vishan and sadun, who made the cutest towel elephants for us everyday, and did a great job at checking in on us to make sure we had everything we needed. The music at 8pm every night in the lounge upstairs, was a delight at the end of the day. I also had an incredible massage at the coco spa. The ladies were so lovely, and my masseuse did a great job. Very relaxing, and would recommend the hot stone massage.

Stayed in September 2023

Everything! One of the best hotels in Sri Lanka. Ecologically conscious, great staff, a lot of activities nearby, and architectural gem. We hired a jeep through hotel and had the best experience with driver Bandara. Do ask for him if you need a guide with immense local knowledge and connections. Naturalist Navindu also provides great knowledge on surrounding area and can help organise fantastic outdoor experiences

Stayed in September 2023

Insects, lizards in the room

Architecture

Stayed in September 2023

Road for the hotel was scary. Hotel staffs were slow for everything. Staffs didn’t engage with the guests much.

Hotel was really expensive. Food was great.

Stayed in August 2023

Liked the surrounding n the look of the hotel.

Stayed in August 2023

nothing!

everything!

Stayed in August 2023

Being situated in its own very rural grounds and with a combining indoors and outdoors design there are monkeys around the hotel which can be a nuisance at times - although the hotel does employ staff to scare the monkeys away.

Kandalama is situated in its own grounds with views of Sigiriya, a lake and the surrounding countryside. It is possible to see wild life venturing to the lake. There is a choice of swimming pools and a number of areas in which to relax. It is an architecturally interesting hotel - having been designed by the renowned Sri Lanka architect Geoffrey Bawa.

Stayed in August 2023

Beautifully designed - the hotel is a destination in itself Could have stayed on another week

Stayed in August 2023

Restaurants and In room dining- the quality, options and the consistency was very poor

Location and the hotel it self. Breakfast was good quality and consistent

Stayed in July 2023

I messaged the hotel a couple of months before my stay to ask two questions (whether the hotel had live music o the night of our stay and the prices of a taxi to the airport). After a week there was no reply so I resent the message. I got a mail back with about five different unnecessary links (unrelated to my questions!) and they only answered the one about the transport. I mailed them again a week before the stay to ask whether payment by card was acceptable (having realized it often isn't in Sri Lanka) and never got a reply! This was my first time to stay in a 5 star hotel BUT I have worked in one (!) and found this really unbelievable! Also, the room amenities were good but the shower gel amount was really stingy (we each took a shower on arrival and used it all and had to ask for more for the next day (which was brought quickly). The front desk had so many staff who seemed pretty free whereas the cashiers office (for all payments) had only one or two and at checkout there was a long line. It seems it might be better to have fewer staff on the front desk and more in the cashiers office(?). Lastly, it could do with a small convenience store stocking water and snacks as there are no stores in the area.

We were upgraded to a room with a jacuzzi which was very snazzy and nice! The room was great and the view of Sigirya Rock and the lake was absolutely incredible! The pool was great, and the morning buffet was an amazing spread and yummy! The cleaning staff in particular were really helpful and friendly. The monkeys jumping onto the balcony were a very special memory! It was like being in the middle of nature...but in luxury!!!!! A really unique hotel experience and I hope I can stay again someday!

Stayed in August 2023