Discover the Best Accommodations in Sri Lanka: Luxury to Budget Options Unveiled!
Last Updated: April 20, 2024 | Flavorful Asia
Sri Lanka has often been synonymous with backpacker trips, but that has been changing over the last few years. Here, I will share with you some of the most luxurious places you can stay in Sri Lanka. But, as the title states, I will also include economy and budget spaces too. So, if you don’t fancy spending $500 a night, we have plans for other beautiful affordable options too, for as low as $7 a night.
After traveling to different places in Sri Lanka for one month, I made a list of the 11 best places to stay on this island, covering all the must-visit places: the surfing town of Arugam Bay, the valley of Ella, the capital Colombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and the coastal city of Galle.
Let us find your next accommodation in Sri Lanka:
Table of Contents
The Malabar Hill – 300$ to 500$ depending on the season
We start with luxury hotels. We stayed at one of the best and most unique places in Sri Lanka called Malabar Hill. This local gem is hidden on the hilltop of Castle Town. After staying in many hotels in my life, the one I stayed at on top of Malabar mountain was unmatched. We were only there for two nights. Our only mistake was not spending a few more nights there. I was impressed with the staff and managers there; their behavior drew me to Sri Lanka. After we arrived at the hotel gate, an electric golf car received us and took us to the top of the hill. The staff there gave us a warm welcome and showed us the whole hotel. The main attraction of this hotel is the natural beauty of Malabar Hills. One of the staff introduced us to the flora and fauna of the entire hotel. I have never stayed in a hotel like this before, which has so much natural beauty of its own. I also saw wild ticks there. The Malabar Hill Hotel was designed by two Australian friends.
The Malabar Hills are built amidst nature. It has 15 private villas, each with its own private pool where you can have a floating breakfast if you want. From there, you can see a stunning view of the green vegetation and the ocean rising on the horizon. Not only that, you can hear the songs of various species of birds, including monkeys.
Not only that, this hotel has a beautiful library and a 35-meter-long pool. The great thing about it is that they have an amazing restaurant. All in all, this place is pretty good, especially the staff.
Glenross Living – 300$ to 500$ a night, depending on the season
Glenross Living is also a luxury budget hotel located near Neboda, half an hour away from Colombo City. There are two types of accommodation: the luxurious Admiral Suite and an old colonial bungalow, which is 144 years old. Each room comes with a private pool.
The Marriott Weligama – 100$ to 200$ a night, depending on the season
The Marriott Weligama is one of my favorite places. The rooms here are very big, and every room has a balcony, which is my favorite. The biggest thing is that you can enjoy the sea from the room and the sunset from the balcony. The beds in this hotel are also huge, and I like the bathroom too. A few days ago, I was in a hotel where the bathroom was under the open sky, and it was in the forest on the hills. A spider bit me there. The food in this hotel is very good, and they have super-fast internet facilities.
The Radisson Blu – 100$ to 200$ a night, depending on the season
The Radisson Blu Resort in Galle is located two hours from Colombo and an hour from Weligama. You can easily take a day trip to this town, but we really enjoyed staying there. It has a rich history and beautiful architecture. We stayed here in March, and then the hotel was called the Amari Hotel. I’m guessing the Radisson bought them. However, we did think it was a bit expensive for what you got. First, they gave us the wrong room because there was somebody’s birthday cake in there. It’s your birthday; you gotta eat some ants. And then we booked the king-size room, but we got a twin room because they were sold out. So now we have two twin beds. Let me show you the bathroom; we have two sinks so we can brush our teeth together. Robes are always a plus for me, and an iron. It’s a typical big resort for families with kids and some rude travelers. They do, however, have a beautiful beach that you can have completely to yourself if you stay. I do highly recommend getting a massage from Mouli; it’s the best massage I have ever had.
Jamu Surf Lodge – 100$ a night, depending on the season
This cute little lodge is also located in the surfing village of Baligama. We stayed here for one week for a yoga retreat, but you don’t have to be part of the retreat to stay here. The staff and the food were awesome, and we had so much fun. They took such good care of us during our stay. A heads up, if you’re planning to stay here, make sure you know if the room you’re booking has AC or not. They also don’t have generators, so during power cuts, there was no electricity or water. But as long as you know what you’re signing up for, you’ll be fine. They also offer drop-in yoga classes daily, and it’s the perfect place to come for breakfast or lunch. Make sure to say hi to Shriya and the cutest dog, Pringles, for me if you go there.
Budget Accommodations
Now let me show you all the wonderful budget accommodations we stayed at in different places all over Sri Lanka. One thing to keep in mind with these budget accommodations is that some of them don’t have generators for when the power goes out, and their Wi-Fi is not always the best either. But if you have a good power bank and a phone plan, you’ll be good starting off with two hotels in the capital city Colombo. If you’re going to Sri Lanka, you’re most likely landing in Colombo. Choosing a hotel in Colombo can be confusing, but these hotels have a good location.
Mandarina Hotel – 50$ to 80$ a night, Depending on Season
This place had good service and good food, and it was clean, but the rooms were a little small. There was also construction going on right in front of this hotel, so it kind of blocks your ocean view from your room and your pool. But the pool on the roof was really nice. There are four sunbeds on the rooftop.
Renuka City Hotel – 40$ to 70$ a night, Depending on Season
This was a good last-minute option as I was just sleeping there for one night. The rooms in the lobby are a bit dated, but they make up for it with their stunning rooftop pool. It was nice in a budget-friendly place to stay and relax after my long journey from New York. One thing though, the food was a bit expensive and not the best.
Dinasara Pearl Villa Weligama – 15$ to 35$ a night, Depending on the Season
One of my favorite budget accommodations was it. This little hidden gem is located on a Cliffside in Weligama. This hotel is run by a middle-class family. They were so welcoming and lovely, and we ended up staying for five days. This place even has breakfast included that you can enjoy with the most breathtaking view of the Indian Ocean. There is also a beautiful private beach next door, and we went there almost every day and we were completely alone. They have a few different rooms here, but the one I stayed at was $15 a night but had no sea view. This is definitely a hidden gem if you’re looking for a budget. It was clean, and the manager was great; he also has a tuk-tuk. So he can drive you wherever you want almost any time of the day. I highly recommend it.
Water Guest Sigiriya – 7$ to 20$ a night, Depending on Season
This is our favorite budget place we stay. It has a really nice bed, and the best part is a teddy doll in every room. For $7 a night, we had an incredible view right to Lion’s Rock. Breakfast is included, and the company of the most beautiful Sri Lankan family. This family were some of the warmest hosts we’ve encountered in a one-month trip. We felt like part of their family immediately; this place is so cool. It’s a tower with three rooms. And it has a massive garden with vegetables and all kinds of flowers. It’s also close to the two main attractions in Sigiriya, Lion’s Rock and Pidurangala Rock. We are definitely staying here again if we go back to Sigiriya, and I can’t recommend this place enough.
Swiss Residence – 33$ to 50$ a night, Depending on Season
It’s located 10 minutes from the main train station in Kandy, where you take the train to Ella. So we only stayed here for one night. It was a bit expensive for what you got, but we booked last minute and liked the convenience of how close it was to the train station.
Misty Hill Ella – 30$ to 40$ a night, Depending on Season
This was also a hotel we booked last minute after we got off the train in Ella and realized we’d forgotten to book a hotel for a night in Ella. We stayed here for two nights. There is a normal bathroom, and then we have a pretty big bedroom with AC, a fan, a desk, and a mini-fridge that was plugged in. And it had an incredible view of Little Adam’s Peak, Ella Rock, and the rolling hills.
Conclusion
So there you have it, those are all the places you can stay in Sri Lanka, or at least that we went to and that we wanted to include in this article. I hope it’ll help you to find the best accommodation in Sri Lanka.