Hotel Lario

The room was spacious and clean, and having a pool was a nice bonus. You can already see the lake from the fourth floor. Breakfast was decent, though I missed fresh vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, and the coffee came only from a machine. Food overall seemed too expensive for its quality. The steak, for instance, was quite dry. I also expected some basics in the room, like complimentary water or coffee and tea facilities. At €220 a night for a 3-star hotel in Italy, I think at least a bottle of water and a coffee machine should be included.

The hotel is lovely and has a great view, but our experience with one staff member spoiled the stay. We’d driven over from the UK and arrived at 8am. At reception, I asked if an early check-in was possible. The woman said yes, offering us a different room since ours wasn’t ready. She first said she’d need to ask her manager about the cost, as she wasn’t sure, though it was usually free. We were wary of agreeing without knowing the price. Then she told us not to worry and said she wouldn’t ask. A few hours later, an email arrived saying we owed 75 euros for the early check-in and room upgrade. When we challenged this at reception, the same woman said we were lying about what she’d told us, claimed she had explained it was an upgrade, and said we had to pay anyway. She also said the hotel had already mentioned it in response to my earlier email. But that email chain clearly shows I’d asked how much an extra night or a 3/4am check-in would cost. The whole exchange felt very rude and unprofessional.

Hotel Lario has lovely, very spacious rooms that were spotless, and the service was good. I’d highly recommend it in the Sigiriya area.

We had booked half board through ANWB, but I wouldn’t recommend that option at this hotel. The food was terrible: dry white fish with a tasteless sauce we couldn’t identify, tough meat, and bland desserts from packets. An elderly waiter served it all, and seemed to know nothing of friendliness or hospitality.