Coco Bay

Thinesh always made sure we had what we needed, and the cleaning lady did a better job than housekeeping at a five star resort, honestly. The rooms are cleaned daily, and towels and sheets are changed every second day. Our room was spacious enough, with hot water and the best AC of our whole Sri Lankan road trip. The bed is really comfortable, and the quiet street meant we slept well. It's away from the noisy main road but still a short walk to cafes and restaurants, and only five minutes from the main point. If you surf and want a good night's sleep, I don't think you'll find a better place in Abay.

We stayed five nights at Coco Bay with our two teenage sons and all had a great time. The staff were lovely and really tried to make the stay special. The rooms were spacious and kept very clean, and we used the awesome pool a lot. The beach is lovely and the staff keep it clean. There's a surfboard guests can use, and a staff member gives lessons to learners. We ate all our meals at Coco Bay. Breakfast was included, tasty, especially the Sri Lankan one, and filling enough to keep us going until dinner. Dinner was delicious and could be delivered to the room, which the boys loved. Great stay all around.

The terrace beanbags were the one thing I liked. Otherwise, despite the amazing view, the place felt like a scam. It's completely overpriced for what it is, and expensive compared with other places in Ella. Even at that price, they still want cash only. The whole hotel looks like an unfinished construction site. There's no hot water, the bathroom smells, and the room has terrible ventilation and air. Lots of small things needed for comfort are missing too, like somewhere to put luggage and plugs or lights by the bed.

The view is probably the only thing going for this hotel. From the room you can see Adam’s peak and a million stars at night. The cleaner was nice, but there wasn't much she could do. It's a basic place, overpriced for what you get, and the room is only okay for a night or two. It looked like construction was still going on, and we had to call when we arrived to get someone to show us the room. Nobody helped with luggage. The town centre is a 5-7 minute walk away. Wi-Fi didn't work even with the password, and when we asked about the lack of hot water they said we could shower in the next room. Without a bathtub, the bathroom gets wet all over every time you shower. A slit in the door let lots of insects into our room at night. They also don't take card payments, despite what booking.com said.