Guitar Bay Arugambay

I had a fantastic stay and would happily recommend the hotel. Breakfast had plenty of choice, and the food was better than I expected. It was also easy to get to public transport and nearby attractions. Staff were warm, professional, and very helpful from arrival, and check-in went smoothly. My room was spacious, spotless, and had everything I needed, including a comfortable bed. I appreciated the thoughtful design and cleanliness. The on-site amenities were clean and well maintained, especially the [pool/spa/gym/restaurant—customize as needed]. I’d stay here again for the comfort, convenience, and service.

The location is decent, at one end of the bay, with little beach space outside the resort. The pool looked really nice. Sadly, our stay was so bad that I wouldn’t recommend the hotel to a friend, and the price didn’t match what we expected. We had booked three rooms, but one wasn’t ready when we arrived. They suggested that two of our six people stay at another hotel, but we said we’d wait and eventually got into the room at 6pm. The rooms were very dirty: one smelled of sick, and another had ants all over the bathroom. We reported it, and staff said they’d clean again, but nothing changed. We decided to leave. Two of us moved out two hours later, while the other four stayed one night instead of the three booked, then joined them. We cancelled one room for the first night before 6pm, following booking.com’s rules, but were still charged for that night. The cancellation fee was the same as the night’s cost. The next morning, the other four tried to check out after already paying for the rooms on booking.com, but staff insisted they had to pay again in cash. We went back and forth for an hour. Eventually, they gave us a business receipt so we could try to claim the money back from booking.com. Unfortunately, the staff went from nice and helpful to extremely rude.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the beachfront was peaceful with a nice sunrise view. That was about the only bright spot in a disappointing stay. The room was filthy, the bathroom was in terrible shape, and cockroaches made the lack of cleanliness hard to ignore. The pool looked disgusting, with greenish water and debris. There were no cooking facilities, which was inconvenient, and I felt uncomfortable the whole time. It didn’t seem safe for kids at all. A total waste of money.

The direct beach access and guitar-shaped pool give Guitar Bay Hotel a distinctive beachfront setting in Arugam Bay, and the staff are friendly. The location feels peaceful too. There have been reports of cleanliness and maintenance problems, though, so I’d check recent reviews or contact the hotel to see whether those concerns have been dealt with before booking.