Palm Grove Holiday Inn

Avoid this place. We paid a 3,000 LKR booking fee online and were told our reservation was confirmed. Four hours before arriving, we called to check on the family room and were assured it would be ready, with staff saying they’d clean it before we got there. Instead, the receptionist seemed unaware of our booking, and we waited around 15 minutes in the lobby while they got the room ready. When we handed over our ID, he kept it until “tomorrow,” so we couldn’t just leave straight away. The room was awful: the bathroom toilet smelled overpoweringly bad, the sink tap was broken and sprayed water, and the AC barely worked. The ceiling fan made a loud, irritating noise. The sheets were crusty and looked unchanged, a pillow was missing until we asked for one, and there were insects everywhere. At night, a guest in the next room left a small dog locked inside. It barked in fear from 11:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and we couldn’t sleep. Reception said they’d call back in 10 minutes, but it took 20, which felt like they didn’t care about guests. The pool was just as bad: insects floating in it, and its rough bottom actually cut our skin. The changing rooms smelled of urine and had empty alcohol bottles scattered around. The shower was the only thing that worked, though there were bottles around that too. Don’t book here if you care about safety, hygiene, or being able to rest.

The location is just beyond Arugam Bay’s chaotic centre, about a 10-minute walk away. We had a wonderful stay: the rooms were clean, with AC and hot showers, and the staff were incredibly kind and made us comfortable throughout. The pool was clean and beautiful. And the Sunday rave was a wild bonus, the best party in Arugam Bay!

The parties were the last straw. Nobody warned us when we booked or checked in. We came back from dinner to a long line down the road, with bouncers trying to charge us to get into our own hotel. They said there was a big party and it should finish at 5am, as if that made it fine. We measured the music at over 100 decibels in our room; the room and windows were shaking, and sleeping was impossible. The manager was unapologetic and didn’t care. Not telling guests about this beforehand is ridiculous. Our room was also a mess. The room we booked wasn’t the one we got, and it had dirty beds with no bed linen, plus a shower clogged with hair and gunk and flooded so badly it couldn’t be used. We moved, but the next room had the same problems, with only a slightly less clogged shower. The sink was just a hole to the floor with no plumbing, so brushing our teeth sent water straight onto the floor. There were no top sheets, blood on the bottom sheets, and several cockroaches. Quite possibly the worst place I’ve ever stayed, and I’ve done a lot of backpacking. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, not even an enemy.

My girlfriend and I had a great stay, so I’m not too sure about the negative reviews. The room was clean and stayed cool, and the staff were friendly and helped whenever we had questions. No complaints from us. For the area, it’s very affordable, especially with the large outdoor space, pool, and bar serving cheap drinks. I’d recommend it and would come back if we return to Arugam Bay.