Shell Resort

The room was spacious and nice, and breakfast was okay. On the first morning we didn't enjoy the omelette, but the staff member tried to make fried eggs for us, which we appreciated. We ended up preferring breakfast at Shady Lane nearby. He seemed upset when we said that and kept checking whether he'd offended us. He hadn't, he was friendly, but the accommodation itself was disappointing. We booked because of the pool, and it was in a terrible state, with loads of bugs and algae on the surface. You couldn't get in. The staff said they were fixing it, but it seemed like the water would have to be drained and replaced. There weren't towels in our room, so we had to ask and were given pool towels. My sister asked three times before finally receiving one the next day. There was no hot water either. The guy said this was mentioned on booking.com, but we couldn't find that information. It's about a 15-minute walk to the main part of town. We wouldn't have minded the distance if the pool had been working. Instead, we kept having to go into town or the beach area because we didn't want to stay around the accommodation, and we could have booked somewhere in town for half the price. The place has a lot of potential, but what we paid for didn't match the listing. With better pool care and basic things provided in the rooms, it could be so much better.

We found Shell Resort quiet and relaxing, set a little away from the main town of Arugam Bay. The rooms are clean and roomy, with good-quality facilities and plenty of plug points beside the beds. Family rooms also have a mini fridge, and the bathrooms are spacious and very clean. There's a swimming pool too. The staff were helpful and really friendly. There are lots of rooms, and the prices are affordable. I'd recommend it for a family holiday or a group trip to Arugam Bay.

Really disgraceful service. The staff blamed the booking platform, then demanded more money after the booking and threatened to cancel unless we paid. It felt like cheating, with rude treatment and no empathy for travelers.

We left the room keys with the manager so he could come in to clean, and later found a large amount of money missing from my girlfriend's wallet. He said there had been similar thefts before, but apparently hadn't improved security or warned us to keep the windows locked. Since he and anyone else with access to those keys could have entered, it's hard not to wonder about his involvement. When we raised it, he got defensive, shouted at us, and didn't offer an apology or help. His reaction made an already awful situation worse. The room itself was also in bad shape. When my girlfriend and I arrived, it clearly hadn't been cleaned properly: spider webs in the corners, cockroaches, dead bugs on the bathroom floor, and hair clogging the drain. The pillowcases were torn and the whole place felt neglected. We asked the manager to clean it, and he did something, but it wasn't nearly good enough. This was one of the worst stays we've had. The hotel felt dirty and unsafe, and guests weren't treated with care. I wouldn't recommend it.