The Residence Bentota

The location worked out really well for us. The beach is a 5-7 minute walk away, plenty of good restaurants are nearby, and the hotel has free tuk-tuks with drivers who'll take you where you need to go. Breakfast was delicious and filling. This was our first trip to Sri Lanka, and I chose the place for its reviews and location. Our stay was very comfortable. Thanks to the hotel staff for working so well together. Iran, the manager, was always reachable and responsive, sorting out any request we had. Sumi was friendly and showed us great places in Bentota, and Michael, the tuk tuk driver, was very caring.

The breakfast was good, but we didn't appreciate being given a sales pitch every morning for the activities they wanted us to buy. We'd rather have been left in peace. At first, the accommodation was disappointing. We were given the worst room in the property, but after a quick complaint to management, they agreed to move us the next day. On the penultimate day, we came back to find the room flooded from the adjacent bathroom. Our bags, clothes, and laptops were soaked, with water still coming through the wall and across the floor. Management didn't respond right away. We hung our things up to dry and went to dinner. Two hours later, they told me it was out of hours and only the night warden was on duty. They arranged another room for us and said they'd deal with the problem in the morning. After dinner, we waded in to retrieve essentials for our last night elsewhere, then left the key in the door for staff to handle the room. After breakfast, we returned hoping our belongings would be dry and the room cleaned. Nothing had been done. Water had continued to pour through the wall overnight, soaking the building fabric and furniture. We waded back in, gathered our wet belongings, and packed them into wet bags for the 11am checkout. Accidents happen, and that's not my complaint. The management response was deeply disappointing. They were fortunate we managed to rescue and dry our laptops in time, or we would have taken legal action to seek compensation.

The river tour they organized was amazing, so don't miss it. We also loved the tasty breakfast and very convenient free taxi service. The backyard pool is incredible, almost like being in a jungle. Staff were super friendly and helped with whatever we needed. Two nights here and we already want to come back. An absolute highlight in Sri Lanka.

The garden and rooms are lovely and very well maintained, and everyone was so warm, friendly, motivated, and helpful. I can't understand some of the negative reviews. I've rarely felt so welcome, and I'd highly recommend staying here.