Grand Beragala Boutique Resort

The mist drifting across the mountains and treetops from the lobby was beautiful to watch, and the terraced gardens had rocks, grass, and colorful plants. We stayed in our own chalet, which had a private plunge pool. The larger pool was still being built. Getting there was straightforward, with good access roads; our drive from Colombo took about five hours, leaving at 4:30 am and arriving around 9:30 am. The staff were welcoming and attentive. Special thanks to Mr.Sampath, who was kind, courteous, and professional throughout. For long walks, bring insect repellent, binoculars, a notebook and pencil, socks, and closed shoes. We saw birds, butterflies, lizards, and dragonflies. Evenings can get quite cold, so check the weather and dress for it.

The room felt unsafe, with a two-foot step cutting across its middle and no handrails. We stacked all our bags along it so we wouldn't trip. There was no hot water when we arrived, and after switching on the heater there was little, if any. Our windows also gave us almost no privacy. One looked onto an improvised side path and others were overlooked by a villa close below, so we kept the curtains shut. The place felt like an overpriced building site: there was construction behind the hotel, no front door to block the wind blowing into the restaurant, and the sliding windows in our room were exposed. We were the only guests, and the manager kept chasing the young staff to serve us, which made an already strange atmosphere uncomfortable. We paid Voyage Preve an upgrade fee for five-star accommodation throughout our trip, so we don't understand why VP and its local representative H.O.TT put us here. We complained to both and got no response. Drinks had no clear prices, and the bill for a couple of glasses of wine and some beer was more than double what we'd paid at any other stay. We were here one night, compared with at least two nights elsewhere. Our guide wasn't surprised by the quality, saying he'd heard other complaints, especially when better hotels nearby had availability. We also saw the manager several times with his feet up on the lounge tables, shoes off and kicking back. Classy.

The area is stunning, and access was no problem. The hotel has a lovely wide view of the hills, spacious comfortable rooms, and good food. Some construction was visible, but it didn't disturb us. Service was pleasant and the staff clearly tried hard, though it could use a little polish. For example, nobody told us we had to switch on the hot water. The hotel was half empty, so I'd encourage people to stay.

We wouldn't return. The facilities felt run down, with dated, worn rooms that fell well short of the boutique standard we expected. The resort is also very isolated, with nothing nearby to do or see. Service and management were the biggest disappointment. Staff seemed quite incompetent, and during our final breakfast the manager interrupted us with checkout information while we were still eating. We found that highly unprofessional and unacceptable.