Zest Metropole

I left my luggage at the hotel for a week so I could travel around the country more easily and make use of the buses, vans, tuk-tuks, and trains. Just be sure to book a stay for when you return to Colombo. The rooms were neat and tidy, and the service was okay for me. The location is in the Dutch area, within the government and fort perimeter, close to both the bus and train stations, with some fine restaurants next door. There aren't many shops nearby, though. For what I paid, I'd choose a neighboring hotel next time or look around Marina Road for better service at about the same price. Based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend this hotel to fellow travellers.

There can be some noise at night from the karaoke and other pubs on the street, but it didn't bother me personally. I didn't get to check out the gym, rooftop, or the other facilities. The room was spacious, clean, comfortable, and had a nice view, and housekeeping was impeccable. Breakfast could have had more options, though I can't complain. I can't believe this was 'only' three stars. It was great, and I'd definitely recommend it.

The rooms are beautiful, the hotel has a charming, elegant feel, and the other staff were kind and helpful. Still, my stay was a big letdown: the customer service needs work, and the Wi-Fi has to improve. It wasn't terrible across the board, but I was really disappointed. I booked three nights through Agoda in a deluxe double room for one person, and two local friends were just dropping me off. Staff kept telling me there'd be an extra charge for another person. I explained several times, in English, that my friends wouldn't stay and that I was the only guest. Then the manager, Anthony, asked me again twice. By then I felt scrutinised and as if I'd broken some hotel rule, even though I'd only been in the foyer for about two minutes. I wouldn't have written this if anyone had apologised. After 24 hours, I calmly explained to ANTHONY how the exchange had made me feel. He said, "don't take things so seriously," and seemed more focused on getting me to book breakfast and dinner in their empty restaurant. I declined and mentioned that I'd just spent four nights at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, which was absolutely stunning. To my surprise, the manager said he'd worked for CGH before. No question why he doesn't anymore. The Wi-Fi barely works. They promise it, but I couldn't get speeds above 0.5 mb a second, and pages, even social media, struggled to load. It was worse than a 3G phone connection. Staff confirmed it's been like that for a while and will stay that way. Nothing was fixed or even offered to make up for it, and there was no Wi-Fi solution. The cafe next door at Java has blisteringly fast Wi-Fi, though. Next time I'll stay at the Cinnamon Grand. The customer service, food, and amenities there are ELITE, and everyone has a huge smile that lights up the room. Small efforts to make up for a bad experience go a long way.

The location is great, and the bed was super comfy. The bathroom fixtures were well appointed too. But the lady at the front desk was snappy, unhelpful, and generally unpleasant, lacking what it takes to make this a truly fantastic hotel.