Villa Hiriketiya

A few minutes' walk from the beach, with a lovely pool and spacious rooms. We had a nice stay, but the rooms need more attention to detail. The lighting was so dark it was hard to read, there was nowhere to put our things, and the bathroom badly needs renovation. The shower was mostly just a trickle. For a week, they provided one roll of toilet paper, and there was no service. I had to ask for a brush to sweep the floor. We've stayed in much nicer hotels in Sri Lanka for the same price.

The location is exquisite and the pool is fantastic. We liked how spacious the rooms were, but they stayed dark even during the day, which got annoying. There was nowhere to put luggage except on the floor. The bathroom was big, but without a shower screen, water went everywhere, about an inch deep. There was a squeegee in the room, but I don't go on holiday to scrub the floor while trying to shower. The sink plumbing also came loose and flooded the floor while we brushed our teeth. Staff spent the day standing around the poorly used bar area by the pool. In three days, we got just one roll of toilet paper. We used the bidet, but that isn't the service you'd expect from a hotel.

The staff were friendly, and the hotel is just a three-minute walk from the beach, with lots of nice restaurants nearby. We had a spacious room and the bathroom was okay, though the toilet didn't flush well. The AC remote was broken, so we couldn't turn it off and it got really cold at night. I asked about it and they fixed it the next day.

The kind, welcoming caretaking family made sure we were comfortable despite the country's situation at the time. Four friends and I had an amazing stay at the villa. The room was spacious enough that I think six people could sleep comfortably in it. The poolside atmosphere was so relaxing we could have spent all day on the deck, and the beach was about a two-minute walk away. 5/5, would recommend.