Aloft Grand Hotel

We came to Ella Crest by Aloft with family this morning for an English breakfast, and had a lovely time. From the open dining hall there are wide views of the lush Ella mountains. The space is modern but fits its natural setting, with plenty of room, fresh air and natural light. We could see the pool and garden below, surrounded by greenery and flowering trees, which added to the peaceful, resort-like feel. Our classic English breakfast arrived warm and fresh: an omelet, sausage, a slice of cheese, tomato, cucumber and toast. There was plenty of crisp golden toast in the bread basket, with butter and jam, and the fresh juice was a nice start to the morning. Staff were welcoming and attentive without hovering. Everything came on time, and they politely checked whether we needed anything else. It felt like a relaxing place to have breakfast with nature all around, and I’d recommend it to families or anyone visiting Ella.

Charith and chef sujith, thanks so much for the great service and tasty food. We were really happy and enjoyed our holiday.

We got to the hotel tired after a long ride from Sigiriya and asked the front desk about rooms. They showed us some, we agreed on a price, checked in, and were about to shower and settle down. Then someone knocked and told us we had the wrong rooms, and that ours were in the basement without AC. We tried to explain that those were the rooms shown to us and that we’d agreed on the price, and we would never have accepted the other rooms. They asked for an extra 60 USD, then eventually kicked us out and refunded us. We feel we were deceived and then blamed for a staff mistake. This kind of business is appalling.

We paid nearly $100 for two nights, a significant amount when the average monthly salary in Sri Lanka is around $200. The website and Booking.com advertised a luxurious villa with a balcony and mountain views, but the condition was terrible and the views were average. From the balcony we mostly heard a noisy road and a worker cutting wood with machines from 8 AM onward. There were rats in the property, and at 1 AM we had to call the manager to remove one caught in a trap. He was kind and patient and did his best to help, but the owner wouldn’t approve proper compensation. Staff offered one breakfast and one dinner, both extremely poor for a place marketed as “luxurious,” plus only $5, which did nothing to make up for the distress of sleeping in those conditions. The receptionist didn’t speak English well and dismissed our feedback, even though we were trying to explain how important guest satisfaction is to a business’s reputation. We’d planned not to leave a negative review, but the owner didn’t take responsibility, so we feel we have to share what happened. We hope this reminds them to put guests’ comfort and well-being first. We will communicate this to health and safety regulations in Sri Lanka, and all has been reported to Booking.com. Next time, the owner needs to listen to the customers. We’re the ones paying and running your business. Regards