Lakshmis Hotel

Kurt made a real difference to our stay. He greeted us at breakfast each morning, was great to chat with, and helped with laundry and arranging a tuk tuk driver for the day. The rest of the staff were kind too, and the hotel had everything we needed and more. It’s at the end of the Ella strip, up two fairly steep hills, one short and one a bit longer. The views made the climb worthwhile. We had a wonderful stay and would happily recommend it to anyone visiting Ella.

The view from our room was the one good part of the stay. I could watch the train go by, which was nice. The rest of the experience was terrible, and I wish I’d chosen another hotel in Ella. Getting there was difficult, and the hotel gave us no advance warning or help about the narrow road up the hill. Our cab from Nuwara Eliya refused to drive up, so I had to haul my luggage to the hotel myself. They also provided just two bottles of water on the first day, then charged for it. Other hotels I stayed at in Sri Lanka gave at least a litre free each day. There’s no card payment. This was the first hotel I encountered in Sri Lanka that didn’t take cards, and having to carry so much cash seems unreasonable and a bit shady. I paid through PayPal instead and lost money to the fees. The restaurant downstairs has very limited hours, and breakfast has to be ordered the day before. I don’t see how it can be called a 3-star hotel when the service doesn’t meet even basic 2-star standards. The wifi bandwidth was very poor too. You can find better places in Ella for less, with much better service, so I strongly recommend avoiding this one.

Mr. Ashok made everything easy during our stay at Lakshmi's Hotel in ella a few days ago. He filled us in on things to do nearby and suggested some brilliant places to visit and eat. The property was lovely and clean, and after a long, tiring day we enjoyed unwinding with the games near reception. We had a great time and would definitely recommend it.

Getting up the big hill takes some effort, but it was absolutely worth it. The location and stunning views are great, and the room was very comfortable. There’s no AC, but the fans and mountain breeze were enough. Lakshmi, Kurt and their staff were incredibly helpful and knew the area well. They planned my whole time in Ella, from hikes to a cooking class and massages. The food was stellar too. I highly recommend the place, especially for solo travelers.