The View Ella Hotel

The view from the front porch was striking and offered some comfort, and the staff were kind, polite, and provided good service. Most of the stay, though, was disappointing. The rooms were dusty and dirty, with a used tea bag beside the pot and sheets that didn’t feel clean. The pool and dining room were dirty too. Shaky glass doors with ugly curtains made the rooms feel like sleeping in a shop window. The buffet had very few choices, so we ordered rice curry and fish and chips from the menu. Those were poor too and gave us a stomach ache. Getting there was difficult, and the place is near Ella’s train tracks, so the locomotive whistle is frequent. The rooms, facilities, and food were well below average. Not recommended.

The sunrise and sunset views are the best part. Our room was spacious and suited a family stay, and the toilet was clean, though the room itself wasn’t very clean. The view made that less bothersome. The pool needed cleaning, and the breakfast buffet was very basic with few options.

This was a terrible stay, and the rooms don’t look like the photos. The glass fronts are single glazed, so you can hear everything. Loud guests upstairs kept us awake both nights. After the first night, reception told us the neighbours had been told to check out. That was predictably untrue, and it felt like they said it just to get us to go away. When we complained again at 10 pm, there were no staff on site after that time to help or ask the guests to be quiet. The rest of our trip in Sri Lanka has been amazing, which made this especially disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want a peaceful stay.

The staff were the best part, friendly when we arrived, at breakfast, and when we left. And the view really is spectacular. Still, I’d call this a hostel rather than a hotel. The whole place, curtains included, needs a good clean. The room was very basic, just as the website described. There’s a path into the village just past the car park, so ask the staff about that shortcut. The bathroom gets flooded after a shower and becomes very slippery, so be careful.