The Nest by Amarasinghe's

We had a disappointing arrival because of how the owner treated us. It was the most memorable of the six places we stayed on this trip, but for the wrong reasons. We think this guesthouse could be a great place, and are sharing these points as feedback for the owner rather than to put off future guests. The room amenities were sparse, and there was no kettle, so getting drinking water was difficult. We had to ask the owner for water, and that depended on his bedtime. Within an hour of arriving, he also asked us to keep our voices down because the rooms had false walls. We were puzzled by being told this so soon after arrival, and by the fact that he hadn’t addressed the soundproofing. The front door is locked at 9:30 PM, which we hadn’t been told in advance. We only found out when we asked to use the porch for night photography, and it felt like a safety concern. There was confusion over our booking too. We had reserved two rooms, and showed the owner our booking, but he kept insisting we had booked three. We had to show him in his Booking.com app that we were right. Getting up the steep hill was another issue. Our driver, whom we trusted after traveling with us for most of the journey, said the owner had advised him beforehand to take guests and bags up by tuk tuk. On a misty, windy night, the smaller, open tuk tuk seemed safer, so we agreed. When we arrived, though, the owner implied our driver had refused to take us up to the 'hotel' and asked us to pay for the tuk tuk. Our driver had said no extra payment was needed. We later learned the guesthouse has its own tuktuk, but no ride was offered to us, though they did take our bags up. When we were leaving, the owner first agreed to take us down the hill by tuk tuk, then allowed only one guest to go with the luggage and gave no explanation. Later, the guesthouse's tuk-tuk driver passed us in an empty vehicle without offering a ride. We also noticed the owner seemed to treat guests from other demographics more favorably, which raised concerns about bias. We felt the way we were treated didn't reflect the Sri Lankan hospitality we had expected.

We were 12 friends on holiday in September 2024, and the peaceful setting made it easy to unwind. The balconies had lovely views in daylight and at night, and watching sunrise and sunset from our rooms was unforgettable. The place was quiet, with no disturbances. The rooms were clean and well kept, with a simple, pleasant design. They were comfortable despite having no air conditioning, thanks to the cool, refreshing climate. The bathrooms had hot water, though it was closer to lukewarm. Meals were tasty and satisfying, but the menu had limited choices. The property sits slightly above the road and is easy to reach by vehicle. If walking, there’s a short, manageable stretch from the road that adds to the charm. A cozy spot for a calm getaway with beautiful scenery. We loved our stay.

This has been our best homestay in Sri Lanka so far. We had a great stay in comfortable rooms with everything we needed to rest after traveling, and there was hot water. The neighborhood was very quiet, with lots of restaurants nearby, and breakfast was good.

On the second day of our trip, we stayed at The Nest by Amarasinghe's Place. The hosts were welcoming and friendly, and the quiet location still made it easy to get to town and nearby attractions in the Haputale area. Our room was clean, comfortable, and well maintained, with the basic amenities we needed. A calm, tidy place to stay in Haputale, and I’d recommend it.