Cinnamon Garden Hotel Hikkaduwa

We liked Hikkaduwa, it felt very nice and relaxed. This is a sweet little hotel/resort by the Indian Ocean, with clean rooms and a good breakfast. The food in general was good too, and all sorts of services are available. The manager is cool, and has even met our Queen Princess Victoria /SWE, after the tsunami... WE LIKE.

The owner was friendly and supportive, the prices were reasonable, and the pool was well maintained. We were right by the beach, and the huge rooms easily fit our group of eight, with a bed for everyone. A good spot for a weekend with friends.

I’ve travelled around Sri Lanka and the world, and this was the worst experience I’ve had. I know this is long, but the details matter. In January 2015, a close foreign friend of mine wanted a beach wedding in Sri Lanka. A friend of mine who organizes events was handling it and contacted the manager at Cinnamon Garden Hotel. The manager agreed to provide the Registrar, food, and venue. We thought everything had gone well. The Registrar they arranged charged the foreign couple a lot of extra money, which my event-organizer friend hadn’t known about. At the wedding, the Registrar arranged by the hotel owner showed up and was rude and unprofessional, with no smile. After what I felt was a mediocre service, he insisted we pay another Rs. 2000 for coming to the ceremony, even though he lived about 2 kms from the venue. We felt the hotel manager and Registrar were working together to rip off my friend, so we refused to pay. Then the owner of Cinnamon Garden Hotel suddenly became violent, screaming filthy Sinhala at me and saying it was between them and my friend. He said, “Why are you bothered if we rip off foreigners? You mind your own business.” I was shocked. This happened on what should have been the happiest day of someone’s wedding, and he kept shouting abuse and threatening my friends and me. Think twice before staying here. I believe this man is capable of anything. If you value your life or holiday, avoid this place. I’m amazed it has a 4-star rating on TripAdvisor. I’m sure foreigners don’t know they’re being ripped off.

We had an amazing time in Hikkaduwa. The view of the sea and beach was beyond words, and the food was awesome. At Cinnamon Garden restaurant, everyone was friendly and it felt just like home. Staying there with kids was easy. Thank you to the staff for such a wonderful experience in Sri Lanka. Thank you again. 😊😊😊😊