Peninsula Hotel Jaffna

The room itself was in poor shape, with worn furniture, not enough cleanliness, and a neglected feel. We booked for three people but got only a double bed and a mattress, with no extra bed and no bedding for the mattress. Comfort was not what we paid for. The staff, especially the night shift employee, were unfriendly and unhelpful, and made us feel like a burden instead of paying guests. This was a huge change from when Rajith worked here, when the service was warm, professional, and outstanding. I recently came back and was really disappointed by how much standards had fallen under the new management. This used to be a favorite, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless management, service, and upkeep improve seriously.

The property was messy and unclean, with too few staff to look after it. There was no WiFi, TV, or other facilities. The owner didn’t seem to care about customer satisfaction, and this was the worst experience I’ve had. We had no other hotels to book at that point, so we accepted the room arrangement they offered: one family room, one double room, and two mattresses to sleep on the floor, despite having booked two family rooms. We had booked through booking.com and received an email confirmation. I also called two or three times to make sure the booking was set, and eventually they confirmed both rooms. On the day we arrived, they messaged to say one family room had to be cancelled due to a power outage. We’d already passed Kilinochchi on the way to Jaffna. When we called to ask about it, they said both rooms were available and the message was a mistake. Then we arrived and there was no power problem at all, which was strange. Wouldn’t recommend this place.

The staff were friendly, but I still felt uneasy during the stay. The room wasn’t comfortable: the bedsheets and blankets smelled damp, and the pillows or their covers hadn’t dried properly. Since we came in our own vehicle, we were lucky to have brought our own sheets and pillow covers. The bathroom mirror was unclean, no toiletries were provided, and peeling paint on the walls gave the room an odd feel.

We only spent three nights there and ate outside, so the issues didn’t matter much to us. We didn’t use the pool, and the staff were friendly and helpful. It seems popular with groups; a group of around eight stayed one night while we were there, and it was a bit noisy. It’s an old colonial-era house that the owners have refurbished as a small mid-range hotel. There are six rooms, a spacious living area, and an indoor swimming pool. Our room had aircon, hot water, cable TV, a mid-size fridge, and a safety locker. I found it clean, though a bit over-furnished. Our first impression wasn’t great because the people managing the hotel didn’t seem to be making much effort to keep it tidy. The pool filtration system didn’t appear to work, and the restaurant wasn’t operating despite what the advertising board said. Since we were hardly at the hotel, those things weren’t a big deal for us. It’s an okay place to stay at a reasonable price.