Ceyloni Lake Residency

The room was in line with the price, and the location was handy for visiting the relic tooth. We found a squirrel locked inside the room. The staff quickly helped get it outside, then cleaned the room and changed the bedsheets.

The balcony was filthy and unusable because monkeys were around, a detail Agoda hadn’t mentioned. We paid over 35 USD a night for what was sold as a “deluxe lake view” room, but it felt badly neglected. The manager refused any refund or price reduction despite the dampness and insects. Cleanliness was a problem from arrival. We found two cockroaches, one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom, droppings around the sink, dead bugs on the floor, and dirt on many surfaces and fittings. Some walls looked like they had black mould. Insects kept appearing around the sink and shower. The hot water stopped on day two and only came back on and off by day four. With cold, rainy weather in Kandy, that was miserable, and I think it contributed to me getting sick. I had to help my girlfriend wash her hair with boiled kettle water, which was especially unpleasant in that bathroom. When I said she hadn’t been able to wash it properly for three days, I was told to wait “10 to 15 minutes.” It made no difference, and each time we asked about the water, staff said someone would fix it, but it stayed freezing. We asked for the room to be cleaned after pointing out the bugs and dirty floor, but when we came back, nothing had changed. Only after an urgent complaint through Agoda did they clean the floor and sink, and even that was just surface-level. Messages to the manager went unanswered, and staff didn’t resolve the other problems either. The place felt squalid and, in my view, seriously unhygienic. I’d strongly tell anyone considering it to stay somewhere else.

We had a balcony and a great view from the hotel. The rooms were clean and kept up well for the price. There’s a geyser, so we always had hot water. Breakfast is available, but you pay extra for it. I’d recommend staying here.

There aren’t any amenities or toiletries, as this is more of a homestay. It’s up on a hill, so you’ll need a tuk tuk to get back, and the road feels dark and isolated at night. The hotel overlooks the lake, which is about 15 minutes away on foot, roughly 1 km.