OYO 431 White Camelot

The location is outside the city centre, so it’s not walkable. We’d booked two rooms with balconies through booking.com, but only one actually had one. From that balcony, we watched plenty of monkeys. Dushan, the owner, was polite and extremely helpful arranging a car and driver to make things convenient. Nothing was too much trouble, and the rooms were clean.

The rooms are bright, clean, and very nice, and the staff are friendly and eager to help. We asked for room service once, but it wasn’t done. We also wouldn’t have dinner there again. The hotel is a bit out of the way, so we ate there once and found it really overpriced, at a very European price. We only saw the bill when we checked out. If you’re there for just a night or two, it’s not too tragic :)

The hotel is tucked into the hills, with a quiet feel despite being a short ride from the city centre. My room was spacious and clean, with ice-cold A/C. The owner and his assistant did a lot to make us comfortable and would handle food and beer requests at practically any hour if they were on site. The only time we couldn’t get more beer was at 2am, which was our poor planning, not theirs. The shower water never got very warm, my one small complaint, though in that climate it felt refreshing. This was the best hotel I stayed at during my travels in Asia. Only a beachside place in Hikkaduwa came close, and that cost literally five times as much. Thanks for a great stay!

We really liked where this place is, though Kandy takes about a 20-30 minute drive depending on traffic. It's one of the better budget-friendly stays nearby, and the owner is very helpful and friendly.