NO.53

This atmospheric family villa has a wonderful, century-old history and made for a very comfortable stay before our departure. Our clean room had everything we needed. The hosts were lovely and always ready to help, and one of them kindly drove us to the airport in the morning. Thank you!

The shower was cold, and the duvet had no cover. Were they washing the duvet every day for new guests? That left both of us feeling icky. We were there for one night before going to the airport, which is seven minutes away, and the lift there was the only saving grace. At the airport hotel, the hosts seemed reluctant to see us even though we'd booked ahead. The room had an extra bed, as if they wanted to pack people in, and there were rules that suited their convenience more than ours. We felt uncomfortable with both hosts looking suspiciously into the room. It felt like they might think we'd sneaked someone else in. Please let guests feel comfortable. The stay was far too expensive for such basic accommodation, more than some four-star hotels we stayed at in Colombo with rooftop bars and pools. We paid for breakfast, which was costly and had very little choice. A cheese sandwich for breakfast? There were no drinks with it, and it was served in our room. During our month in Sri Lanka, we'd had amazing breakfasts, often included in the price. This was the most expensive stay of our 30-day trip. Avoid it unless you want to pay loads, feel uncomfortable and icky, then finish with a cold shower.

A beautiful colonial home run by a really good family. It's a nice, convenient place, and I'd strongly recommend it.

The rooms were extremely clean, and the owners were warm and welcoming.