Nikara Luxury Beach House

We stopped here while travelling around Sri Lanka, with a Yala National Park safari on our list. The hotel staff arranged a jeep for us, and the breakfasts and dinners were excellent. Our accommodation was great, and the staff were pleasant and eager to help with our requests. When the wiper on our TukTuk stopped working along the way, they even arranged a repair. I highly recommend staying here.

The pool was unusable after a long, hot safari. It was green and covered in slime, and staff said they’d fix it by the following day. Local reviews made it sound like this might be an ongoing problem. We also found no in-room safes, and when we asked how to secure our valuables, the staff were dismissive. There were only two employees around, and they spent much of the time arguing in front of guests instead of helping. The hotel looks attractive at first, but we had serious concerns about service, safety, and hygiene. It felt understaffed, and the basic amenities and cleanliness didn’t match the appearance. Fortunately, our travel agent was able to move our group of six to a much better nearby hotel. With so many good options in Yala, I’d advise other travellers to consider somewhere else.

The only reason this gets two stars from us is the wonderful beach, with huge waves and hardly anyone else there. The beds were comfortable too, and access to the shore was easy. We stayed two nights for a Yala National Park safari, and the place felt well past its best. I don't understand the “luxury” in the name. The pool looked like it hadn't been filtered for ages; staff only scooped out leaves. Help was hard to find, and when we arrived hungry and asked for lunch, we were sent to the restaurant next door, despite the place supposedly serving food. It felt like they just didn't want to cook for us, almost as if they were avoiding guests.

Our room had a private pool, but it was dirty, the water was extremely low, and nobody seemed to take our complaint seriously. Food orders came out wrong too, and telling the staff didn't lead to any proper fix. We arrived at check-in time and still waited outside for about an hour before the room was ready. Throughout the stay, the staff were unfriendly and unprofessional, and showed little respect for guests. This was easily the worst hotel experience we've had. I wouldn't recommend it.