Taru Villas Mawella

The peaceful atmosphere made it easy to unwind, and the hotel feels like a little paradise. It's ideally placed, about 15 minutes from wonderful surf beaches and places to explore. We had a lovely family holiday at Taru Villa Mawella and would happily return. The staff were kind, attentive, and always glad to help. A special thanks to the manager, Pramodya Herath, for being so professional and caring, and for going the extra mile to make our stay memorable. Everything was wonderful from beginning to end. We couldn't have picked a better place to spend time together, and highly recommend it.

Breakfast was great every morning, and the beach right by the hotel is beautiful and clean. Hiriketiya is only a 15-minute tuktuk ride away. We found the two-bedroom pool house oddly open to other guests, so it didn't feel private. It was also looking worn and needs a revamp. Hot water in the shower was unreliable, something other guests have mentioned too. The staff were friendly and helpful, but could have shown more initiative and training. Getting room service or a drink by the sunbeds was difficult because staff were hard to find, and the room phone didn't work when we needed to call the manager. Hiriketiya has restaurants such as Raa and The Ruin with excellent modern Sri Lankan food. Taru Villas' dinner menu, by comparison, is expensive and very westernised, and we didn't find it very interesting. The Sri Lanka concept dinner was the exception, though it was the same every night. Great location, but not a great hotel.

We spent five days here as part of our honeymoon, with our one-year-old baby boy, and none of us wanted to leave. The buildings and setting are brilliant, the food was amazing every day, and the menu changed most nights. The whole staff group was so nice. Truly one of the best hotels I've stayed in. If you're visiting Tangalle or nearby, you must stay here.

The people working here and the location were both amazing. The staff were outstanding, friendly, attentive, and caring, and they have nothing to do with my complaint. The room was the problem. It was dirty when we arrived, with toothpaste on the walls and stains across the floors. There was damage in several places, and the dated, tatty decor was made worse by the poor lighting. Neither the WiFi nor the air conditioning worked properly, and after a long day we had no hot water for a shower. For the price and the luxury the hotel promises online, this was easily the most disappointing hotel I've ever stayed in. It felt misleading and overrated; I can't understand how it has more than two stars. I've stayed in better Travelodges. The location and staff deserve five stars, but those lovely people are wasted on this hotel. Elsewhere in Sri Lanka, five stars has meant the height of luxury and class. This was the opposite.