Rani Beach Hotel

The beach and nearby restaurants are the main draws, and the property is large. Inside, though, the spacious rooms felt worn out, like a four-star hotel from the 90s that hadn’t been updated in years. The air conditioning worked, but mosquitoes were everywhere and kept biting us. Breakfast was another letdown: only a few slices of bread, some fruit, and eggs. It didn’t meet our expectations, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

I chose this place before an early flight from Colombo airport, and the beachside location is convenient, with the airport about 20 minutes away by taxi. That was the one good thing for me. My room was dirty and dated, and there was visible mould in the bathroom. Then I found there was no hot water for my morning shower. I was rushing to the airport, so I had to take a cold one.

We enjoyed the service from Fly Swadeshi. They organize group tours in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, and Afghanistan, and also provide excellent service to tourists visiting India, especially Karnataka.

For a budget hotel, it was pretty much what I expected: clean, okay location, and nothing special. We stayed one night before travelling around Sri Lanka. The room was good, and breakfast was pretty good too. One worrying thing, though: the extension cable melted overnight. Luckily, there was no fire.