Uga Riva Negombo

The staff were superb, the food was excellent, and our room was spacious and very comfortable. There's a great pool too. It's a lovely eight-bedroom villa hotel in a somewhat suburban spot, away from the mess of Negombo.

The peaceful pool was a lovely place to unwind, and it was nice that guests could use it in the evening too. The hotel is also just a short drive from the airport. One thing that could improve the stay would be spa services, or maybe morning yoga or fitness activities. We ended our two-week trip here, and it was a real highlight. I surprised my mother with the stay for her birthday, and we both loved it. The colonial manor feel and beautiful Geoffrey Bawa–style architecture make the property stunning, and everything is well maintained with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. We were especially touched by the welcome, when they lit the oil lamp. Our room felt both luxurious and comfortable, with high ceilings, spacious proportions, and refined decor. The staff were exceptionally friendly and went out of their way to make Mom's birthday memorable. They surprised her with a cake and offered us a late checkout, which we really appreciated.

The main drawback for me was the lack of comfortable outdoor seating. Deluxe rooms are spacious and well equipped, but don't have their own outside space, and the hotel doesn't offer much comfortable seating outdoors. The superior rooms have a table and armchair each, but they're lined up opposite the open-air bar without any privacy. That said, it's a comfortable hotel in a convenient spot for the airport, with lovely staff, good food, and a small pool with wonderfully clear water from the natural spring on site. If you just need somewhere to rest before or after a long-haul flight, it's worth considering.

We had good stays here both after arriving in Negombo and before leaving Sri Lanka. It's a small boutique-style hotel with only a few rooms. The rooms and facilities were clean and practical, the service was good, and we were treated very well. The food was good too.