Amaara Forest Hotel Sigiriya

The food was poor. Hot dishes arrived cold, and we had to ask the chef to heat a portion. The salad bar looked as if it had been put out early in the afternoon and left there. We were told there was no à la carte menu because the hotel was supposedly full, which I found hard to believe when so many restaurant tables were open. The resort was quiet even though it was high season, and the pool table and gym weren’t available unless you asked for a key to get into the rooms. The pool towels were threadbare. The rooms and resort feel dated and tired. Getting to the hotel along that road isn’t easy, though being in the forest was a plus. The stay disappointed me. I don’t think the resort deserves five stars, more like three, with a lot of room to improve.

We stayed full board at Amaara Forest Sigiriya, and the peaceful forest setting was refreshing. The room and bathroom were spacious, clean, and well kept, with everything working properly. The staff were friendly and supportive throughout, and the service from check-in through check-out was excellent. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves nature and wants to relax among the trees.

Breakfast was good, and the hotel itself is wonderful. Dinner was the letdown: it was a very light menu meal. The appetizer was a small roll with little slices of vegetable, the pasta came with an inedible sauce, and dessert was just a palm-sized cake. For a five-star hotel, I expected a more substantial dinner.

Sitting on the balcony, listening to birds and watching the occasional monkey or squirrel move through the trees was a treat. After a long, hot day of activities, it was lovely to come back to Amaara, swim, have a cocktail, and enjoy the dinner buffet or à la carte meal. Our group had a great stay at Amaara Forest Lodge. It’s a tranquil oasis with great rooms, facilities, a pool, dining, and service. It’s a little way off the main road, but the peace and quiet make it worthwhile.