Sea View Paradise Inn

Just a few steps from the beach and Weligama’s main surf point, the location is perfect. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the hosts provide cleaning and fresh towels and sheets every few days. They speak a little English, but are very helpful. Good value for money, recommended.

I stayed alone in one of the three rooms for about two weeks. It’s very good value, close to the beach and surf rentals, and the room stayed cooler than many others I’ve used. The hosts’ English was okay, and they were responsive and helpful. When the bum-gun was defective, they replaced it the same day. Parking for a tuk-tuk or motorbike is available inside the compound. The room had a small clothing rack, chair, desk, and two wall sockets, though one was used by the fan. There’s another socket in the bathroom, but none beside the bed, so bring adapters. The fan has a remote. One of the two separately switched lights was red or purple. A mosquito net was fitted over the bed and seemed in good condition, though I didn’t use it. The bed was okay for me, but the mattress was quite thin. It was about 2m long, and bearable for someone around 80kg and 1.85m tall. The rooms are open at the top, which gives them decent ventilation, but also means they don’t block noise well. My room didn’t heat up from sun on the walls or roof, and the other two looked similar. The bathroom was fairly bright, spacious, clean, and reasonably well maintained. There was no hot water, but the water was almost always refreshingly cold, or became cold after running it for a few seconds. The pressure was better than at most places in this price range. All three rooms share a large fridge and a kitchen. The kitchen was very sparsely equipped, with a kettle and a few random items. From the common area, you get a few glimpses of the beach and sea. It has two comfortable chairs, some stools, and a table. I didn’t find a cheap restaurant nearby, though I didn’t look very hard. At night, dogs were sometimes noisy, and it was hard to keep sand and dirt out of the room after coming back from the beach. The balcony and common area could have been cleaner.

There’s a good surf spot for beginners just a few meters away. The rooms are clean, cozy, and nice, and the hosts are very welcoming and hospitable.

The only real plus is how close it is to the beach, and even that stretch is taken up by fishing boats rather than places to relax. For $10, I don’t think this hotel is worth it. The rooms felt dirty and worn out, and the slanted ceiling, like an awning, leaves openings for all kinds of critters. The net over the bed is the only protection, so you’re basically on your own. There wasn’t even a trash can in the room. If you need a towel, you have to go ask the receptionists, who seemed more interested in spending time with the local surf crowd. There was no sense of care or respect, just “it’s ok, relax.” The bed linen, which seemed to be made from local fabric, felt as rough as sandpaper. We had no AC, only a wall fan that sounded like a helicopter propeller even at its lowest setting. Club music from a nearby disco played all night. During the day, the nearby busy road, passing mopeds, and vendors with the repetitive sound of a tarantaya made it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. There was one outlet in the bathroom and another on the wall farthest from the bed. I’d only suggest this place to a romantic who’s seen James Bond, someone hiding from law enforcement, or someone hiding from their wife.