St. Andrews Hotel

Only one night here on Kuoni Ceylon tour. Interesting building but in need of a bit of TLC and upgrading especially the bathrooms. Gardens could be lovely. Some nice touches and food good but beware the noises in the night- from wildlife outside, firecrakers in the local fields etc.Didn't sleep much. You will need extra layers as it is chilly at night though we were warm enough in bed with a hot water bottle provided by the hotel. Suffering from lack of visitors and money I think. Surrounding countryside absolutely spectacular so would do it again just to see that!

We stayed here as part of a tour of Sri Lanka with Kuoni which was enjoyable from beginning to end! This place is amazing, its so high up it gets weather akin to Britain and was misty in the mornings, is also situated right next to a golf course. The room was amazing, felt like a log cabin once you were in it, we had the choice of two huge beds, one was in front of the windows and one was on a mezzanine level reached by a little wooden ladder which was charming. We decided to sleep on the lower level bed as we were a little concerned about falling down the steep ladder should we need the loo in the night. The hotel was lovely and we had an amazing meal in the restaurant, as it was our wedding anniversary we decided to have a bottle of wine and they actually took us into the wine cellar and helped us choose a fantastic rose to go with our meal. Great service all round and the hotel was very quiet while we were there so we wanted for nothing. My husband went and explored the grounds in the late afternoon that we were there (while I had a snooze!) and he was invited to play cricket by some local kids and then ended up getting shown round the hotels farm (dont know why they have one!?) by the proudest young farmer, he had a whale of a time and seemed to make this guy's day by showing an interest. The locals (and indeed most people we met in SL) were so friendly and accomodating. We found the complete silence a little unsettling at night here and were woken by the various wildlife scurrying across the roof and calling to each other but this was charming in itself anyway, no complaints!

Charming hotel full of old english charm! Felt like something out of an Agatha Christie novel. On arrival I asked where the pool was, to be told "no pool, it is too cold madam" !! Yes it is refreshingly cooler than Kandy or Colombo but still hot enough for shorts during the day. We walked into the centre just down the hill from the hotel and some of the locals had anoraks on. The temp I would say was about 25 degrees celsius. It is quite dirty in a lot of places along the streets with several beggars. My husband needed to use the loo and noticed a public convenience. He had to pay 5 rupees to the attendant who was wearing large yellow wellies - I think this was the clue!! not to mention the smell. When he came out rather quickly, I was advised not to use the ladies!!!! Back at the hotel, we went down for our evening meal - the waiters were very attentive and the meal was superb - again, just like a top class restaurant - very impressed. The temp did drop in the evening as the mist descended and the large open fire surrounded by comfy sofas looked extremely inviting. There is a large snooker room all decked out in dark wood, and my hubby was invited to play snooker with the hotel staff which was very gentlemanly. We felt that we should have been dressed in the apropriate clothes for the 1930's which would have been befitting. Our room was very old english country hotel style, very clean - we were surprised on arrival that there was no aircon only a heater in the fireplace, but we did use this for a while to warm the room in the evening much to our surprise. The beds were turned back for us and we each had a hot water bottle placed in our bed too! The breakfast was buffet style but not much choice in comparison to the other hotels we stayed in. What we did have was very good and I had the best cup of tea here too!

We stayed 3 nights here after a trawl around the other hotels in town. Three nights is definitely too long in Nuwara Eliya as there is nothing much to do! However the hotel was fine, pretty gardens, the public rooms are nice with log fires in the evening. Service was good if very slow. We stayed first in a standard room (in the old wing) which is really charming with lots of original features but no TV or minibar. We also tried one of the family rooms in the new wing as the standard was a bit small with the extra bed. The family room was very spacious with huge beds. THe bathroom was a bit jaded but perfectly functional. Biggest complaint is that the noise from the other rooms is quite audible - other peoples TVs, music and babies crying. The food was acceptable if nothing special but the live music in the restaurant was atrocious and ruined the meal (special for the sri lankan new year).However the staff really made a lot of effort to help generally and this has made me less inclined to grumble about other things!

We just returned from Sri Lanka 2 days ago and had 1 night in the St Andrews Hotel. Lovely hotel inside, but parts of it could probably do with a face lift. We had a family sized room - which consisted of a large kings size bed on one level and then up a steep set of stairs was another double bed. As our children are 7 and 12, I feared that my youngest might break his neck climbing down in the middle of the night to use the loo, so I stayed upstairs with my eldest child. Rooms were clean - and adequate. Set menu was nice, but didn't offer much for the children. It was a bit too posh for them and some of the items weren't things they'd be brave enough to try. We had high tea on the lawn in the afternoon - which was nice, but service was quite slow even though there weren't many guests out. Nice touch with the hot water bottle at night - tho we didn't feel we needed it - being used to much harsher weather. The coolness of the hills was a welcome change from the heat though. I don't think I'd spend more than 1 day at this hotel - or in the area itself as it doesn't offer much unless you play golf. We did, however, visit a C of E Church and graveyard that was very much like being back home. Interesting to see the names & dates of all the British residents from a hundred years ago. I would recommend taking the train up to Nuwara Eliya. We rejected the touristy observation car and went 2nd class. The standards are not like those in Europe - but it was one of the best train journeys I've ever experienced. It was amazing. I especially delighted in the fact that my 7 yr old asked to move seats so he could talk to a couple behind us with a young baby. It was heart warming to see him so confident in mingling with the Sri Lankan people.

This is a lovely hotel. Good food - much of it from the hotel's own organic farm - well prepared and served by friendly but highly professional staff. It is also really nice to get away from the ubiquitous buffet style dinner - at the St. Andrews they still believe in proper service. I was surprised to discover it is owned by a chain - because it has the air of a nice private hotel. Rooms are comfortable and clean. The hot water bottle in the bed is a nice touch - even if it is not really necessary.

One of the most pleasant hotel experiences I've ever had in years of travelling for business and pleasure. The staff are incredibly engaging and anxious to please. The food is fresh and interesting, despite being rather remote. Hotel itself is charming and romantic...the booking manager left a handwritten poem on our nightstand as way of apologising for a small mix-up which was immediately rectified. We're seriously considering returning here for next New Years Eve as we enjoyed this one so much. St Andrews was the best hotel experience we had during our time in Sri Lanka.

Nuwara Eliya is an interesting and beautiful town with a British/Sri Lanka flavor and the hotel represents that. A bit run-down but a colonia British feel to it with lovely gardens. Our room had hot water and AC and was clean. This place had great potential and I was sorry we didn't get to take advantage of the cloud forest and guided walks the hotel offers.

We stayed in mid December 2005 for 1 night. The hotel is charming and the level of service is as you would expect for Sri Lanka. The staff are friendly and very helpful. The room was lovely, clean and spacious. The bathroom was basic but perfectly adequate. On our evening there a set menu was being served in the restaurant, it made a very nice change from the buffets that we had from the previous hotels in our tour. The meal was lovely and the staff were very attentive, it’s the only place where we have been to a set meal and offered second helpings!! On return to our room we were also amused to find hot water bottles in our bed – such a nice touch! We were pleasantly surprised by the weather in Nuwara Eliya, coming from the UK we were surprised to see so many people in town with coats and woolly hats while we were still in our summer attire. Our journey to Nuwara Eliya from Kandy was picturesque, so many waterfalls and beautiful sights. It was a long journey, but the scenery made it feel much shorter. We visited a tea factory and really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see the processes and buy some tea. We found that there was very little to do in the area unless you enjoy long walks. I would definitely recommend this hotel – it’s charm, wonderful staff and lovely rooms make it enchanting.

Old world English charm in this well appointed hotel. We spent two nights in early December 2005 and wished we had allowed for more. Close to town with everything a traveller needs. Rooms were excellent with great bathrooms and plenty of space. Staff extremely friendly and efficient. The hill country is worth every bit of the long drive from Kandy (3 1/2 hours to do 68 kms). The drive displays beautiful scenery, including numerous waterfalls and the ubiquitous tea plantations. Shopping was fantastic in the markets as well.