Club Palm Bay Hotel

4 readers found this review helpful

We arrived at this hotel on the Sunday morning after a long flight with Qatar Airlines; one we would recommend nothing too much trouble on the flight. Met at the airport and quickly onto the bus.
The pool was absolutely wonderful, the best we have ever had, it is very big and the water was always warm, it was cleaned and hoovered every day and the staff were
always obliging with the towels and sunbeds. The beach was very disappointing but the pool made up for it.
The restaurant was good, Curry after 14 days is too much, but there was other menu items for us, and the waiters always helped they brought us ice cream every lunch time.
Even the head waiter helped us with a Dentist and an English speaking Sri Lankan to help us, nothing was too much trouble for them.
Take a trip to Mr Stitch, made suits dresses and blouse for us.
We took the Mercury two day trip, thoroughly enjoyed with Lucky our guide, who was very knowledgeable about the history. All in all a wonderful relaxing and enjoyable holiday.

1 reader found this review helpful

Hi to anyone thinking of going to SRI LANKA. BEWARE DON'T !!! We have just gone to Sri Lanka for our wedding with First Choice. Yes a reputable company we thought!
This country still has a bad civil war and you are advised not to go out of the complex alone. We arrived after 11hr bad flight with First Choice then a 3 hour transfer from the airport to the resort hotel Club Palm Garden. The bus was old and the driver a local lunatic. We nearly had a head on crash with a lorry! Hence to say after arriving through the poorest cities I have ever been through, and several military police stops we decided we did not want to stay at this hotel,in Sri lanka at all.
We had to book a return flight for the earliest which was 2 days later and return without our wedding being a disaster. We have been to Manchester to report to First Choice along side some evidence photos of our disgusting and unclean, damaged room. Not to mention the all inclusive which comprised of cold soup at lunchtimes and chips, salad and hot curry as the only options. I have been to Caribbean on all inclusive and this was not all inclusive far from it. They are in the process of investigating our case but ABTA are very interested to take it further and if we don't get all our money back it will go to court!!
This has been a truly traumatic time and I hope no-one else falls for the promises and nice photos in the brochure as it is all lies and certainly don't book a wedding as the weddings dept. are all youngsters who do not have any experience booking a wedding.
We had to meet with a First choice customer service representative and the lady head of booking for Sri Lanka, who has never been. They use a local Sri Lankan company whilst out there and it is all bribe money when you get there. Maldives may be better but we were advised it is just for sunbathing with a selection of watersports. There were complaints in the hotel whilst we were there and many had bad experiences to tell. Save your money and go to another country as there is no culture here just poverty !!

5 readers found this review helpful

Just returned from the best holiday I have ever taken. The hotel was fantastic, we had a room facing the lagoon, and it was gorgeous day or night.
The service was without doubt the best ever and the food was superb, very varied and the desserts were fantastic.
The pool, the biggest I have ever seen was some days very warm because the sun shone every day 30 degrees plus, take plenty of factors 20!!
And although we were there during the monsoon season we had only about 1 hours worth of rain the whole fortnight!
We took a couple of trips with Mr Susi! Real name Susila Fernando, you can find him outside the gates of the hotel and he lives just up the road. Give him a chance, he will tailor any trip you want to go on, and he and his driver are the greatest guys, very knowledgeable, very funny!
I didn't want to leave and would go back like a shot.
The reason I have only given a 9 is that wine was not included in the all inclusive and was so expensive, but that’s because I am a wine drinker!
And that really is the only criticism of this beautiful place, all the Sri Lankans we met were smiling, happy and calm.
Anything you want to buy is so cheap, there is a tailor just up the road from the hotel; he will make you want you want, shirts, trouser suits, dresses, anything just take a picture of what you want, and he will copy it. Had a great trouser suit made to measure, £45.00!!
A beautiful country, a beautiful hotel, beautiful people, only one thing left to say is GO!

4 readers found this review helpful

It was absolutely amazing! When you go in it seems a bit big and we got a bit lost sometimes but eventually you know where everything is! At check-in, you get this really exotic green fruit cocktail thing with a melon ball in it which was a lovely start.
The whole place is beautiful, the beach is literally 2 minutes away and everyone, staff and visitors are so friendly and love young children. The bar serves delicious drinks and a list of about 12 all-inclusive cocktails.
The pool is the biggest I have ever seen! Every morning at 11, there is water aerobics, followed by volleyball, which is always entertaining to watch! The food is always different. My personal favourite was "Flambe Night"! What else?...oh yeah, there is a small hut like thing where there is a bunch of Tuk-Tuks just waiting to drive you where you want to go. It costs about 500 rupees to get from the hotel to town and back which is about £2.50!!! Ok, well I’ll leave some stuff for you to experience!

3 readers found this review helpful

Just got back from the most pampered holiday of my life. The Hotel staff couldn't do enough for you and were fantastic, so friendly and always smiling.
Our room was in a cabana against the lagoon...paradise! A sandbar separated us from the sea.
Woke in the morning to watch fishermen at work in the lagoon and a great variety of birdlife.
Food was awesome...lots of variety for the most picky of pickers.
The massage is something to go for...if you miss this, you have missed a real treat.
The guys who run the entertainment are great and made my holiday with their sense of fun and providing things to do in the pool.
Don't just stay in the Hotel, Tuc-tucs are waiting outside the gates and at the other side of the sand bar...great adventure just to explore locally you are perfectly safe with the drivers.
Give Slimline Tours a go...I did and thoroughly enjoyed myself with river trip, Colombo and an overnight trip to Kandy and the tea plantation...all organised by Samudu the owner of Slim Line Tours, a lovely guy who really looks after you and is overflowing with knowledge of his beautiful land.
Can't wait to go back...saving up already.

1 reader found this review helpful

We have just returned from a wonderful, relaxing holiday in this hotel.
The staff were friendly and so hard working. We seldom got to the point where our glasses were empty! (Or our stomachs.)
Susila Fernando is an excellent tour guide and can be found outside the hotel gates along with a few others. His tours are cheaper especially if there are more than two of you.
I do think though that the hotel should try to develop the beach more as some guests like to use the beach area, as it is usually cooler there with the gentle sea breeze.
We look forward to returning to this lovely hotel and to discover some of the other treasures of this beautiful island and its wonderful people.

2 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from our second holiday at Club Palm Bay. This is just the right size hotel where you can easily make friends if you want to.
The staff could not be better they are genuinely very friendly and helpful.
Apart from all the trips out available if you stay in the hotel there is still plenty to do.
We hired bikes and had a great experience seeing the locals go about their day to day lives, plenty of smiles and waves on the way.
The pool is large and they daily run activities in the pool which brought people together and was fun, without disturbing those who just want to swim and lay reading on a sun bed.
On both occasions there was a great mixture of people of all ages and different nationalities.
Value for money was great with plenty to eat and drink all day and night, this is a great leveller no one could be a flash Harry!
You could tip discreetly in boxes in each area on departure.
We cannot recommend this hotel / holiday more highly, we are now already contemplating another return.

My wife and I have nothing but praise for this hotel and its staff.
We had a very comfortable stay and were struck by the friendly, smiling service both at the hotel and everywhere we went. In particular we were very impressed by Sam who runs 'Samantha Tours' which is situated in a shop almost opposite the hotel entrance.
We took a two-day private trip with him to Kandy in his modern, air-conditioned people carrier. The hotel in Kandy was very good with dinner and breakfast included in the price as well as visits to the elephant orphanage, a herb garden where we bought excellent herbal oils (my dodgy knee is tons better after following the regime), the Temple of the Tooth and the Royal Botanical Gardens, superb.
When we return to Sri Lanka, we intend to hire Sam for a longer period and see much more of this charming island. By the way, at no time were we worried by or about, the ongoing terrorist situation.
The people are exceptionally friendly, and despite being very poor, are not at all 'pushy' or grasping, apart from the attendant in the gents' toilet on arrival at the airport, who demanded £1 for a quick visit.

An excellent hotel, which fully lived up to our expectations. The only reason I couldn’t award a score of 10 is because the beach area was not attended most of the time. Then again we didn’t really need to go to the beach with such excellent hotel facilities. The staff are very attentive, and the pool was the biggest we ever encountered.
I read on this website a couple of recommendations for this guy Sumudu, who runs Slimline Tours. I was willing to believe he had advertised himself on the web, and that the plugs were phoney. Believe me this is not the case. The second day we were at the Club Palm Bay we came across him outside near the Tuk-Tuk stand.
I had made a point of searching him out because I had read about him. Please believe me, that everything that has already been said about him is true. He is a fantastic guy who will tailor your tours exactly to your needs, and caters for your every whim. We booked him for two separate two day tours and enjoyed every minute. He chooses good hotels at a budget price, and escorts you on every excursion, even right up to the top of the Lion Rock!
I have no hesitation in recommending his services, and he has become a firm friend. We intend to return again next year and I will arrange for him to meet me at the airport and give me a one week escorted tour around the far side of the island which we had no time to visit this year.

We have just returned from Club Palm Bay after spending a month there it was wonderful the room, the staff, every thing was excellent.
We traveled with Saga and an added bonus was outside the hotel gates was a man named Sumudu he runs Slimline Tours we went with him to Kandy it was a superb tour.
We would certainly return to Sri Lanka it is such wonderful Island and the people are lovely.
John & Joy Mills-Evans
From Wales.