Club Dolphin Hotel

This resort and Country was one of my favorites I have stayed in and I have been to a number of different countries all over the world. This is the most tourist friendly country I have ever been to. The locals are so friendly and genuinely want to give you their time of the day just to talk to you and find out how we live our lives back home. You get sucked in by the culture so easy and the friendly charm of the island is enough to make you want to go back time and time again. I am already looking into going back there again this coming Christmas & New Year 2007, it is that good. I stayed at The Club Hotel Dolpin from 25th Dec to 2nd Jan 2006. This has got to be one of the most memorable New Year Eve Parties I have been to. The food which was laid on for the Gala Dinner was of an excellent standard, a feast fit for a king, and the displays were amazing. There was so much food laid on and we found this to be the case every night and the choice was very varied ranging from all types of curries to western type food, salads and fruits of many types, cakes and sweets for all those sweet toothed people. We stayed in the bungalow type accomodation which was basic but comfortable. This is a typical 3 star accomodation so don't expect high standards in the bungalows. The bathrooms are part open aired, the rooms are air conditioned and cleaned on a daily basis. The room boys are all so charming and friendly and I advise to tip them at the beginning and end of your stay as you will receive a high standard of service and be well looked after if you have any problems. We travelled as a party of four, myself, my husband, my father and his partner. My husband and I had no problems with our bungalow and was given a mosqito net for our length of stay. My father & his partner though experienced a few problems with his like no hot water, the electricity blew in the bathroom, the front granite fascia fell off the sink but all of these problems were quickly rectified and repaired when bought to the room boys attention. We were even given tea and coffee making facilities by Chris & Dameith our room boys, if you have the chance to bump into them tell them we said hello. I was told that the rooms in the main block were of a better standard and newly brightly decorated compared to the bungalows which were a bit dim. The main block surrounds a busy large swimming pool, large sun bathing area and bar whilst at the other end of the resort at the far end of the bungalows there is a much quieter and smaller pool with a kids pool and bar. The animation team are a real friendly bunch and they work hard at making your holiday a good one. Pali one of the members is a lovely chap and likes to chat to you, he also loves his cricket. They're all great fun to be with and deserve a big pat on the back. The resort is placed right on the beach front and this has all been constructed recently since the tsunami just over a year ago. The beach is wonderful to walk along during the morning, at daytime and also at sunset but it maybe not very safe late at night as it runs through local villages, past the local clothes shop Asda and it also runs parallel with the river at the other end past the litle shop Tescos selling gifts. In Asda they will make for you local custom clothing, a sari would cost you approx £14. In Tescos the owner Edward is a charming man who experienced tradegy during the tsumani, please visit his shop and make a small purchase as all of his gifts are cheaper and of good quality rather than the hotel shop and he has some really pretty stuff for sale including great quality beachwear. We done a 2 day tour of the island with Hem Tours the agent via First Choice. We visited Kandy and The Tooth Temple, Sigiriya Rock, A Tea Factory, A Gem Stone Outlet, A Batak Cloth Factory, The Botanical Gardens, The Spice Gardens, Dambulla Cave Temples and the Pinnawela Elephant Orphange. This tour costs approx £125 each for four people. Harold the local Tour Guide will also take you on a similar tour of the same itinery and for a smaller charge. I can highly recommend Harold as we meet many people who went on his tours and they said they had a great time. We had a hiccup on our tour with Hem Tours as the plush hotel we were meant to stay in up in the hills in Kandy had overbooked with our booking and so we ended up in a noisy small hotel in Kandy City and all had a restless night. We would have most certainly booked up with Harold had we have known that Hem Tours were a bit unreliable but because my father is of the older generation we thought it be best to go with the orgainsed tour operator recommended by our rep. So we learned that we made the wrong choice there due to the high expense and lack of orgainsiation of Hem Tours. Though I can recommend our Guide, Kingsley of Hem Tours as he was full of useful information and we learnt a lot from him about the island. We also had a very experienced driver and I'm glad I felt safe under his control at the wheel, the driving out there is of a true mad experience and will have you gripping on for dear life as they all drive like there's no tomorrow! You must at least go to Sygiriya Rock for the experience and breath taking views from the top but I warn you the climb isn't for the faint hearted. If you feel that you cannot make it to the top you can stop half way up at the lions paws whilst the rest of your party go on up to see the palace ruins and views. You also have the choice to climb a metal spiral staircase on the outside of the rock to see the paintings of the cloud maidens in the caves, this is certainly worth while. The trip to the Elephant Orphange is certainly a fanastic trip, we even rode the elephants strided perched on its back whilst riding through the hillsides and through little villages. That was a touching experience and well worth the cost of 2500 ruppees for 45 mins. You cannot take any Sri Lankan currency into the country or take it out as you will never be able to change it back anywhere else in the world. A word of advice is spend all your ruppees before entering the airport for your return journey as in the airport shops and duty free they only take US dollars, sterling or cards. Save a couple of hundred ruppees for tips at the airport for baggage service, toilet attendants, etc. On entering the country at the arrival airport there are plenty of banks where you can purchase your ruppees before getting your transfer to your hotel. The rate is normally beter at the airport compared to your hotel. The weather at the time of when we visited was lovely and hot, low nineties nearly every day and mostly clear skies. We did have a cloudy day but the sun was still strong and people were still suffering from sun burn because they didn't use sun lotions. The best months to go are Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March as the other months they suffer from the rainy season in Waikkal which is during our summer months in the UK. Well I hope you do decide to go and visit this lovely country and I hope I have helped you to decide to stay at the Club Hotel Dolphin. I certainly recommend it and it will be my first choice for when I return back in the not to distant future. Sri Lanka is a big place and there is so much to go and see. This is a good base and trips are orgainsed to visit where ever you want to go, there's so much more to this magical island we have yet still to see and explore. Don't forget to go and see Harold about the tours he orgainses he owns the shop just to the left, outside of the reception, 1st shop on the left hand side about 100m from the gates. Have a fab holiday! I know you will! Karen and Frog

Just returned back from my third holiday there. I'm determined go for at least 3 weeks next year - It's now become a very emotional time when we leave, because we just wish we could stay there forever. The Management and Animation teams are not just your hosts, they are your true friends. We managed to be there for their Christmas Gala dinner..a sight to behold. Magnificent!

I couldn't find anything bad to say if I tried. My husband and I have just come back and I can understand why people go to this hotel again and again. The staff were friendly, food was good, huge swimming pool kept clean like everything else. We tipped our room boys a couple of days before we left as they weregoing to be off when we left and came back to find our bed covered in patterns of beautiful tropical flowers (they didn't have to do that, they'd had their money!) The animation team were excellent - if you want to play croquet or mini golf you could but there was no pressure and they put on very good shows some evenings. Another real plus point - no fighting for sunbeds. Ours were ready for us whatever time we arrived in the morning, in the same place, with a brolly and a beach towel rolled up with a flower in it. What more could you ask? Had an excellent trip up the river with Harold who has a shop up the road and for incredibly cheap beach sarongs and beach dresses etc. visit Asda just on the right along the beach. If she hasn't got what you want she'll make it for you. One last thing if you go on any trips with your tour company ask for Edward Van Sanden as he was superb and do take pencils and pens and sweets for the kids if you can, as they don't have a lot and the pleasure and thanks you get from them make the holiday worthwhile without amything else. Mick and Con

Driving from the airport to our destination was an eye opener, try not to let it get to you, although i was told that, it got to me. Once we got in to the complex we felt safe almost, and forgot about the drive we had just been on. I went with my boyfriend and his family, and we all felt the same, but warmed to the place very quickly. The complex was very clean. The staff were very friendly and couldnt do enough for you. The food was nice, a lot of variety. Although we did go out for a meal on the odd occation. The first week was brilliant. By the second week we were running out of things to do. It is best to try and book some trips. We visited the orphan elephants, that was a great day. The only thing the complex was missing was a beach. When we went it was still the monsoon season and we couldnt go in to the sea. But the swimming pool does make up for that. Although i wouldnt go again. It was an experience. And i can always say that i have been there.

My boyfriend David and I got back from the Club Dolphin on 5th September. I have to say this was the most beautiful hotel, we have ever stayed in by far. It was fresh and clean, colourful and it had everything totally to our taste! It was far more than we expected!! The food was to die for, and we met the most friendliest and most genuine staff ever. The most beautiful and decent people. We would like to thank Thomson and the club hotel dolphin team, ESPECIALLY the 'animation team', a great big thankyou for such a fantastic holiday!! We totally recommend this hotel, for everyone from families to couples! A massive thumbs up!! xxxxx

this was my second time at the Dolphin and it was just as good as the first.The atmosphere is fantastic considering tourism is low at the moment. But i would without a doubt reccomend the Dolphin.I learnt how to salsa with thanks to Johnny who knows his dancing to perfection.I even played golf. fair play to Sandy who somehow persuades everyone to join in. i wish I could go back again. I've never had so much fun.

Hi, My partner and I stayed at the Club Hotel Dolphin from June 5th to June 19th and had a brilliant stay. The grounds of the hotel are beautifully kept and the swimming pool really does have to be seen to be believed. It's huge! The food was good, full of flavour however after eating it constantly for 14 days and nights it was good to come home and have a proper bacon sandwich!! The entertainment staff work hard in the daytime and special praise should be heaped on Sandie who tries to get everyone to play bowls and mini golf every day. (The games can go on a bit though and you'll be dying for a beer after playing mini golf - one round went on for an hour and a half!!!!) The only problem that we had in this hotel were the bites from the mosquitoes. They bit us constantly from day one to day three until the cleaners put mosquito nets up for us. Since they did that, we didn't get bitten again. The only thing I would warn people about is to be very careful of where you go when you're on an organised trip. Be particular wary of a trip which stops at the 'spice garden'. People in our hotel spent nearly £100 on potions and lotions after being told that they were all herbal and would transform their skin instantly. The only thing it transformed was their holiday spending money as the same creams were available in the hotel shops for a couple of quid!!!

Despite the efforts of ill informed UK tour operators, (most of Sri Lanka has not been destroyed by the tsunami) to cancel our holiday, we spent a wonderful 4 weeks at the Dolphin. Fortunately the hotel escaped the full force of the tsunami, sustaining only minor damage which was soon repaired. Even though the occupancy was low we were impressed by the fact that all the facilities were available (except the new pool bar), the varied evening entertainments were performed by the animation team as if to an audience of 100 instead of at times 10 or 20, thank you Tuan, Kumar, Richie & everyone. The whole daytime programme was offered even though sometimes there were only a few participants. The buffet meals were good though understandably slightly limited in choice, but if there was something you fancied that was not offered, the chefs would cook it specially for you, -- now that's service!! The hotel is a little isolated, not to everyones taste, but there are a couple of restuarant/bars nearby and a good jewellers next to the Canal Gardens opposite the hotel. There are varied walks around the local village or if you are feeling energetic a 3km. trek to the main crossroads where you can watch Sri Lankan life go by. We can recommend the local taxis outside, especially Ravi & Godfrey. Although there is no beach next to the hotel, there is ample room for everyone in the palm shaded gardens, and there are plans to create a sandy beach in time for the next season. The pool boys know almost before you do where you want your sunbeds, they are laid out with mattresses, towels & shades before you finish breakfast! We have been visitors to Sri Lanka since 1994 and have stayed in other hotels around the island but the Dolphin is, for us, the most relaxing and friendly. Our message to others is please visit Sri Lanka, they need your support and help in rebuilding their beautiful country.

I stayed in the Hotel from 1st Jan 2005 to 30th Apr 2005 for almost 4 months for a Computerization assignment and I have never been away from home this long but after 2 days it was just like home. The staff was excellent, friendly and entertaining. The food and services were excellent, quick and tidy. The Hotel was full of fun and joy.

My wife and I married at the Club Hotel Dolphin, everyone was so helpful and friendly I would recommend the hotel to anyone apart from snobs.