Browns Beach Hotel

7 readers found this review helpful

After reading all the negative posts about browns beach, i can only think that those people went to a differant browns beach to the one i visited in march 2009. It is a three star hotel not a 5 star hotel, ok the hotel itself may have seen better days but then again i was in much better shape 20 years ago as well. The staff are the most friendly hotel staff i have ever met, and the hotel grounds are spotless. I cant wait to go back

9 readers found this review helpful

My friend and I have just returned from 17 days at the Browns Beach Hotel Negombo and were very suprised at how much we enjoyed our stay. We had read many revues and were apprehensive on arrival but found a spotlessly clean hotel, in a great location, staffed by the friendliest people and with rooms above our expectations. Great views from the balconies, excellent room staff, drinking water fresh daily, laundry service and fresh linen. Everywhere was clean every day, even the lawns and sand. Everywhere we were greeted by smiling staff who would go out of their way to help. The hotel is large but so efficiently run that you feel the most important person there, who everyone is looking after. It was great food too although I imagine if you were there for fully inclusive it might get a bit boring but we visited local restaurants and never got fed up with the food. We love to explore and were so fortunate to meet a tuk tuk driver called Jude outside the hotel. He knows everyone and every where of interest and took us all over to see local people at work and at play. Well worth looking out for is Jude, tall, dark and with a red tuk tuk. With him we visited rubber, pineapple and coconut plantations, batik makers, toddy and arak makers, sisal makers, fishermen, cafes and restaurants off the beaten track and went on canal and lagoon trips seeing birds and monitor lizards. I suggest you avoid the spice gardens which I think are just a con to get you to buy very over priced lotions. Go with Jude to a local shop and get "Tiger balm" it's much cheaper and probably works better. Through Kuioni we arranged and designed a trip to Kandy for four days. Great trip especially because we had a great chauffer, Chaminda, to take us off the tourist track. Contacting him direct and arranging your tour, not what the hotel or tour operator want you to see is the best idea. Short, over night trips leave you exhausted and wishing you'ld had more time. [-] is his number

i was staying for 1 week at Browns BeachHotel /Negombo,i experienced poor service of the service staff and waiters,the condition of the Hotel generally is old and need to be refurbished.
The food was acceptable ,but not outstanding or extraordinary menue.
the room cleanleness dosn't even come half the standards of a 5* rated Hotel..The High room rates are not justified and value for the money they charge you.
the average crowd there was 60+ and for younger guests quite boring.

If you're thinking of staying at this hotel think again. We found our room to be tired and dirty, with bed linen being recycled between us. Mould in the bathroom, the shower took 15 - 20 minutes to drain, tepid water. Despite reporting these problems to reception absolutley nothing was done about them.
The hawkers on the beach are a nuisance and do spoil enjoyment of the beach.
I would NOT recommend this hotel.

My mark of 4/10 is very generous.
We knew we booked a 3 star hotel, so you would expect it to be maybe a bit rough and ready but what we cannot accept is it not to be clean.
We were on the 3rd floor (Room 322) and all I can is that it was filthy. The bathroom had mould on the walls and in the shower cubicle it had it's own culture growing there. The net curtain on the balcony door was grey (I'm sure it started off white) and it had holes in it. Also, in the corners of the room it looked like it hadn't been cleaned for months. The towels were threadbare and grey and has for the sheets they always had marks on them even though they had been cleaned.
As for the food it was repeated a lot with not a lot of choice and a lot of the time it was luke warm. The napkins on the table were dirty.
I could go on for ages, all I would say is that the staff are pleasant and cannot do enough for you, however I will not be going back and I certainly would not recommend it to anyone.

6 readers found this review helpful

My friend and I went to Browns Beach, Negombo to celebrate our 50th Birthdays.
When we got there we were taken directly to Browns Beach where our luggage and needs were immediately attended to. We were given refreshing drinks while we waited for the reception to distribute our room keys, which never took more than 15 minutes. The room was basic with no t.v. it was spacious and had a fridge and complimentary bottles of water, which we continually filled from the fresh drinking chilled water dispenser in the corridor where our room was.
We were totally looked after by the friendly and helpful staff who held interesting conversations.with us and made us laugh. Nothing was too much trouble for them.
Upon sun down every night the 'mozzi man' came round to refresh our insect repellant machine and spray the curtains, floor and bathroom, everything was done to make our stay as comfortable as possible. The bedding was changed EVERY DAY, as were the towels. and the beds were later turned down for us before we retired.
Food at the hotel was excellent with a wide choice of foods catering for everybody's needs, there was always a good variety, which was always well prepared and cooked to our own specific request.
The hotel was on the seafront which we could see from our bedroom, although partially blocked by lush palm trees.
Tours were organised by the First Choice rep, although we decided to pay £20 extra for a chauffeur driven tour who was extremely informative and took us to places which were interesting and avoided the frequent showers on the dates we had booked. Again nothing was too much trouble.
There was a jeweller as we turned left out of the front of the hotel. The shop was called Suncraft Jewellers. The gentleman in the shop quoted very fair prices and even took us round the workshop to see our goods being made. Some of the goods we bought were delivered to the hotel for us to save us walking down the street to the shop. All the goods were of good value and made again to our specific requirements, we would definately recommend him.
The opticians next to the Jewellers was Euro-Optic and was again really good value and my friend got herself a real bargain with buy one get one free offer, no charge was made for the eye test and she was really pleased with Reading glasses, sunglasses and night visiion glasses for just £95.
Most of the jewellers and opticians in Negombo accepted English pounds, and US Dollars. However, we couldn't take cash from cards in the hotel and had to go to the bank in Negombo for that.
Travel into Negombo was usually by tut tut which cost 200 Sri Lankan rupees which is less than £1 and was a real bargain and good fun.
I would recommend this holiday to anybody. Good Value, Good fun, Good time.
Give it a go! We would go back again next year, no problem....

I wish there was a 0 rating for this hotel. We stayed here last year 2007. I have never seen such a filthy hotel anywhere else in the world. After inspecting the room (toilet filthy, shower ingrained with dirt and mould, beds really dusty, bed linen soiled and balcony with furniture that would be better off on a tip) we refused to stay and demanded to be put in another hotel. This was the best decision we ever made. If you are thinking of booking this hotel - don't do it !!!

4 readers found this review helpful

Just returned from a fantastic 2 week holiday at Browns Beach.
The staff were very helpful and friendly - nothing was too much trouble. The hotel itself was a bit worn as were the towels and linen but the food was very good - there was a good selection of dishes at every mealtime. The hotel, beach and pool area was very clean and the staff were always sweeping up!
I will definately go again.

2 readers found this review helpful

The staff were very helpful and friendly and would do anything to make sure you had a cood holiday.
Linen and towels were changed every day and the laundry service was excellent.
good food in the hotel with plenty of choice though we ate out most evenings.
Our favourite was the Palm Lanka where 2 starters 2curries[or other] and 4 beers cost about £10.
There are plenty of other good restaurants

The staff were very helpful and friendly and would do anything to make sure you had a cood holiday.
Linen and towels were changed every day and the laundry service was excellent.
good food in the hotel with plenty of choice though we ate out most evenings.
Our favourite was the Palm Lanka where 2 starters 2curries[or other] and 4 beers cost about £10.
There are plenty of other good retaurants