Bentota Beach Hotel

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Spent 13 nights all inclusive at Bentota Beach Hotel from 1 March 2009. Warmly welcomed at reception, after a 2.5 hour very uncomfortable taxi ride from the airport, with a chilled fruit juice and a refreshing damp towel.Bell boy who took our bags to the room was very friendly and informative - about the room and hotel facilities and local things to see and do. Roomboy was very friendly, for obvious reasons, but $5 after a few days, and another $5 a few days leter, ensured the room was always up to scratch. Unusually for all inclusive, there was a kettle and supplies of tea and coffee, topped up twice a day. Bottled water always readily available from the bars. All staff were very friendly and helpful, but there did seem to be a lot less staff in the restaurant in the second week, and it was quite often difficult to get served with drinks. The white wine served by the glass at lunch and dinner, was palateable to me, but I'm no connoisseur. The white and dark rums in the bars were awful, and diet mixers were not included, so I drank vodka or gin and sprite, but my husband said the beer and whisky were OK. Nightly entertainment in the large, cool, comfortable lounge bar was not spectacular but it was acceptable and passed the evenings. The pool aws fab and there were plenty of sunloungers, provided with mattresses and towels by pool attendants. 100 rupees on most, but not all visits, ensured we were provided quickly and politely.
We are keen, qualified scuba divers and we used Lanka Sports Reizen, the divecentre linked to the hotel. They provided try-dives in the pool on several afternoons, and a presnce in the bar for an hour on most evenings. We've dived with some good dive centres but can safely say the manager and staff here were the top of the top. Equipment was prepared for you and taken to the boat. We have our own gear, and great care was taken of it. We were picked up from and dropped of at the hotel by boat, for the couple of minutes boat trip to the dive centre, and provided with ceylon tea and biscuits during the surface interval, and back at the dive centre after the day's 2 dives. Visibility was not the greatest, because of overnight rains and surge, but the water was 29C and the diving was pleasant, relaxed and enjoyable,