Bentota Beach Hotel

After a 3 hour transfer to the hotel it was quite a shcok to find ourselves crossing a railway line to get into the forecourt of the hotel. It was well worth it after the great welcome we received from the friendly staff and a nice cool fruit punch and a hot towel. The room was spacious especially the bathroom which had one of the largest showers i have been in. The gardens were very well maintained and as soon as you approached your sunbed, a pool boy was ready with your towels. You did not have to get up early to reserve a bed here as there were plenty to go around. Even the resident chipmunks were friendly. The buffet restaurant was very spacious with a great variety of food. The sweet table was exceptionally good. The A La carte restaurant had a great ambience with the pianist playing softly in the corner of the restaurant. The food and service was very good. The beach had very soft sandy which gently sloped towards the sea. However during our visit the currents in the sea were still too strong to actually swim, but this didnt stop us having fun in the waves. The only downside to the hotel was the railway line which passed directly outside the front of the hotel. At around 5.30 am every morning the Colombo express passed by and the driver sounded his horn as he approached the level crossing which was situated outside the main gate. I wouldnt let this stop you from visiting this hotel.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Bentota Beach hotel in August 2005 following a personalised tour of the island. Our stay was supposed to be for 4 nights, however within a few hours of entering the hotel we had arranged to move to an alternative property in another resort!!! The reasons why...? (1) First of all the room we were allocated was damp and mouldy. In addition the toilet did not flush. We requested to be moved and were able to do so, however the hotel staff were not particularly apologetic. Upon moving we asked the bell boy if he thought we were being particulary fussy and he admitted that there was a recurring problem with damp in the wing of the hotel to which we had been originally allocated (7). As the hotel was not full we were particalary angry that we had been put in such a sub-standard room. (2) After moving rooms we decided to go and relax by the swimming pool. We waited nearly 25 mins for a towel... (3) Our stay at the hotel was on a half-board basis. When we went down to dinner we provided our room number and were shown to our 'allocated' table. This was so close to the tables either side that we originally thought that we had been asked to sit with another couple that we did not know! (4) The room that we were moved to (which was a more expensive category room) was so close to the railway line that we were woken up repeatedly throughout the night. In addition to the above we had some further issues with the hotel which we cannot really blame the hotel for, however they may be worth bearing in mind if you are considering whether or not to stay at the Bentota Beach Hotel. There is a disco ball in the main bar (this speaks for itself!!). Your typical residents are typical package tourists whose usual haunt is most likely to be Benidorm rather than somewhere as stunning as the rest of Sri Lanka!!! (After writing the above I feel I should add some positives about the hotel - the beach was lovely (altough Bentota itself is not) and the food was pretty good.)

We stayed All Inclusive at the Bentota Beach Hotel for two weeks in June 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The staff are superb - always friendly and helpful. We had a problem with the air conditioning in our room and it was fixed immediately. The hotel itself is spotless and the rooms are serviced twice every day. Food is from the self service buffet and is excellent, always served hot and so much choice. The deserts were my downfall - the variety is mind boggling - and all gourmet and made in-house! Selection of fruits is also good - what a difference eating fresh fruits compared to those we buy in UK. Cannot recommend enough. Yes, Hawkers are a nuisance but if you say a firm "no thank you" or have a chat with them you will find they are just trying to make a living and you can get some useful advice from them about the area. It took us 3 hours to travel 65km from the airport to the hotel because of sheer volume of traffic and having to circumnavigate Colombo (only one main road down the west coast) but, personally, I found it extremely interesting to see the "real" Sri Lanka. The journey back to the airport was quicker by one and a half hours! We would go back to this hotel in a flash and would recommend to anyone.

Just returned from a 10 day break at the Bentota Beach Hotel and were surprised as to how good it actually was. Rooms are large and airy and the Staff could not do enough to help. The gardens and pool area are a real feature and there was plenty of room just to "chill out" in your own space. Some of the evening entertainment (not normally our thing) was excellent and a really relaxed/happy atmosphere prevailled. We took a walk down to the Taj Exotica and whilst the infrastructure looked much smarter it felt far more stuffy than the Bentota Beach. On a slight downside, when the hotel is busy the buffet style restaurant can resemble a rugby scrum, but the food itself was actually of extremely good quality and as long as you avoid peak periods it should be fine. Depending on how you travel you should also be prepared for an extremely long transfer (4hours) from the airport. All in all we thought that the hotel offered excellent value for money and a great location for a family holiday.

This is the best hotel we have ever stayed in. The people who work there are so friendly and we were treated like Kings and Queens for the week. From the management to the chamber-person, everybody ensured our stay was great. The rooms are lovely, serviced twice a day and made up with flowers in the evening, the food amazing so much choice, the hotel very clean. I cannot recommend anything better than a stay at this hotel. There are Tuk-tuks outside the hotel that will take you into the town of Bentota for a small charge (we paid 200 rupees). You must try king coconuts - its a drink from an orange large coconut. There are watersports from the river next to the hotel, with boat trips. The beach is very nice but I have noticed that many people are put off by the people on the beach trying to sell their goods - yes this does happen but if you really don't want to buy then they do leave you alone. I bought a few items because I felt that I was supporting the locals making a living. I loved it so much, I am going back there on 12th August 05 for two weeks.

I came from Saudi Arabia last year May/2004 to visit this hotel and it was the best in Sri lanka. I love it and I'll visit it again ..........

The hotel is fantastic, really clean and tidy and very accommodating, the staff are some of the friendliest people we've ever met and make you feel welcome as soon as you step through the door, the beach is lovely although we went during the monsoon season so the sea was far too rough to swim in. The food at the hotel is excellent, we were really impressed with the variety and the quality of the food. The hotel is popular with weddings however I will say that there is a new bridge being built whilst this isn't within earshot if your at the pool it is just across the river from where the weddings take place. The only negative is the persistance of the people trying to sell you stuff from sarongs, carvings and boat trips etc, however when you do stop and talk to these guys they have some really useful information and don't be surprised if they tag along ! If you can't be doing with being hasstled then take a tuk tuk from outside the hotel into town, they'll stop and wait for you whilst you shop and it should only cost £2 or £3 (don't forget to haggle). You can't see any evidence of the Tsunami at the hotel or the town, although a couple of the hotels that are on the beachfront at Bentota are still closed, and if you take a taxi down the coast towards Galle you will see lots of devastation, but don't let that stop you having a walk round the towns and stopping for a bite to eat, we found a lovely beach front bar in Hikkaduwa and it cost us about £5 for a meal and drinks for 4 people. The National Park at Yala is a long journey due to the poor roads but is definately worthwhile. Just a walk down the beach is a turtle sanctuary which is a very nice walk and if you go on any excursions you will probably go to the Kosgoda tutle hatchery again, worth a visit. All in all a fantastic holiday, in one of the nicest places and in a lovely hotel and I would definately recommend it.

the bentota beach hotel was gorgeous i went with my family 5months after the tsunami hit, driving from the airport to the hotel you could see the damage but when you get to the hotel you can tell nothing has happened the hotel is gorgeous very clean and tidy the cleaners are very friendly and so are the staff the food is delicous. the only problem was the hawkers on the beach i went in the sea it was lovely the only problem is getting past the hawkers they are always trying to sell you stuff some of the things they sell you are rather nice they sell sarongs, model elephants i would love to visit this hotel again but the hawkers have put me off a little bit but they have excellent facilities (e-mailing facilities,entertainment at night,club intersport which includes watersking,jet ski, and many more watersports also there was an elephant in the grounds which was brilliant you could go buy and pinapple off the beach and it could eat it all in one!!! would love to visit again!!!

We were married at the Bentota Beach Hotel on 8th December 2004. We had a group of 6 with us, making 8 in total and we ALL had a fantastic time. The staff were friendly and attentive, giving exemplary service. They went out of their way to make our wedding and holiday special. The Hotel was of a very high standard, clean, well cared for and relaxed with a happy atmosphere. The rooms were good and the food was excellent. The grounds were well cared for with plenty of lush vegetation. The water sports centre and Ayervedic centre were both used and enjoyed by us. We plan to return one day as our stay was so brilliant and I would recommend the hotel to everyone. We just hope that everyone we met was unaffected by the tsunami, and our thoughts and hopes go out to them. Just be very careful how you use the tuk-tuks from outside the hotel if you are females.

I stayed at the bentota beach hotel in 2000 my parents got married out there we were there for 2 weeks it was paradise the hotel was beautifull and staff were verry well mannerd. the hotel also provided entertainment most nights. they also provide water sports on the lake. i would definitly go again its a once in a lifetime experience. we still keep intouch with the wedding co-ordinator via e mail and every year we recieve christmas cards fom the tea factory in kandy. our hearts are with you always xxx