Hibiscus Beach Hotel

Went to Sri Lanka with friends, had a great time, every day I said this can't get better and every day it did. I would recommend getting out on trips to see the country, it's a long way to go to sit in the hotel. The hotel itself was fine. The rooms were clean and adequate. The staff were friendly and the food suited me as the vegetarian choice was plentiful. Trips were booked with Jala Tours just right at the beach to the Royal Sri Lanka Bar. Jala really looked after us. We booked 2 overnight trips and we stayed in great hotels. Jala also looked out for us in Kalutara where I had a couple of less positive experiences when Jala wasn't with us. Look out for the 'touts' who hang around the shops. They charge the shopkeepers commission for taking you inside. Apart from that the whole holiday was fab. Do use the tuk-tuks outside the hotel, the drivers are great. Anu's bar is just to the left of the main entrance he is very helpful and arranged a mini bus for the four of us to have a morning around the local area. I recommend you do this, ten minutes inland is a different world. We went passed the rice fields, rubber plantations and drove through pretty villages. It gave us the opportunity to see how the Sri Lankan people live. The driver stopped if we wanted to take photographs or have a closer look at something. The ladies on the beach became good friends, they sell sari's and t-shirts and are there from dawn to dusk, they are lovely and I looked forward to our little banters. My husband took shirts and shoes out to give to the local people as we heard there is a lot of poverty. We gave them to Jala to distribute for us. I would take more if I went again, as the people have so little. We went passed the Tsnunami area and there is still a lot of devastation, although roads and some new build houses are evident. Tip- don't worry if you don't get all your holiday gifts on the island. The airport duty has everything you could want to buy without the hassle of searching round the towns. How would I rate the holiday overall? Fantastic.

We have just returned from a two week holiday in Sri Lanka and have had a wonderful holiday. The hotel is not ultra modern but the staff are all very friendly. Just loved the little touch like the flowers on the bed at night! Food was plentiful and lots of choice. Just loved the delicious fresh fruit The grounds are beautiful and very well kept and the pool is always clean and sparkling. Entertainment on a night time is provided ………….some are better than others! The beach is just a stroll through the gardens. The sea is so warm and inviting and some nice restaurants all along there. Garlic Prawns are highly recommended! We enjoyed some fabulous tours all of which were arranged through Jala Tours. You can find Jala on the right hand side of the beach just as you leave the gardens in the first bar that you come to. Anu was also really helpful. Jala tailor made all of the trips and nothing was too much trouble for him. We loved the elephant orphanage and the Yala National Park in particular and of course Kandy. In fact every day was magical. The people were all so friendly and so welcoming. Wished I would have taken clothes etc out o them because there is still much poverty and they would have been very grateful for anything. The ladies on the beach made or holiday with all the haggling and friendly banter. Just beware though because there are some unsavoury characters around particularly in Kalatara where they can be very persistent and annoying. Also the local train was a great experience but be careful of very clever con men who operate around there. Really good duty free at Columbo airport ….worth knowing about. Do so envy anyone who is going for their holiday now. As I say we all had a wonderful time and I would love to go back some time.

OK So I travelled all through Sri Lanka and absolutely loved it but the Hibiscus Hotel had the absolute WORST staff in all of Sri Lanka. It as a beautiful hotel and in a great spot but do not trust the staff!! We were initially told that they would not give us a room unless we also brought dinner and breakfast but eventually compromised to breakfast only. When we arrived we were told to take a seat as is the custom but I told our taxi to wait in case they didn't have a spare room I had left my passport and credit card with the front counter but after sitting I thought I would go out and tell our taxi that we would be a few more minutes. When I walked back in I saw another westerner sitting where i had just been wearing a similar shirt to me. I could see one staff member was watching the person they thought was me because my girlfriend was still there. I had a side view of the reception counter and could see another staff member running of about a dozen photocopies of my passport and then of my Visa. He then stuffed them down the front of his trousers whilst the other kept an eye on 'me' (i guess we all look the same) When I challenged them they denied all knowledge of it, disappeared and another staff member came out whp seemed more senior and again denied any knowledge and told me they had gone for their dinner and couldn't be reached. I left but as we got into our taxi to find somewhere else the senior staff member came out and started speaking sri lankan to the taxi driver. I found out later on that he had been threatened by the staff member if he took as away, saying they would not let him do any more pick ups from the hotel (He didn't care because he had driven us from Adam's Peak) We stayed for 5 days in Kalatura and loved it. I got to know some of the locals who told me about how its common knowledge that the staff at Hibiscus make money on the side selling credit card and passpoert numbers to one of the omey changers in town. There are plenty of hotels in the area, steer clear of this one.

We spent a week at the Hibiscus Hotel in late November 2007. The hotel is located on the beach in an isolated village about 10 km north of Kalutara. The hotel property, an excellent nearby restaurant (Anu’s Bambus – next to the Hibiscus) and a local market about 1 kg away, offer enough to do and see. Kalutata is also an interesting city with a beautiful temple. The beach in front of the hotel is lovely and quiet. Yes, there are the local beach boys and women selling Tuk Tuk rides, and clothing, but they are very nice and understand a kind “no” if you are not interested. If you want to do day trips, we recommend either using the Van Service from the Hotel since the prices are fixed and you will not be taken to places that you did not ask to go to. For local Tuk Tuk services, we highly recommend Anu (who owns the restaurant next to the hotel). He is very nice and friendly. We used Anu to visit the local waterfalls and Bentota Beach on separate days. Both trips were excellent. In Bentota he arranged a boat trip on the river, tour of a Turtle Farm and lunch. Outstanding experience. Regarding the hotel, the rooms were small but comfortable. The staff was very nice, friendly and helpful. Only complaint was the old and semi-damaged furniture by the pool and on the beach. However, the Pool Boy, Willi, went out of his way to make sure we always comfortable. We recommend the Hibiscus. It is not a 4-5 star, but for the price we cannot complain. Hightlights: Day trip to local with waterfall (with Anu) Day trip to Hikkaduwa (with Hotel Driver) Day trip to Bentota Beach (with Anu) Local spice factory, turtle farm, and rain forest (with Anu) Fishing on a Catamaran with Anu and his father

We stayed at the Hibiscus in August this year. It was our first visit to Sri Lanka and the furthest East we have ever been. The hotel was lovely, not 5 star, but really comfortable. Our room was clean and the house keeping staff took great pride in their work - fresh flowers on the bed everyday! It did smell a little damp but given the humidity in this country it wasn't too bad. We stayed on a half board basis. Breakfast was good with lots of choice. The evening meal was more variable, Sri Lankan night was amazing but some nights there was less choice. However, the staff were brilliant. The pool area is lovely and the gardens are kept beautifully. Some days we were the only people around the pool and a busy day meant 12! Travelling outside of the hotel is a must. We were advised by Cosmos not to travel with the local 'beach boys'. We ignored their advice after meeting a family at the hotel who had been on a trip with Sandy. Sandy lives next door to the hotel on the beach front. He can be found most days on the beach. We went on a two day trip up to Kandy with Sandy. It felt like so much more, he fits in so much and stops at various places along the way that are off the beaten track. Highlights were: sitting with a family in their pineapple farm and eating fresh pineapple, riding an elephant through the jungle, the cultural show in Kandy, taking a train ride and visiting the Temple of the Tooth. We went away with Sandy again for a day trip to Galle. This costal road south still has very real reminders of the Tsunami and we stopped at the most incredible memorial - a huge Buddha facing out to sea. This trip was also jam packed with two boats rides and a visit to a moon stone mine and turtle sanctuary as well as the Dutch fort at Galle. If you meet Sandy have a chat with him, he was so generous and on our final day in Sri Lanka he invited us for tea at his home where we met his beautiful baby and wife. A visit to Kalutara town is essential (even though many reviewers disagree). Yes you get hustled at every available opportunity, but it is so much fun and most will give up after several nos. There isn't much of a tourist scene in this town so shopping isn't great but it would be a crime not to visit the town you are staying in! Beware of the funny man who claims to work at the Hibiscus (he will probably say he's a cook therefore you won't think it's odd that you haven't seen him!). He actually runs a gold shop and will try to get you in to buy! We absolutely loved Sri Lanka and its people. Make sure you get out and see it.

I spent the best of my holidays in Sri Lanka. After the fantastic Cultural triangle trip me and my friends spent 10 very relaxing days at the Hibiscus beach hotel. The hotel is open, clean and very cosy. Like a small paradise under whispering palm trees. My special compliment to the chief - his curries and fantastic desserts ruined my dieting. But I am still fit because of the good gym ,massage room and secluded long beach where you can enjoy walking at sunsets. Wish you great time in Sri lanka Olish

My husband and I stayed at the Hibiscus Beach Hotel for a two-week honeymoon during September 2005 (we're 31 and 32). Yes, there were mainly Germans at the hotel but we didn't let that spoil our holiday! Hibiscus is one of the smaller hotels in Kalutara but that's a selling point. The staff at the hotel were lovely, very friendly and helpful, always up for having a bit of a chit chat with you but left you alone if you were just chilling out by the pool. The standard of cleanliness was very good and the food was also excellent and plentiful, in particular the regular Sri Lankan curry night! We tried lots of different local foods we'd never have come across in the UK. There was some evening entertainment provided by local groups, which we found was good fun after a few Lion beers. They were also always up for a chat and happy to take requests for songs. We had the Sri Lankan version of the Pet Shop Boys singing "Green Green Grace of Home", which is a memory we'll cherish for a while! We didn't swim in the sea as it was quite rough at the time of year we went however the main pool was more than sufficient for a refreshing dip. We actually spent five days at the hotel and then did a four-day tour through ----. We basically had a van and a driver who took us around. Our tour consisted of white water rafting, Kandi (botanical gardens and temple), Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage (the highlight of my trip!), the ruins at Polonuruwa, and Sigiriya rock (this was also amazing!) Although Sri Lanka is only the size of Ireland, the roads aren’t really the same standard, particularly in the hill country so it takes twice as long to get around but this is quite good because you get to see the real Sri Lanka not just another beach resort. After our tour, we returned to Hibiscus (our room was lovely and welcoming after being on the road with hibiscus flowers on our bed!) We also had another day with Action Lanka where we went mountain-biking through villages and jungle during the morning, and then kayaking in the afternoon (which was quite strenuous to be honest!) Sorry for harping on but we had a brilliant time in Sri Lanka! We’ve been to various parts of the world (Bali, Fiji, Caribbean etc.) but we both rate Sri Lanka above the rest of the places we’ve been just because of the sheer friendliness of the people and the huge variety of things to see and do. We’d definitely visit again and would be more than happy to recommend the Hibiscus Beach Hotel to anyone.

Excellent Beach, no nightlife , bland hotel food and limited all-inclusive drinks menu - absolutely full of Germans

Well what can i say after 1 day we decided to marry here at this hotel we just fell in love with the country. The food was exceptional and i would love to go back for a wedding anniversary. It was my 1st time abroad and on a plane now i have got the fever. The hotel is a small and friendly hotel the staff were very good especially as my husband decided to jump in the pool fully clothed on the last night dripping all over the floor when he sat down but the boys just laughed with him and mopped up around him they got good tips; We went on a lot of trips with a local guide named Lal we had been warned about the bumpsters as they called them but for 1 instance we travelled with thompson and we did pinnewaller and stayed in the same hotel as those that booked the trip with thompson but they did not go to the lake and manage to clean the elephants as we did and we paid half the price that thompson were charging if you want to find him look for the little beach bar as you go to the beach turn left towards tangerine beach and quite often you will find him at his brother kamals bar good place for a nice cold beer. All i can say if you cant decide where to go you will never be bored as there is so much to see in sri lanka and the jewellry the jeweller who used to be in the hibiscus is now in the sinbad hotel and they own Golden Jewellers in Kalutara just pop in and you can get a good deal i certainly have with all my sapphires made to match exactly pendant earrings and ring; I left my heart in sri lanka and it will never be out of my mind all you need to realise these people around you on the beach will try to sell you things as they only have the tourist trade from october to april from then they will have no income so please do not turn them away they are human beings and need to make a living and they love to barter just try to speak to the people.

We have been to Sri Lanka in March 2004 for the duration of 17 days. During this period we stayed most of the nights in the Hotel Hibiscus in / near to Kalutara. All we can say: it is not the biggest hotel in the area , but it is one of the best hotels in Sri Lanka ... ! There was not a single thing that was not 100% perfect. Our compliments go to the hotel staff for all the fine work. Hopefully we will be back this year !!