Grand Hotel

Agree totally with the last review. Unfortunatly we had to stay 2 nights in this horrible hotel. The hotel looks spectacular when you arrive but the impression soon changes once you are shown into your cigarette smelling room and meet the unfriendly staff. This was one of the most expensive hotels that we stayed at in Sri Lanka and was the worst.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel for the last night of our Discover Sri Lanka tour and I can honestly say, thank goodness it was only for 1 night. Although I can see that the place may have once been a spectacular place to stay, it is now shabby and worn out. Our room smelt fusty and was dirty. The staff are unfriendly and borderline rude and the food was at best average.

We travelled (mum, dad, husband and twelve year old son and I) to Sri Lanka with First Choice and spent the first week there travelling on the Scenic Tour. We spent the third night in Sri Lanka at the Grand Hotel (the first and second being Holiday Inn, Colombo and Topaz, Kandy - which I have written a separate review on). We had been anticipating an incredible hotel as we had visited various web sites before travelling and our guide told us that it was the ex-British Governor's residence and was quite happy and excited that we... more

We stayed at this hotel for one night earlier this month. The hotel is a huge mock tudor, which wouldn't be out of place in England. Our room was a good size & comfortable with tea & coffee making facilites. The bathroom was a good size & was well equipped. The porter was worried that we may get cold & went to great lengths to show us how to work the fire!. We were told that the room overlooked the golf course, but in fact overlooked a small pice of garden, a minor road & a row of trees. The drinks were expensive, but that is to be... more

The Grand famous for its Tudor style has a colonial charm. The room was spacious and cozy with a view of golf club adjacent to the hotel. We had our dinner at an Indian restaurant managed by ‘The Grand’. The hotel in within the town limits, so can talk a walk to either the town or Gregory lake. The interiors of the hotel was good with some great antique furnitures and paintings. The restaurant was quite big which served good food.

We stayed at this hotel on Christmas day with the high hopes of celebrating my wife's 40th birthday. The senior hotel staff - the food and beverage manger and the front office manager, turned out to be rude and belligerent to an extreme, completely customer unfriendly and unwilling to apologise for the mess that they had created. Given that we had special dietary requirements, we contacted the hotel in advance to make sure that they could cater for us and that appropriate arrangements were in place. I reconfirmed this a day prior to... more

Certainly looks grand form the outside and in the entrance hall, with lovely gardens and very attentive staff. Had tea on arrival which was a nice touch. Room was huge as was bathroom and all funtional. Needs bit of a make over. But if you are only there for a few nights it is perfect for you. Food was great!

Another legendary hotel but a bit of a fading gem. Food and service were excellent but the many parts of the hotel were poorly lit and in urgent need of paint and renovation. The 'Superior' room we had was like going back into the 1950s with ancient furnishings that, in some cases, had been badly repaired. The bathroom was in urgent need of updating. The carpet up the main stairs was threadbare on the treads and the corridors in one wing, gloomy and poorly lit. When we changed to a DeLuxe room the standard was better but the bathroom still... more

We were booked at the Grand since the Tea Factory was fully booked. This was lucky really, as the Tea Factory, which was very nice to visit for lunch, is actually a long way out of Nuwara Eliya down a very bad road. The Hill Club which was also recommended is too pompous & quiet, even though it's worth experiencing the ultra formal dinner. The Grand is a big hotel but it certainly has a lot of colonial charm. There is a great hotel bar with really wonderful & knowledgeable bartenders, the staff is attentive and the food, including... more

Staying at the grand hotel is worth it if and only if they put you in the new wing. Beautiful suites. A room in the old wing however, just isn't upto scratch. The carpets are dirty and worn out, and the showerheads and taps in the bathroom tend to behave as per their own norms, drenching us in ice cold water when we least expect it and occasionally the water flow stops completely! We spent only two days there, but in that short period of time, we experienced being locked out of our own bathrooms, dismal room service, and also the fact that... more