Luxury Hotels in Colombo

"This hotel is in Wattala which is only 7km from the Fort train station but feels ages away. Service - excellent. As in all areas of Sri Lanka the staff are very friendly and helpful. All say hello and genuinely seem to enjoy their jobs. There seems to be an army of cleaners and wait staff and again, all are friendly with very good English. The doorman was my favourite with a massive smile and great personality! There were some issues with the half-board deal I was on regarding when and where you can have the half board - which is only breakfast and dinner although on Trip it reads like you have a choice of when you can have your two meals a day. So just clarify when you arrive to be sure. Facilities - big open ground, big swimming pool which you could do laps in if you wanted but also with decent steps on the side so younger children can play. There is also a small children's pool too which is adjacent to the big pool and next to the sun bathing area which has around 10 sun chairs in pairs with an umbrella and small table around the grass area, with more chairs and beanbags set up on the higher area. I have seen big groups playing team games, cricket, football, some weird waterpolo/volleyball/handball game in the pool and even a few keen cricket players today. Restaurant - the floor level open air restaurant is well staffed, nicely proportioned and the buffet breakfast, lunch or dinner is extensive (if a little repetitive after three days). On some occasions there was live music which was nice and not overpowering, playing mainly English music. Bar - The Fishery is the outdoor restaurant for al e carte food service and some drinks. You can choose to sit under the roof bar area or under trees next to it, on big picnic style seating. Gym - this is located next to the pool/restaurant and although it is a bit tired, it has everything you need. The running machines are a bit clunky but at least they work, the weight machines are a little stiff to move but again they are functional. There are free weights and area to work out - even a small space for yoga or stretching if thats your thing. There is also air conditioning - and in 30+ heat, very much needed! Downside - its a bit hard to get to and you have to take a taxi or tuk tuk (don't pay anything over 5,000 for this!). The beach which you can see and hear, is very close but not suitable for swimming - especially for young children. Also the beach isn't particularly clean - outside the hotel the beach is raked for appearances, but walk 50m to your left or right, and its not too pretty! Not really a downside but be aware that if you are here in weekend, this place seems to host a lot of parties, weddings and events - which is great energy with lots of noise and atmosphere. It is a lot quieter in the week days. And the pool becomes full in the afternoons!!!"

"Shangri-La's quality truly lives up to its reputation. The location, service, and room amenities are all top-notch. I felt that the staff's professionalism was significantly higher than in other hotels. However, the security checks when entering and exiting the hotel were quite strict, which was a bit inconvenient, likely due to a government building being right next door. The hotel's direct connection to the mall is a fantastic feature; you can walk straight from the lobby into the shopping center, which is great for shopping even on a hot day. The mall also offers a wide variety of restaurants with different cuisines. There's a large city under construction directly across from my room, which will probably take a year or two to complete, and this does impact the quality of the sea view. Still, I caught a beautiful sunset from my room on the day I checked in. Finally, I have to mention Shang Palace – it was quite disappointing. The dishes I ordered were all very average. I had held onto some hope after seeing mixed reviews, but it didn't meet expectations. If you have high standards for Chinese food, I wouldn't recommend trying it. I hope the hotel considers improving the quality of its Chinese cuisine."

"Perfect location for people who wants to take train from Kollupitiya Railway Station. The night and ocean view from 26th floor rooftop bar and swimming pool is awesome. Room is clean and comfy, breakfast with plenty of varieties and food tasty too. Service is topnotch. If we revisit Colombo will stay Amari again."

"Cinnamon Lakeside is an upscale hotel resort in the heart of downtown Colombo From front desk service to spacious & well-maintained rooms to amazing amenities including a fully equipped gym (sauna & hammam) with an outdoor pool with view on the Beira lake, this property is a top choice for a comfortable stay in Sri Lankan capital. Highly recommended : Amazing service 👍 Beautiful and tasty room decoration👍 Amazing facilities for a « city resort » property 👍 Delicious breakfast 👍"

"⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good stay, great staff — pool‑side dining rules a drawback The team at Marino Beach Hotel were absolutely amazing warm, attentive, and always ready to help, which made my stay really pleasant and comfortable. The one disappointment was the strict policy: Food are not allowed near the pool or sun‑lounge areas, only in one corner of the rooftop Level 10. This isn’t a practical choice many guests want to relax and enjoy a light meal or snack while staying by the water. Having to dry off and change fully to enter the restaurant meant it was often empty, and I think the hotel misses out on extra business this way. Otherwise, a nice, well‑kept property with lovely people just hope they review that rule soon."

"A nice, luxurious end to my first time in Sri Lanka. Room was spacious and had a beautiful view of the Lotus Tower, and service is extremely attentive. Breakfast was extremely diverse, and a server was eager to make local Sri Lankan recommendations which I really appreciated. However, the layout of the place is a little difficult, so be prepared to use a few different elevators to get around"

"Family: 3 adults and 2 children The apartment 801: + The apartment is large and spacious; + The rooms and bed linen are clean; + The bathroom is clean; + The room was cleaned well, towels were changed every day (I left a tip); + Hair dryer, air conditioner, iron work well; + There are dishes, appliances, and a washing machine in the kitchen; - There is no frying pan and no pots. It is impossible to cook on the stove, there is no microwave. - The furniture in the living room has an unpleasant smell and is dirty; - The iron board is dirty; - The curtains need to be changed; Reception: + They are polite; + Check-in was quickly; Restaurant (breakfast and dinner): + The quality of the products is high; + Variety of dishes; + The chefs are great; - There are a lot of guests on Saturday and Sunday due to the holidays, the priority for hotel guests is falling; Guards and butlers: + They seemed competent and friendly to me; + The rest of the staff are friendly and polite; Swimming pool: + Good view; + The kids liked it;"

"Lovely hotel in a great location with exceptionally friendly, well-trained staff. The breakfast buffet had a very wide variety of choice and service was excellent. The rooftop pool and bar was a great place to unwind with very attentive personnel and, on occasion, entertainment. We would definitely stay here again!"

"The front desk staff wasn't much helpful when we checked in. He didn't give us much information about the hotel. There was no welcome drink served and after check in we had to figure out the rest ourselves like our room floor, breakfast, swimming pool, etc. We had to communicate directly to the housekeeping manager for our extra bed. I commend the housekeeping manager and staffs for a job well done. Basically, they compensated the unimpressive performance of the front desk by surprising us with some towel arts, flowers, and fruit everyday."

"Location is great, just beside One Galle Face Mall. Plenty of restaurants and cafes around. Beautiful sunset views (from the bar, pool, restaurant, lobby) and Galle Face opposite the road. Rooms are gorgeous and spacious. Checked in Dec 30-Jan 2 peak season. Hotel was fully booked. Waited in the lobby for my room to be ready upon check-in. Front desk said they will find me to let me know. Waited for more than an hour before I asked them again and told me that my room has been ready. Ordered some room service which took more than an hour to be delivered. Granted they told me that it may take about 50 minutes because it was peak hours. Upon delivery they told me it was comped because of the long wait. Pool, restaurant, and bar staff are all great. Very personable and accommodating. Loved the sky pool on the 31st floor. No bar but not as crowded as the main pool. Breakfast was great. A lot of choices. Asian selection is great. Pastries not so much, some didn’t seem fresh. Heard from some staff that it gets super busy from around 9 but didn’t experience any long wait. Plenty of tables to accommodate people. Overall a great experience and will definitely stay here again if I’m in Colombo."