Matale Hotels with Pools

It was absolutely amazing experience. We came from Japan & came to highland area to escape the city busyness. We are astonished about this hidden gem. As we came in we were welcomed with fantastic passion fruit juice. We came after dark & only requested simple white rice & fried vegetable but the chef and her staff made an amazing dinner with simple vegetable & rice. I realized how food prepared with heart can heal our soul. I was kept thinking if people in the world could eat this kind of food with real soul in it, could heal the whole world!! It is so amazing to be surrounded by beautiful trees &sounds of animals. I will definitely come back again. O

Amba Yaalu — A Second Home for Soulful Rejuvenation My first stay at Amba Yaalu by Thema Collection was pure discovery. I came out of curiosity—wanting to experience, for the first time, the novelty and energy of a women-led resort. I left enchanted. But this second visit felt different—more intentional, more existential. I rebooked to continue my solo quest for soulful rejuvenation, tranquility, and serenity—the kind of restorative pause that leaves you resettled for the life you love, yet must return to: a job and day-to-day that asks a great deal. From the moment I arrived, I was beautifully cared for. The à la carte dining—with both Western and Sri Lankan options—did more than simply nourish my body. It re-ignited my appetite in the most genuine way. I ate with joy and intention, and somehow it even made me feel lighter and steadier within myself. I also took a private cookery lesson with the chef, and it was unforgettable. I didn’t just leave with a chef’s hat and a printed recipe book—I left with real skills, spice knowledge, and techniques I can bring home. I can already see myself sharing this with my colleagues, my friends, and of course my beloved family. And yes—I even had to tease the chef, because I loved her food so much that this post-menopausal woman ate so well that my cholesterol and blood pressure readings came down…and I genuinely started to develop a “food baby”. 😂😂😂 Finally, to the management and leadership: as an educator in ancient history, I know great women when I meet them—Helen of Troy, Cleopatra… and beyond. At Amba Yaalu, the leadership feels like that same kind of powerful grace. It isn’t only about running a beautiful resort—it’s about building something that matters. To Amba Yaalu and everyone who made this stay feel like a true haven: thank you for giving me a serenity I could feel in my bones—and a renewed strength for what comes next.

We had a wonderful stay in Sigiriya Cashew Palace Resort, very good hotel, well located, super clean, peaceful atmosphere and the staff had been incredibly friendly. We would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Stayed in room 234. Lets start with the bad. The shower rose did not work. Extreme caution is needed when using the shower, as the water could potentially give you third degree burns and the floor was very slippery. Now the average. I personally thought the dinner menu was a little restrictive and food quality lacked. Now the good. Very spacious room and bathroom. Quality bed linen and towels. Comfortable bed and good AC. Staff very polite, responsive and helpful. Would stay again, but they need to get the shower sorted, as it is dangerous.

Bawa's design speaks for itself. However, the service during peak season was an absolute disaster. 1. Check-in was very brief with no introduction to the hotel's activities. 2. Vanishing Front Desk: On day 1, my requests for water and cleaning during the day were ignored. At night, I called 10 times with no answer. Eventually, someone picked up after I pressed the emergency button twice. The next day, my request for slippers was also ignored. There were no bathrobes in the room. 3. At 12 PM, I received a call reminding me to check out and offering assistance with luggage transport. After I confirmed, I waited in my room for 15 minutes to no avail and ended up having to drag my own luggage. For a renowned luxury hotel, the service was truly disastrous.

Elephas Resort was chosen because of its serenity and space, a mid way break during our trip, we wanted some quiet space to chill and we did by the pool, alomg the paddy fields, in our rooms and walking around the lake our room faced. we rode a TukTuk and the lake view room we had was spacious and definitely worth journey in to the resort, clean and bright, toilets are well equipped and staff are friendly and welcoming, giving us advise on where to go eat and what to see around Sigiriya. it's a very quiet resort and i would recommend room 223, upper level, it's a special place for our 2 nights there and we already miss the beautiful, quiet settings Elephas delivered.

The hotel is nice, spacious beautiful room at check in we were treated to a refreshing juice. There is a big pool on the grounds and a big jacuzzi with hot water in the room.  Minuses of the hotel: Far from the attractions. Taxi from the center only go there for the price of pick me x2. Hotel taxi are 3 times more expensive. There are no stores and restaurants near the hotel, so inside the hotel prices for food x3, Also after 6pm it is dangerous to be outside because elephants are walking around. Now let's talk about the premium status and the five races. In 7 years of traveling, this is the first hotel that did not have a bathrobe, slippers and toothbrush and toothpaste in the room. The plumbing in the shower leaks, and the doors creak so much that you could call the spirits at night. Regarding the attention to the customer. I mentioned my upcoming birthday in conversation with the manager, but this fact was not used in any way to show any form of attention from the hotel. This is a huge miscalculation on the part of the staff at a premium hotel. We also had a late departure and our request to delay in the hotel for a couple of hours was refused. This was not due to the arrival of new customers, as the manager offered to extend our stay for a fee. For future customers this fact may be decisive in their choice. In general, the hotel is not bad, but the service and flexibility of the staff, as well as individual approach to customers, does not correspond to the premium level and requires improvement.

We chose this hotel based on the location! We arrived, looked and booked 3 rooms. Moreover, it was cheaper to book through the website than at the hotel. When they showed us the rooms, a very sharp, specific smell hit our noses, I asked what it was, they told me that these were their air fresheners and they could be washed off. I said that I could not live with such a smell and needed to be removed, they said ok and we went to check in. Then I threw my things and went swimming and eating. In the evening, I returned to the room, the smell was there and then it dawned on me that it was a cockroach repellent!!!!!! The victims were already lying all over the room, and very large ones. At the reception, they silently moved me, without even apologizing. This moment, of course, spoiled the impression. After all, I immediately said that the smell was very sharp. The bathroom is very interestingly made, it is as if outside, in the shower there is a net and an outside nook. Leaving the cool room there is a strong contrast, but this does not spoil the rest. I liked the design of the disposable sets, they looked very stylish. In the evenings, musicians played in the restaurant (the first day there were mantras to the music, on the second day a guy sang very chicly. In the restaurant you can eat from the menu or dinner/lunch buffet. We tried both options, everything is very good. Very attentive staff in the cafe, the administrator saw us and ran to prepare a table for us. They also served by the pool. The territory is not large, but it is conducive to relaxation. Monkeys even came running. Friends went to the spa, they said the massage was good. From the hotel we went to Sigiriya (20 minutes by car) and on a safari in the park.

We stayed here two nights to enjoy the two main attractions of the area. The boys are very available and the manager is a nice young man who can do it! The location is very quiet even though not very far from the rooms. The hotel is very comfortable and it is very comfortable and it is very comfortable and it is very comfortable and it is very good.

The hotel is a bit off the main road, nestled in the jungle. It has a large, beautiful property with a decent restaurant that served tasty food. In the room, there's a concrete bed and concrete countertops, and the outlets are inconveniently located under the nightstands. Maybe the design was cool initially, but now it looks a bit tired. What I didn't like was the lack of soap (though they brought some when I asked), and the shower gel and shampoo bottles were already half-used. Also, the toilet seat didn't fit properly. The hotel staff, in general, were willing to help with any issues within their power.