Nice hotel and great value for money - we really enjoyed our stay here. The hosts are very welcoming and the pool area and garden is very nice. We stayed in the tree house and it was very clean and had a nice balcony. The hotel organised a safari for us and even organised for another hotel guest to join us to reduce the price. The safari was very good and I would recommend booking through this hotel. The hotel also helped us to book a reasonably priced taxi to our next location. We also used the hotel restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food for each was great and reasonably priced. If you’re looking to come here for a Yala National Park safari, I would recommend staying here!
My original plan of a 1-night stay turned into 3 nights purely based on the property and the team. The rooms are spacious and well appointed, with clean linen and towels. The wooden floors are a nice look and feel. The air-conditioning works very well. An unbelievable amount of space for work / lounging. The room itself has a work desk which is perfect for remote work. The balcony is small but functional, and overlooks the majestic Tissa Lake. Spacious terraces on the 1st and 2nd levels as well as a rooftop with spectacular views of the surrounding fields and the lake. I got plenty of work done and attended web-based meetings in peace, against an amazing backdrop. At the end of the day it is the people that make a difference, and this is where Yasith and his team were exemplary. From his kind, attentive service to the care he displays to guests and the property (and of course by the way he treats Kalu, the adorable orphaned puppy), Yasith leads from the front. I noted among other things his meticulous bookkeeping skills, which is a rare find for any property. Suffice to say I have found my stay whenever I return to Tissa. What better place for a morning/evening stroll than the bank of Tissa lake. For any reasonable person willing to stay at a 3-star hotel and not expect 5-star amenities, Serene Park Hotel by Ark has all the right things in place. Full disclosure, I did not have any meals at the premises; as I am very familiar with Tissa I enjoy the many local options available nearby.
Best hotel on our three week trip. Good clean room, very attentive staff and excellent good value food. Swimming pool was great. For birdwatchers, pre-breakfast stroll by the lake is very rewarding. Can't fault the place. would definitely use again
The hotel is not that simple to get to. Once you leave a nice hard top road, you have to drive down a long dirt road for about 10 mins to get to the hotel itself. That road can become a bit flooded if it rains hard - as it did on one day we were there - and that can prevent some guests getting in and out of the hotel. We’d had a lovely quiet evening meal one night and only found out afterwards that there had been a large group due in but couldn’t get down the road. Generally, it’s ‘normal’ vehicles and buses that bring people but, on occasion, a 4x4 would be better. On the days we arrived and left the roads were passable but you could see how they become easily impassable with rivulets running across it. The hotel though is lovely. The old one was washed away in the tsunami but the replacement looks strongly built, with its exposed concrete and stone construction there for all to see. That doesn’t make it cold and like a factory though. Far from it. It feels like it belongs where it is and its appropriate for a climate that varied between sun, wind and heavy rain whilst we were there. Whilst there are bedrooms on the ground floor (plus the gym and spa), most of the hotel’s common spaces are on the top floor, where reception, the bar and a la carte restaurant are. The main restaurant is one floor down, which has a nice view from the verandas around the outside. We had drinks in the bar on a couple of evenings, choosing to sit on the covered balcony as the indoor space - complete with pool table - whilst lovely was rather cold. The cocktails we had were really well made and come with our recommendation. We didn’t try the a la carte restaurant. Frankly, there was no need to from a food perspective. It was excellent all the time in the main one. The hotel tends to get large groups stay, who like to sit together (and create quite a noise), so the main restaurant can get quite noisy. The a la carte would offer a break from that as it’s in its own, quiet space. We genuinely couldn’t fault the food at the hotel. Breakfast always had a large choice ranging from cold offerings, cereal and salad, through to traditional Sri Lankan and hot western options. Tea and coffee was to order whilst you helped yourself to juice. The story was similar for evening meals too. If anything, evening meals catered less for western palettes and more for the Chinese guests that frequent the hotel. There were always lots of local Sri Lankan dishes too, which were simply delicious. All the hot food was outside the main restaurant space, under cover, with much of it being cooked in front of you. The cold starters and desserts were indoors. I have to say, one odd highlight was the soups. Every night there were 2 soups on offer and they were really good. I did have a tiny bug bear sometimes, which correlated with the busiest nights. That was the staff were a little too keen to clear plates. On occasion, you’d literally be chewing still and hadn’t quite put your cutlery dow
We stayed at Cinnamon wild for 1 night and had the best time. We went on the 2pm tour organised by the hotel and saw so many animals. Our guide Sudath and the driver Suranga were really informative and friendly. Sudath even offered to show us more wildlife films once the tour was over because we were so interested in the park and the wildlife. We booked the jungle chalet which was really nice and felt like we were in the heart of the jungle! It also had all the amenities that we needed including a kettle, minibar, safe, iron and shower products. We had the buffet lunch, dinner and breakfast the next morning with the hotel. The food was exceptional and had a lot of range. In particular the staff were the best part of the experience as they were so helpful and courteous. Malintha and Ratnayake were really friendly and helpful during our stay. They showed us how to get to the beach and gave us some tips on other places to visit which helped us out a lot. They spent some time conversing with us which allowed us to feel more at home and also get to know the Sri Lankan people and place better. Thank you both! Overall this was an amazing place to stay, with really helpful staff that go out of their way to help you and make your stay amazing.
Went to Hilton Yala in August 2024, first impressions it had a Jurassic park feel to it. Experience got off a good start with the warmest welcome by the GM Geethanjali and staff who were clearly passionate about Hilton Yala with their consistent initiative on improving service across all areas. We noticed every top staff including the GM Were hands on with the service. The head chef was very people oriented and was present every day during breakfast lunch and dinner on gathering feedback and making sure the customers request were made. We had one of the best ranger Sanka who gave us the best experience during our safari ride. He was engaging and knowledgeable on animals and the forest. Not forgetting the super friendly safari driver. FnB manager was also engaging and experienced. Overall experience a trip to definitely make! Good Job Hilton Yala! Shanthi&liz
We selected Kithala Resort for a 2-day getaway. We required a place that suited all members of our family - youngest being 3 years to the eldest being 87! :) And Kithala delivered!! The hotel is located in a nice area very close to Tissamaharama town and Tissa Wewa. Easily accessible by Expressway from Colombo. The food was top notch! Rooms and other areas were clean, airy and comfortable. The pool was clean and nice too. They have one Suite Room (which we booked). The deluxe rooms are lovely, but the Suite Room is very spacious with a separate living area and 03 balconies. But the real highlight was the service. We spent two AMAZING days at this property being spoiled by their lovely staff! :) Kithala Resort is gifted with a dedicated, hard working team. All smiles! Surangi made sure our special requests for accessibility and comfort for our grandmother was met. It was my husband's birthday, and they offered a complimentary cake to celebrate. Amali offered the best service at meals. Our picky-eating 3-year old had enough options at meals, but they offered to prepare anything we requested. A big THANK YOU! From the housekeeping staff to the management, it showed that they made it their mission to make sure the guests are happy, relaxed and well looked after. Whatever special request we made, they delivered! This stay was one of the most relaxing local stays we had. We recommend Kithala Resort to anyone, and sure hope to visit again!
訪訪客Fantastic Yala Safari and great little hotel! We had a great time staying here - and went on a great Jeep safari with Pasanna organised through the hotel. The whole family (2 teenage boys) were totally enthralled by the safari and would totally recommend Pasanna! We went on the full day safari (starting at 430am … totally worth the early start to be the first in the park!!) - which allowed a full day of immersion and a slightly more relaxed pace. (The half day safaris seemed much less relaxed…). Pasanna the driver/ guide has over 13 years experience in the park, had great 4wd drive skills, clearly knew all of the possible routes in the park - and was passionate about showing us all that was possible in the park! He was excellent at spotting hard to see animals! Note that all jeeps have to have 12-2 as rest time in the park …. We easily passed it having lunch and reading books- when the jeeps are not allowed to drive around) . We managed to see a great selection of animals including 2 leopards (which I hear is very rare), multiple families of elephants with their babies which we were able to watch for an extended period of time, water buffalo, deer, samba deer, mongoose, jackals, monkeys, peacocks, lots of amazing birds, crocodiles, monitors and bats. It truly felt like the jungle book. We got home tired, but truly satisfied with the experience! Definitely felt like it was value for money.
訪訪客Great ambience and staff were amazing, we liked the way how they treated us and they were very friendly. I would suggest everyone to visit this amazing place if you are planning to Yala. The only drawback is, it is but far from the park. You need to travel for 30minutes. But, the accommodation is extraordinary.
SSanathMWe recently had the opportunity to stay at Sooriya Resort and Spa in Rekawa. This hotel is situated on a beautiful, unspoilt beach in the south, where you can observe typical fishing activities. It's also an ideal location for turtle enthusiasts, as turtles frequently visit the beach at the bottom of the hotel property. The standout feature of Sooriya Resort and Spa is the exceptional level of service. Despite the hotel being fully booked on the first night of our stay, the staff handled everything seamlessly without any mishaps. The food was delicious, offering a good selection, and the staff were exceedingly friendly and accommodating. The executive chef, a highly experienced professional with a background in several five-star hotels, explained the diverse menu choices. He also took the time to personally speak with guests and gather feedback, which we found impressive. Several staff members, including Chamika, Mishen, Chatushka, and Chandana, went above and beyond to make us feel at home with their excellent hospitality. However, I rated the hotel four stars due to some significant design flaws and maintenance issues: 1. The car park is on a different property. Although it is well-secured, this setup is inconvenient. 2. The reception is in a separate building, which seems like an architectural oversight. Incorporating the reception into the main building and using the current reception area for parking would have been more practical and cost-effective. 3. There is a lot of wasted space on the second and third floors that could be transformed into a cafe, gym, library, or other useful facilities. 4. Maintenance details are lacking. In room 111, the main shower had a constant leak, the bidet shower was installed incorrectly, the toilet paper holder was poorly positioned, and there was no bedside table on one side of the bed. Ultimately, the exceptional service from the staff elevated our experience, turning what could have been a two-star review into a four-star rating.