Mount Lavinia Hotel Tips by mafi_moya

Mount Lavinia Hotel Mount Lavinia Hotel Review

Of all the excellent hotels in Sri Lanka this could well be my favourite. I like luxury sure, but I also like a hotel to have character and a unique feeling. Mount Lavinia is a beautiful old colonial hotel - complete with marble floors, wood pannelling and white pillars - perched over the Indian Ocean with miles of golden sands each side.

Originally the love-nest of British colonial governor Sir Thomas Maitland (where he could entertain his lower-class dancing girl lover in secret) after independence it became one of the country's most luxurious hotels. It's now surpassed on that front by numerous others but it's still a very comfortable 4 star hotel. Perhaps inspired by its origins, it's a very popular place for weddings and honeymoons. Watching the fiery ocean sunset from the terrace is certainly quite romantic!

The public beach outside gets very lively on weekends and there are lots of seafood restaurants nearby, but if the touts and crowds get too much for you, or you want to wear something a bit more revealing, then the hotel has an isolated private beach as well. The terrace is great for a sunny afternoon drink and there's a good pool if the sea gets rough. They sometimes show films on the terrace as well.

Mount Lavinia is officially an independent town but effectively an extra suburb of Colombo, so if you want to stay near the capital then this is an ideal place to come.

Unique Qualities: Trivia fact: Somerset Maugham wrote a lot of his work here, sitting on his balcony and staring out over the ocean. Other famous guests include Gregory Peck and genocidal colonial maniac King Leopold of Belgium.

Address: Hotel Road, Mount Lavinia

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Head south along Galle Road, or along the beachfront, and it's well signposted

Theme: Hotel