The Frangipani Tree is an extremely elegant and luxurious boutique hotel situated right by the beach at Thalpe (which is about 30mins from Galle). Having been taken over by the Edwards Collection in 2014, they have now taken The Frangipani Tree to a new level. Having only 9 rooms, it does feel very intimate and there are plenty of opportunities to relax under the swaying palms. Whilst it is not safe to swim directly from the beach in front of the hotel, they do have a magnificent swimming pool. If you particularly want to swim, then the hotel recommends either Vijaya Beach which is a 20minute walk on the beach from The Frangipani Tree, and has a protected reef or taking a tuk-tuk to Unawatuna where you can swim safely all year round.
This 5 star luxury hotel is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous hotels and year after year, gets international awards. Built in the style of Galle Fort (so has a blend of both Dutch and Portuguese influences), it has 6 grades the room each of which has either view of gardens or of the Indian Ocean. All the rooms have Super King Size beds and the most up to date hi-fi. Whilst you cannot swim in the sea in front of the hotel, there is a fantastic pool to relax by and take in the stunning ocean views.
This beautiful boutique hotel was opened in 2013 – it is set on a quiet headland just on the outskirts of Unawatuna. The headland itself is rocky so you cannot swim in the sea here but they have made a beach for the hotel just beyond the pool. All the rooms are extremely large and are luxuriously decorated.
This large hotel is situated 2 hours south of Colombo airport in a beautiful location at Wadduwa. It was originally designed by Geoffrey Bawa but has been substantially upgraded and added to on the last couple of years making it a fantastic 5 star hotel. Of particular note is the pool, which wends its way through the many palm trees and is said to be the largest in SE Asia.
