Hotel is excellent. Staff amazing. A couple of issues with the food were the only problems. We will stay here again.

Amazing staff , food & hotel.

This is a beautiful and well-designed hotel in a unique location next to the lake and jungle. The staff were attentive and thoughtful. The only downside was the dining options - the menus are international and expensive, and the remote location of the hotel makes it difficult to eat elsewhere. We would have preferred more local Sri Lankan options. However, the buffet breakfast was varied and impressive.

Amazing location Food was phenomenal If i have to nitpick, the rooms could use a little upgrade with its fixtures Over all it was worth every penny.

Love the place and location

The Heritance is like no other hotel you would have stayed at before. They are so seemlessly integrated with the jungle around them that you'll be able to experience the surrounding nature whilst staying at the hotel. The staff are all so accommodating and you can book cool dsy trip excursions at reasonable prices. The buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner were unbelieveably good. The lady that makes fresh hoppers is thr best!

Property was amazing. There was a smell from the shower drain hole. Everything else was fabulous

Too many bugs, frogs and lizards.

Always love the place. Visited 20 years ago for my honeymoon. This time was my second trip to hotel. Absolutely loved it.

Best base for cultural Sri Lanka

Amazing location and building which blends right into the beautiful nature surrounding it. Has all the facilities you need as well as extra activities. Food could be better as could the pool bar service. Had a wonderful stay

Love this place, and its people 😊

We had a wonderful stay! The staff was friendly and helpful from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. The housekeeping staff was particularly lovely. We enjoyed the different towel animals they created. Our room was comfortable. The bathroom was quite spacious. And the onsite restaurants were delicious. We appreciated the wide variety of food available at breakfast. Highly recommend this hotel.

The serenity of this property is worth a few nights stay.

Wonderful location

Wonderful location for a hotel. Fabulous views. Very good room. Only concern was the number of large groups staying there who dominated the restaurant.

Everything was fine. highly recommend.

Unforgettable

Heritance Kandalama is worth visiting for the building alone - I can't remember being this moved by architecture. If the idea of a hotel built into forest, with sweeping views of lakes and mountains, and of sharing open corridors with monkeys and bats delights you, then you can't do better. The highpoint of our stay were our three tours (bird watching, jungle hike, and the free architectural tours - our birdwatching by boat tour was canceled on account of rain) with in-house naturalist Nalinda. Nalinda's vast knowledge and pride in the place (building and forest) made our walks with him one of the high-points of our time in Sri Lanka. Since elephants are roaming freely through the property, it isn't entirely safe to go walking without expert supervision. Thanks also to Lakmi who checked us in, and all the other staff, who looked after us wonderfully throughout our stay. My one suggestion: maybe install some kind of general tip box at reception so visitors have an easy way to thank the cleaners and cooks etc we don't interact with directly.

This hotel was great. We were there during Christmas and as they were setting up for it, dining area was temporary closed. However all in all great location and service

The hotel is isolated and overlooks a lake with views of Sigiriya. While it is an old hotel with dated rooms and fixtures, the staff are very friendly and the original ambience of the hotel, to have nature encroach on all of its areas, redeems its shortcomings. It's a charming place.

Excellent location to have a relaxing quite time

Best hotel right in the middle of nature, breathtaking views and friendly staff

Epic and beautiful hotel! You can’t really hang out on your balcony because of the monkeys (but funny to watch).

Kandalama was an amazing experience. Other than the a la carte restaurant everything was very well done.

Sensational property. The locaton and facility is very specail. Superb and friendly service from management and staff. Highly recommend.

This is hotel is in a gorgeous setting and seems to blend into the surroundings. The room was very comfortable and had a view of the lake and the Sigiriya rock. Using the outdoor pools with that stunning view, with monkeys hanging around, is quite an experience! The restaurant had excellent breakfast and dinner buffets, with a wide range of Western and very good Sri Lankan cuisine. The service provided by the restaurant staff is extraordinary! They recognized my family after our first meal and also seemed to know what we had liked!

One of the greatest hotels in the world

Great hotel in a fantastic setting in nature and with nature. Views to die for. It’s in good condition for age but could do with a little tlc to bring back to glory around the corners. Extensive wine menu from all parts of the world but only 4 available- that’s not an issue just only advertise what you got.

General service was good though they got our booking a bit confused and had to clarify it 4 times with different staff until they agreed with me..other than that,we really enjoyed the stay,have been here before and will def come again

Spectacular location and one of the most unique architectural pieces from Geoffrey Bawa. Well worth a visit.

The rooms need updating, otherwise beautiful hotel in a beautiful location. Would come back again.

Location and architecture

The architecture is amazing. How the hotel is built so open and embraces the natural area. Makes you feel part of the jungle without interfering with it

This hotel is in a league of its own. Once you arrive you are greeted with a jaw-dropping setting in front of lake Kandalama that no video or photo can ever do justice. The entire property blends with nature, you are often greeted with langurs and monkeys and elephants might visit the nearby areas every now and then. There is even a sign at the beginning of the road to the hotel that warns that elephants might cross the path. The food is good, you can glance at Kandalama lake and even see Sigiriya rock during breakfast. The pools are located right in front of the gorgeous landscape. The staff is courteous and welcoming. Perfect score!

One of the best hotels I have ever stayed in

Rooms have luxury feel. Appreciate clean fluffy towels and floor towels. Could do with rug next to bed. Very inconvenient electrical switches thru' headboard slats. No convenient square-pin plugs to charge mobile phones & laptops.

This is a lovely place to base while visiting the ancient cities. The staff are so friendly with very personal service - the buffet breakfast and dinners were amazing and the view over the lake was stunning. It is very isolated and not near to any shops or other restaurants but it has everything you need for a great stay.

The hotel is very old and is definitely in need of renovation. Despite all the previous reviews about the lack of sunbeds at the pools, the hotel seems to ignore the feedback. 20 sunbeds for over 100 rooms simply is not enough. The refrigerator in our room was moldy and dirty. Same for the toilet. How simple can it be to replace a twenty year old yellowish toilet seat? The food is okay, but far from what you would expect at a 5* hotel. The yoghurts and cheeses are left uniced, so once you will have them at the buffet - they are warm and melting. It doesn't much to improve these kind of things. The management is aware of all the feedback, but doesn't do anything to improve.

Beautiful hotel. Highly recommended

This is my second and sadly to state the last time to stay at this hotel as while trying to checkout I was bum rushed , as I was trying to be thrown out and unwelcome by a staff member called Sanjeewa as I didn’t go with the taxi that he referred to me which was way too expensive if a regular cab would take a 130 Rupees the one he referred to wants like 70 dollars. So when I asked for a late checkout he was really aggressive and unwelcoming the idea. And I’ve checked online if there are rooms that are available and there were more than 18 rooms that are available so I showed him but he didn’t care ! How sad that a hotel like this hire such people.

Wanted to state how I got an extremely unprofessional way from” Sanjeewa” at the reception as I wanted a 2-3 hours late checkout but he was an unwelcoming and very offensive. How sad that a hotel like this hire such people. I guess all this is that because I didn’t use the taxi that he referred to which is X 200 times more expensive than the normal ones. And the star that I put is for the look from inside the room that many will like.

Eco-friendly and beautiful hotel.

Amazing hotel in a great remote location and wildlife around.

It is a beautiful place to stay. We enjoyed every minute of our stay

Beyond amazing view and stellar service we had an excellent and restful two nights. The only thing that didn’t work was our room phone! Good thing there’s one in the bathroom too:) get a room on the upper floors the view is worth it.

Needs alot of improvement in all sectors

Disappointing food

Past its used by date

This hotel has had its day. It looks tired and dated. In our room the spa, toilet and safe didn't work. The buffett is ordinary. I would not stay here again.

Unique architecture in a wonderful green area. Food, service and accomodation outstanding

It’s built into the caves! It has a beautiful view of Sigiriya. Lovely stay.

We got a room of sigiriya wing. The view would be better at dambula wing. There was a musty odor in the room.

This place is meant to be an architectural wonder - and if you like miles of black marble, reinforced concrete and metal pillars it is. But it’s not my bag. However the setting is lovely, the staff are wonderful attentive kind and fun - and the food is AMAZING.

It was an amazing being that close to nature. The kind staff and fascinating view made it easier to relax. The design is incredible, how they managed to build the hotel around the rocks. This was definitely worth it

For a five star property the service was not good. The first day we were there electricity kept going off and on, like 5xwhile we were eating and when we were back in our room. We had an extra guest in one room,our driver. and we were told we just had to pay for breakfast buffet but they ended up charging me $100usd a night , for two nights. The next morning for breakfast my husband was in dress shirts and a vest as we were heading out to Sigirya and he was told to change his top whereas there were many people in swim wear. There was a lady in a bikini and eating and was not told to change. Poor service will not recommend

Beautiful surroundings. The hotel is slowly being taken over by the jungle and it could use a bit of a refresh. The rooms are quite spacious, with amazing views over the jungle (had the jacuzzi room). Beware of the monkeys- they come over to the balcony and try to get in the room and steal food.

Amazing

Amazing stay at this eco hotel. Beautiful views of the lake, the staff were so friendly and it was a bonus to have monkeys roaming around the hotel. This was The Highlight of our recent trip to Sri Lanka.

Property is run down. It has probable never been updated since it was built in the mid 90,s.

This is one of the most beautiful hotels in Sri Lanka. You have to stay at least two nights to enjoy the beauty of this place. Food was excellent offering a variety of food choices to satisfy everyone in our family. This hotel was build many years ago but has kept up its elegance. The design blends the nature to the hotels luxury. We had a jacuzzi in the room and had a unique experience of watching the wild life just outside the window. We live in Los Angeles and expect a certain standard when we are on holiday in Sri Lanka. This hotel and each and every staff definitely made us feel comfortable. They were so nice to help us in any way possible to make an excellent stay memorable. Thank you Kandalama.

The hotel itself is very nice. The location, facilities etc was good except for the wifi. Main issue was with customer service. First we were given the wrong room and then they knock on our door to hand over an anniversary cake that was not meant for us! We also had alot of issues with wifi and reception staff just fob us off without resolving it. However on a positive note, the hotel is set up in a beautiful location. Rooms were clean and nice as well. I would have given 10/10 if the customer service would have been better. So overall I felt it wasnt worth my money.

There should be more Sri Lankan heritage, culture and tradition portrayed in the decor, specially the rooms were so plain. Paying over $250 per night thought there will be more wow factor.

This is an amazing hotel in the middle of a must see destination of Sri Lanka. The pools, rooms and general architecture is fabulous. It is a fair way from the closest village so i highly recommend staying at least a couple of days and day trip from here

I LOVED the area and that it was like being outside with nature. It's built into the side of the mountain in the forest with such beautiful views of the lake and surrounding area. Lots of birds, monkeys and nature. The staff are excellent and bend over backward to make you happy! I would go back again!

Food, facilities & staff are excellent. Nature lovers, make it a point to visit this hotel. There is a vast history behind this place and surroundings. Travelers should read through this history b4 embarking the journey towards Kandalama. Overall a memorable experience.

Room, foods, pools, spa, nature around the hotel are amazing. Only negative thing is you have very limited activity option and hotel is very silent, especially for evenings

Great location

Location is amazing and the hotel is 1 on long. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet as well as evening buffet are to die for. A huge selection of Sri Lanken as well as European food. Unfortunately our room wasn’t very clean and the bathroom is very run down, stainless steel and windows look very old and not polished which gives you almost the feeling it wasn’t cleaned. However after speaking to the manager we were upgrade to a better room however the bathroom issue still continued. All over I would def be back at Heritance Kandalama

It had such potential

I really wanted to like this hotel. Friends who have been all say I'd love it. Unfortunately, I didn't have that experience. The architecture of the building is amazing, blending very subtly into its natural environment, with rock face forming parts of the building's walls, and creepers covering the external wall further camouflaging the building into natural surrounding. It is teeming with birds, squirrels and other animals, plus the view to the lake is really beautiful. But, when you look closer, upkeep and maintenance of the place seems lacking. From very stiff sliding doors of the cupboards in the rooms, to accumulation of bird droppings in some corners, to patchy lawns and poorly paved pathways, to dark corridors that make parts of the sprawling property seem a little eerie. Our mattress had seen better days and was too soft, and the hotel was not able to offer alternatives. Service staff try but could be better trained to be more customer and service oriented.

Everything was perfect, location, food, staff, but the room has to be renovated, it needs to be more refurbished

The view from the infinity pool was magnificent- could see across the valley, horses grazing - and the back drop of the hills. Buffet dinner was the best we had in Sri Lanka. Rooms were spacious and we had interconnecting room with our teenage children

Everything about this place was special. the check in process was a bit slow

Spent two days at this property and it was lovely! Rooms were well appointed and spacious. Had a great view off the balcony and even got visited by a family of monkeys! The only feedback I have is that Housekeeping wanted to drop off laundry and knocked on the door several times in the morning despite the Do Not Disturb sign being on- was just trying to catch some extra sleep in such a relaxing atmosphere.

Good concept but a very dated interior. Bedrooms poor. Facilities average - it's like been in the dark ages. Presume no one will come a second time

Pros — Gorgeous building in a beautiful setting. Nice breakfast buffet. Live music in the evenings. Nice swimming pools and gym. Cons — Service inconsistent. Some staff were friendly, some cold. Tobacco smoke wafted into our “nonsmoking” room from other rooms. Forced to wear long pants for dinner, even though it was a self service buffet. Rather far from nearest town, so we had to pay extra for transportation. Too many loud busloads of package tourists.

The stay was amazing as always. However, this time we had to wait over an hour to check in and the front of the hotel was polluted with luggage as guests were checking out. Wasn’t a good look upon arriving. Kandalama is a must on your holiday to Sri Lanka and overall I still love this beautiful hotel engulfed by nature.

Check-in blues

Check-in and checkout was not great. It took over an hour to check in and close to half an hour to pay our bill after checkout.

Great stay and fantastic location. Very peaceful with breathtaking views. Staff was excellent. The only thing is that the property is a bit dated and needs some sprucing up.

All very good but the A/c in the room 518 was very noisy like a locomotive I couldn’t sleep Other than this important part of the day for the human body!!!! Everything was excellent !!!!! And some heavy , sleep disturbing noice at midnight!!!

Lackluster and impersonal. It is a sprawling hotel, that may have been pretty 25 years ago, but it is outdated, inattentive and def not what would be expected from a ‘five star’ hotel. It took us over 2 hrs to check in and most disappointing for a Geoffrey Bawa hotel. It feels more like a chain hotel and has become the kind of place that large tours stay at. Overall worst part of the Sri Lankan holiday experience and would never recommend.

Beautiful Location

Very nice location and beautiful sceneries around Hotel. We have enjoyed with nature.

Being One With Nature

The stay at Heritance Kandalama was memorable. Tucked on the foot of a hill and surrounded by beautiful natural forestry, this architectural gem of a hotel was way ahead of its time considering when it was built. Rooms, including the gorgeous jacuzzi bathtub faces out towards the lake - which is stunning to watch sunrise from. Rooms are adequately modern paired with local artwork, and love the small touches of eco friendly efforts and eco-advocation i.e don't kill the geckos cause it helps with the bugs (natural setting). On that note, don't be alarmed to have curious monkeys visiting you in the morning outside your room (or bathroom). There are 3 pools, but the one to go to is the small stunning infinity pool at the lobby - best to dip in after all the climb in Sigirya. We are not big fans of breakfast buffets, and decided to do in-room dining Sri Lankan breakfast and boy we were pleasantly surprised at the wholesome sumptuous spread - it could literally be a buffet on its own. It was so good - we had it for lunch too. The location of the hotel is pretty secluded and a 10 minutes drive out to the road/village outside, so all our meals were done within the hotel. One would typically be worried eating within the property can be pricey to eat, but rest assured all the food we had were affordable and worth it! If you plan to stay here, do leave one full day dedicated to just staying within the hotel and just enjoy what it offers! I would definitely recommend and come back again!

Unbeatable views and setting but the hotel is in dire need of refurbishment. With some investment and small tweaks this could be a world class hotel, but for the price (Almost double what we paid at similar standard properties in Sri Lanka) I cannot say it lived up to expectations. We visited the last week of June and the hotel was at full capacity with 90% domestic customers, but the upper level pool area was unkempt (dirty water and lounger cushions), and lounge areas were in a similar state (cobwebs between cushions and seats). The rooms are nicely laid out but again, really tired looking, in particular the bathrooms and window glass which is stained and really detracts from the stunning views and bathtub. The one highlight of the hotel is the restaurant and staff. The food is excellent, with freshly made and buffet selections. The quality and variety was the best we experienced in Sri Lanka and the wait staff were courteous and attentive. We enjoyed our stay but I feel that for the price at some point the hotel will need to modernise and compete on being more than a slice of history.

Magnificent property let down by inattentive and poorly trained staff. Front reception could not assist with any enquires including what time breakfast finished! A real struggle.

Amazing location, dated hotel

The location of the hotel is what makes it. The pool and our room looked out over the lake and jungle teeming with monkeys, watching them play and jump was magic. The hotel however is nowhere near a 5 star. It’s a 4 star hotel at most well past its prime badly in need of updating. Service was well meaning but quite slow and stilted, and small things were overlooked, eg the lane divider rope in the pool was covered in green slime.

Excellent hotel, highly recommend

We stayed here for 3 nights and loved every moment. Our room was spacious and felt luxurious and the shower was incredible. Great facilities. The only negative we can think of is that the food choice wasn't great, mainly western food (burgers and chips) would have preferred more local cusine.

Great hotel

Great Hotel

Excellent service overall. We will definitely come again. All staff were wonderful.

This was an amazing place to stay, and we're so happy we picked it! The views from the rooms & swimming pools are incredible. The bathroom was nice and clean, and the jacuzzi bath overlooking the lake was spectacular! The team also organised a birthday cake for us, which was a really nice touch. Highly recommended!

Nice view, nice atmosphere. Facilities are a bit old.

One of a kind hotel in the nature. Supper breakfast and good food in the restaurant. Best value for money

Location and view make it very special. The buffet dinners feel very cafeteria-like, not consistent with the architectural quality of the property. The staff are the most hospitable and helpful I have encountered.

Amazing architecture, horrible staff and service

Never have I encountered such apathetic, unhelpful staff. This is not a 5 star hotel by any means and was the worst hotel I stayed at during my 8 days in Sri Lanka. This hotel has so much potential and beautiful architecture, but the service is atrocious.

Excellent location, room and staff we could received. It was one of the most memorable hotel we've stayed.

Excellent hotel in the jungle food is very varied tasty and to a high standard, the rooms are luxurious and clean however our jacuzzi bath was a bit worn and needed a thorough clean of the jet pipe works.

Terrible ! Terrible! Terrible ! Worst hotel ever! Worst service rude stuff dirty room.

Our plans visiting Sri Lanka were somewhat of a whirlwind with different sites and cities each day. The only time I regretted our ambitious schedule was when we stayed at the Kandalama.. it was beautiful in every way. Food, staff, service and hotel itself were all perfect. I wish we'd lingered there another day.

Shocking. Not given the room we booked and paid for. Plus the staff moved the restaurant directly above our room overnight. No sleep, just noise noise noise. Our complaints fell on deaf ears. Also the Xmas decorations were appaulling. Thank goodness Mt Bawa is no longer alive to witness this lack of style and extreme bad taste. Structural maintenance of hotel and the gardens are all very neglected. Be ready for a mass family and tourist affair!

Hotel ambiance is wonderful, but had to wai~t for 40min so. But we got a wonderful news that they upgrade the room f^^or us to Royal Suite. O% Every one of us was very excited when we got in to that room, But after a while all the kids started scared since there were many Gekkos was running everywhere in the room.

Lovely hotel. The best thing are the rooms that offer a spectacular view. Staff is friendly and helpful. It would be great if more Sri Lankan cuisine was available, such as Odiyal Kool and Milk Hoppers. Their watalappan (a local dessert) was one of the best we had during our trip.

Stunning location

Beautiful hotel and location, although we didn’t see any elephants due to the lake being quite full. We were told best time to see elephants is May-August. The monkeys are a bit of a pest, our vehicle was damaged by monkeys whilst parked in the hotel car park. The rooms are comfortable but definitely starting to feel dated. The seating at the restaurant needs better management. The hotel was very busy, there was no option to reserve a table for dinner which meant almost a half hour wait for a table on some occasions. My mum and I did get sick after eating at the restaurant one night, however once management found out they offered to get us the hotel doctor and also made sure we were looked after. The hotel has various cultural events on in the evenings such as dancing, music etc. These are a really nice touch and sets the hotel apart from others. We will certainly be returning for another stay.

Wonderful hotel nestled in the jungle. The buffet is fantastic with options for traditional Sri Lankan and intenational cuisine.

The front desk staff was quite unfriendly and we were placed in a room excessively far from the reception. It was so far, that the staff has not even walked us to the room to show it to us. The room was run down and smelled musty, so we called for some freshening up. The bathroom wall had mold on it, the room furniture looked beaten up, the couch had a white stain, linens were not white...overall the place had a dirty look and feel, especially for a hotel, that claims to be luxury. The dinner buffet had a huge variety; however was overran by people, which made dining a but chaotic. No nice wine available on menu. We could not wait to leave this hotel; luckily only booked it for one night.

Building incredible

This is the most confusing review I've ever had to write. The building itself is absolutely incredible. I'm an architecture fan and would happily pay just to go see the building. It's magnificent. In addition we got upgraded to a suite which was lovely. However, the hotel has a strange feel as it's predominantly used by tour parties visiting Sigiriya and Dambulla cave temples and as a result just feels like a transit hotel. The pool areas are nice but don't feel particularly comfortable and in an evening there isn't anywhere to sit for a drink that doesn't just feel like a hotel lobby. The buffet restaurant was fine (food is actually very good) but again felt unwelcoming like a canteen and not somewhere you'd linger over a romantic meal. There are also some things that need attention. Obviously some of windows have been recently repainted in the restaurant, but the masking tape is all over the floor outside the windows. Wouldn't expect that in a 5 star. Plus the rooms do feel a little tired and need freshening up (and if you can work out the light/socket switch combination then I assume you get automatic membership to Mensa!) Plus, for an 'eco' hotel I'm surprised by the amount of plastic water bottles they use. Maybe get some flasks in the rooms that are refilled every day and can request extras? Overall, go if you can get a deal to see the building, but don't stay any longer than a couple of nights. I just don't see it being somewhere anyone would return

Special experience with nice atmosphere and good food

James Bond villain hide out in Sri Lankan jungle!!

Thé hôtel is really quite a magical and special place. Super clean, super sweet staff. Watch out for bullying black face monkeys, who can terrorise you on your balcony!!! My only tiny gripe is the food is pricey. I ordered a delicious standard curry which was far too much for any person to handle, but they refused to pack what you can’t msnage, as hotel policy. I had enough for two for lunch, which is a shame as it is already paid for. Apart from that, that space is special and beautiful

Excellent hotel with superb views

I stayed at this hotel for 6 nights in October 2018. This hotel is truly unique as it is set in rainforest on Kandalama Lake side. Even getting to the hotel was an experience as a wild elephant blocked the road for 10 minutes on my way there. The setting is stunning with the hotel set into a mountain side, with views from the room of the lake and abundant wildlife. The hotel was excellent in all areas from the food in the restaurant, to the infinity pool, to the staff who were very attentive and took care of all my needs. Be aware that this hotel is a little isolated being 13KM from Dambulla down a track to the lakeside. As a seasoned world traveller this is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at just for the setting alone.