Clock Inn Colombo
A clean, good-value hostel on Galle Road, popular as a safe first base in Colombo.
- Budget
Indigo Summer Hostel
A friendly hostel around 100 metres from the beach, with free breakfast, a bar, game room and lockers.
- Budget
The Rockstel
An active, social jungle hostel in Unawatuna with three common areas, surf trips and parties.
- Budget
Beatroot Hostels
A small, family-like hostel near Weligama beach with a garden, bar and café serving vegetarian and vegan food.
- Budget
Spindrift Madiha
A Bali-style poshtel in Madiha with a large pool among palm trees, private doubles and dorms, yoga and social events.
- Mid-range
- Pool
- Yoga
- Private rooms
Fox Kandy
A hillside retreat in Heerasgala, above Kandy, known for misty mornings, sweeping views and warm service.
- Upscale
Queen’s Hotel Kandy
Kandy’s grand colonial-era hotel, more than 160 years old, right by Kandy Lake and the Temple of the Tooth.
- Mid-range
The Kingsbury Colombo
A seafront five-star hotel in Fort, with ocean views, a busy buffet restaurant and a lively bar scene.
- Upscale
Bunk Station Hostel
A sociable, highly rated hostel a kilometre from Ella, with a female-only dorm, kitchen and themed nights.
- Budget
Hangover Hostels Sigiriya
The Cultural Triangle branch of Hangover Hostels, a social base for climbing Sigiriya and Pidurangala.
- Budget
Jetwing Colombo Seven
A stylish boutique hotel in Colombo 7 with Sri Lankan art and textiles, a rooftop pool and bar, and a focus on sustainability.
- Upscale
Colombo Beach Hostel
A lively party hostel near Mount Lavinia beach, with cocktail nights and dorms and private rooms.
- Budget
Ceyloni Panorama Resort
A hillside hotel above Kandy where every room has a balcony with mountain views. Quieter than the centre, with a restaurant, bar and garden.
- Budget
Funk Bunks by the Lake
A friendly hostel near Kandy Lake, popular with solo travellers and young backpackers.
- Budget
The Trees Kandy
A 27-room hotel on Rajapihilla Mawatha with a rooftop pool and lake views, a short walk from Kandy Lake and Wales Park.
- Upscale
Galle Face Hotel
Colombo’s grand colonial hotel, open since 1864, facing the ocean at the end of Galle Face Green, famous for sunset drinks on the verandah.
- Luxury
Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
A 115-room resort hotel on a bend of the Mahaweli River just outside Kandy, with a large riverside pool and several restaurants.
- Upscale
The Golden Crown Hotel
A large five-star hotel in Ampitiya, about two kilometres from central Kandy, with an infinity pool, spa, and several restaurants and bars.
- Upscale
Jetwing Kandy Gallery
A 26-suite luxury hotel on the Mahaweli River in Gurudeniya, with butler service, an infinity pool, a spa and river views.
- Luxury
ITC Ratnadipa
Colombo’s newest luxury landmark, opened in 2024 between the ocean and Beira Lake, with 352 rooms, a sky bridge bar and acclaimed restaurants.
- Luxury
Tomorrowland Hostel Ella
Ella’s best-loved social hostel, with tea-country views, tents and open dorms, nightly DJs and a fire-pit beer garden.
- Budget
- Party
- Live music
- Mountain views
Hideout Lounge
A budget-friendly lounge and hostel by Kandy Lake, with dorms, a generous breakfast and cocktails.
- Budget
Ceyloni City Hotel
A practical, central hotel on Cross Street, about a 10-minute walk to the Temple of the Tooth and 7 minutes to Kandy Lake.
- Budget
Grand Serendib Hotel
A newer hillside hotel a five-minute walk from Kandy Lake, with lake and mountain views, a pool, a rooftop bar and a Balinese spa.
- Upscale
Hotel Suisse Kandy
A historic lakeside hotel dating back to 1890, with large rooms, a pool and a peaceful setting on the quieter side of Kandy Lake.
- Mid-range
IRIS Kandy
A hilltop hotel close to the centre with large rooms and private decks looking out over Kandy.
- Mid-range
Marino Beach Colombo
A modern seafront hotel on Marine Drive with a rooftop infinity pool overlooking the Indian Ocean.
- Upscale
Fig and Geko Hostel
A friendly hostel in a colonial house in Anuradhapura, with a social area and staff full of local tips.
- Budget
Hive Ella Hostel
A newly renovated hostel in the centre of Ella with free breakfast and an easy walk to everything.
- Budget
Taj Samudra Colombo
A classic five-star hotel on Galle Face Green, set in landscaped gardens with ocean views and a range of restaurants.
- Upscale
Viyana Boutique Hotel
A small boutique hotel by Kandy Lake, with lake and city-view rooms, a garden terrace and its own restaurant, minutes from the town centre.
- Budget
The Doctor’s House
A restored 200-year-old colonial house on the beach at Madiha, famous for its parties, outdoor bar, dorms and bungalows.
- Mid-range
Hangover Hostels Mirissa
The original Hangover Hostel, once ranked among the world’s top exotic hostels, with container rooms, a rooftop with ocean views and fire shows.
- Budget
YoYo Surf Hostel
A family-run surf hostel in Ahangama with surf lessons, an outdoor gym, pool table, and power and Wi-Fi for remote workers.
- Budget
- Surf lessons
- Co-working
- Outdoor gym
Stay Happy Hostel
A cosy, well-reviewed hostel with easy access to the surf beach and lagoon, and help with lessons and day trips.
- Budget
Clock Inn Dehiwala
A boutique-style hostel near Mount Lavinia beach, with workspaces, lounges and free breakfast, popular with digital nomads.
- Mid-range
SeSaya Poshtel & Bistro
Billed as Colombo’s first luxury poshtel, with private pods, co-working, meeting rooms and a rooftop bistro and bar.
- Mid-range
- Luxury poshtel
- Co-working
- Rooftop bar
Hangtime Hostel
A beachfront surf and yoga hostel on Weligama’s beginner bay, with a rooftop café, netted deck and private rooms in a fishing boat.
- Mid-range
- Surf
- Yoga
- Rooftop café
Why Not Backpackers
A party hostel in central Mirissa with a big pool, daily beer pong and drinking games.
- Budget
- Pool
- Party
- Beer pong
Dots Bay House
A colourful, design-led poshtel above Hiriketiya bay, with a pool, co-working, yoga and a café that hosts weekend events.
- Mid-range
- Pool
- Co-working
- Yoga
Hangover Hostels Colombo
The Colombo branch of Sri Lanka’s best-known home-grown hostel brand, a short walk from the sea in Bambalapitiya.
- Budget
Surfing Wombats
A surf-camp style hostel in Midigama near two breaks, with ping-pong, a mixed dorm, private rooms and great pizza and pasta.
- Budget
- Surf
- Pizza
- Social
Little Lagoon Hostel
A sustainable garden hostel in Arugam Bay with hammocks, resident dogs and a shipping-container private room.
- Budget
Galadari Hotel
A long-running hotel opposite Galle Face Green with harbour and ocean views, a pool and family-friendly facilities.
- Mid-range
Pedlar’s Inn Hostel
A hostel inside Galle Fort with Mediterranean-style décor and a top location for exploring the old town.
- Budget
The Grand Kandyan
A five-star hotel on the hill above Kandy, with a rooftop pool, four restaurants and views across the city and the Kandyan hills.
- Luxury
Beyond Nomad Hostel
A luxury hostel in Ella built for backpackers and remote workers, with free breakfast and a short walk to town.
- Mid-range
- Poshtel
- Remote work
- Free breakfast
Paradise Road Tintagel
A design-led boutique hotel in a historic Colombo 7 mansion, with dramatic interiors, a small pool and a celebrated restaurant.
- Luxury
Kings Pavilion
A nine-room luxury hotel in leafy Aniwatte, about ten minutes from Kandy, with an infinity pool, spa and big suites with valley views.
- Luxury
C1 Colombo Fort
A quiet, stylish hostel-style stay in Fort, near the Khan Clock Tower, the Dutch Museum and the harbour.
- Mid-range
2in1 Kandy Hostel
A good-value hostel above Kandy with some of the best views in the city, a sunrise balcony and help planning onward travel.
- Budget
Shangri-La Colombo
Colombo’s landmark luxury tower on Galle Face, with Indian Ocean views, a huge spa, several pools and some of the city’s best restaurants.
- Luxury
Hilton Colombo
A long-standing five-star hotel near Fort, with harbour and lake views, a pool deck and the popular Curry Leaf Sri Lankan restaurant.
- Upscale
Hangover Hostels Ella
A clean, central and social hostel a few minutes’ walk from Ella’s station, buses and restaurants, with tea-plantation views.
- Budget
Roy’s Villa Hostel
A social yet luxurious hostel near Sigiriya with an infinity pool over rice paddies, nightly family dinners and daily group trips.
- Mid-range
- Infinity pool
- Family dinners
- Group trips
Mövenpick Hotel Colombo
A modern five-star hotel in Kollupitiya with a rooftop pool and bar, stylish rooms and an easy walk to the city’s cafés and shops.
- Upscale
Heritage Boutique by Seven Angels
A small boutique hotel on Deva Veediya, right by the Temple of the Tooth’s gates, with its own café.
- Mid-range
The Verse Collective
A co-living and co-working space at Dikwella Beach near Hiriketiya, with rooms, workspaces, a restaurant and regular events.
- Mid-range
- Co-living
- Co-working
- Events
Walkers Hostel
A relaxed garden hostel steps from Uppuveli Beach, with bike rental, a shared kitchen and tour bookings.
- Budget
The Radh Hotel
A stylish boutique hotel on Colombo Street, steps from the Temple of the Tooth, with garden suites that have their own plunge pools.
- Upscale
Colombo Court Hotel & Spa
A contemporary boutique hotel off Duplication Road with a rooftop pool and café-bar, a spa and good value for central Colombo.
- Mid-range
Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo
A five-star hotel on the shores of Beira Lake, with a big pool, lake views and several well-known restaurants.
- Upscale
Pepper Hills Hostels
An eco-friendly hostel inspired by village architecture in the hills outside Ella, with free breakfast and big views.
- Mid-range
Ella Escapade Hostel
A peaceful hostel on the Ella Rock side of town, with meals included and easy access to the Ella Rock hike.
- Budget
Cinnamon Grand Colombo
A big, buzzing five-star hotel on Galle Road with 500-plus rooms and some of Colombo’s best-known restaurants, including The Lagoon and Nuga Gama.
- Upscale
The Summit Kandy
A well-reviewed hillside hotel with garden and mountain-view rooms, balconies, a family restaurant and a shuttle into town.
- Mid-range
Mount Lavinia Hotel
A historic colonial-era hotel on a headland at Mount Lavinia, south of central Colombo, with its own beach and a famous seaside terrace.
- Upscale
Kandy Myst by Cinnamon
Kandy’s newest big hotel, with 215 rooms, a heated rooftop infinity pool, a sky bar and views of the Knuckles and Hanthana hills.
- Upscale
Wanderers Hostel
A sociable hostel in Uppuveli, a few minutes from the beach, with an open terrace, diving trips and city tours.
- Budget
Castle Hill Bungalow by Seven Angels
A boutique bungalow on Rajapihilla Mawatha above Kandy Lake, with a pool, garden and mountain-view rooms, walking distance from town.
- Upscale
Clics Coliving
A boutique co-living stay in Hiriketiya with 24/7 co-working, fast Wi-Fi and indoor and outdoor workspaces.
- Mid-range
- Co-living
- Co-working
- Fast Wi-Fi
The Elephant Stables
A restored colonial-era hilltop bungalow in Nittawela, with a handful of rooms, a luxury tent, an infinity pool and views to the Knuckles range.
- Luxury
Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams
A huge, futuristic integrated resort that opened in 2024, with 687 rooms, a dozen restaurants and bars, and views over the city and the ocean.
- Luxury
Wild Bee Hostel
A design-led eco-hostel in the jungle hills above Ella, with panoramic views, sky beds for stargazing and free shuttles to town.
- Mid-range
- Eco-hostel
- Mountain views
- Free breakfast
Earl’s Regency
A long-established five-star hotel just outside Kandy in Tennekumbura, with spacious rooms, a pool and views over the Mahaweli valley.
- Upscale
Banana Bunks
A Bali-style poshtel outside central Kandy, with a swimming pool, tropical garden, dorms and private rooms.
- Mid-range
- Pool
- Private rooms
- Garden
Bunkyard Hostels
A sociable, budget hostel in Colombo, a favourite with backpackers looking to meet people.
- Budget
Ceyloni Lake Residency
Lake-view rooms on Rajapihilla Mawatha, a two-minute walk from Kandy Lake and the Kandy viewpoint, with breakfast included.
- Mid-range
The Mellow Hostel
A chilled poshtel facing Kabalana’s beginner-friendly beach, with a garden, hammocks, smoothie bowls and private bathrooms.
- Mid-range
- Surf
- Beginner waves
- Private bathrooms
Drop Inn Hostel
A relaxed, boho-style hostel in a quiet Colombo neighbourhood, with a garden café, quiz nights and street food tours.
- Budget
The Riptide Women’s Hostel
A women-only hostel near the main surf point and Pottuvil Lagoon, with a shared kitchen, lounge and bike rental.
- Budget
- Women-only
- Surf
Fairway Colombo
A modern, good-value hotel in Fort with a rooftop pool and views towards Galle Face and the ocean.
- Mid-range
Hangten Surf Skate Hostel
A surf-and-skate hostel with a backyard skate park, surfer staff, board-rack tuk-tuks, family dinners and quiz nights.
- Budget
- Surf
- Skate park
- Family dinners
Satori Beach Hostel
A resort-like beach hostel with private beach access, ocean-view dorm balconies, air conditioning and boat parties.
- Mid-range
- Beachfront
- Boat parties
- Air conditioning
The Spindrift Hostel
A design-led, highly rated hostel seconds from Weligama beach, built by backpackers for backpackers.
- Mid-range
- Beachfront
- Social
- Solo travellers
Barefoot Backpackers Hostel
Hiriketiya’s most social hostel, for solo travellers only, with family dinners, daily volleyball and a sea-view garden.
- Budget
- Solo travellers only
- Family dinners
- Volleyball
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How to choose where to stay in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is compact, but where you base yourself changes your trip. Most first-time visitors split their time between a city, the hill country and the coast, and move every two to four nights. Every stay on this page has been picked for a reason: location, views, value or the people running it.
Pick the base first, then the bed
In Kandy, staying around the lake or on Rajapihilla Mawatha means you can walk to the Temple of the Tooth and the town, with views on the way back. In Colombo, Colombo 7 (Cinnamon Gardens) and Colombo 3 are leafy, central and close to the best cafés.
Which type of stay suits you
- Hotels give you a front desk, restaurant and fewer surprises, useful for short stays and late arrivals.
- Boutique stays are smaller, with more character, and often the best views for the money.
- Hostels and poshtels suit solo travellers and anyone who wants to meet people; poshtels add private rooms and nicer common areas.
- Guesthouses are family-run and the easiest way to get home cooking and local advice.
Book direct or through a booking site?
Both work. Booking sites make it easy to compare and manage dates; booking direct sometimes gets you a better room or a more flexible arrangement.
Good to know
What is the best area to stay in Kandy?
For a first visit, around Kandy Lake or on Rajapihilla Mawatha: you can walk to the Temple of the Tooth and the town centre, and many rooms have lake views. The town centre is cheaper and closest to the railway station; the hills outside town are quieter but you will need tuk-tuks.
What is the difference between a hostel and a poshtel?
A poshtel is an upgraded hostel: you still get the social atmosphere and dorm beds, but usually with private rooms, better design and more facilities.
What do the price levels mean?
They are a quick guide to typical nightly rates compared with similar places in Sri Lanka: Budget, Mid-range, Upscale and Luxury. Always check the live rate for your dates.
How do you choose which places are listed?
Our team picks places we would send friends to. “Team’s pick” marks an editorial favourite, and any paid placement is labelled.