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
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
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
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
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
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
Galadari Hotel
A long-running hotel opposite Galle Face Green with harbour and ocean views, a pool and family-friendly facilities.
- Mid-range
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Fairway Colombo
A modern, good-value hotel in Fort with a rooftop pool and views towards Galle Face and the ocean.
- Mid-range
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Choosing a hotel in Sri Lanka
Hotels are the easy choice for short stays, late arrivals and anyone who wants a restaurant and front desk on hand. We list hotels for their location and value as much as their facilities: a simple room with a lake view and a short walk to everything can beat a bigger hotel out of town.
Look at the area as much as the hotel. In Kandy, staying around the lake or on Rajapihilla Mawatha keeps you within walking distance of the Temple of the Tooth; in Colombo, Colombo 3 and 7 put you close to the best food.