Taru Villas the Long House - Bentota

The Long House is one of the most distinguished, picturesque and luxurious properties that we have stayed in. The villa, which has been artfully camouflaged from the hustle-bustle of the main road, is an absolute stand-out in Bentota, blessed with scenic views, lush greenery & floral adornments, spacious-postcard rooms, beautiful outdoor pool, sun deck, bar & lawns, and the bonus elements of a railway track and a gorgeous beach right in the backyard! The staff, led by Geeth and Gayan, are absolute rock-stars, and took care of all our guests meticulously round the clock, attending to almost every special request/customization that we asked for and then throwing in that little extra which made the stay incredibly memorable and heartwarming for every one of the attendees. Just the way we hoped it’d be.. Taru Villas, you made my wife’s birthday celebration, as well as the stay experience of all our friends, totally epic and for that, you have our whole heart. Love Rishu & Alka

We stayed here 2 nights. This is spectacularly beautiful hotel. It is on the quiet side. The staff is extraordinarily nice. They take care of all the needs in the most pleasant manner. We shall visit this place again surely. The food is very delicious and again the service impeccable.

A very nice hotel with good standard of accommodation and facilities. We particularly liked the spacious layout of the hotel. The restaurant was very nice with a good selection of food choices. There was a swimming pool which was a good alternative in case sea was too rough to swim. Easy access to the beach.

A magnificent experience. We stayed for 6 nights and whilst there is not a lot to do in Bentota - the days flew by with delicious breakfasts - walks to a nearby swimming beach (the one out the front of this property is pretty rough) and then we had dinner here every night. The service and staff are top notch. Helpful and warm without being intrusive. The food is to die for. Plenty of vegetarian food. The pool is lovely . A little shallow at one end but the gardens here are fabulous. A quaint train chortles through. This is the best place to relax and be looked after without feeling like they are trying charge you at every corner (free water by the pool etc). Really magnificent experience . Loved every moment here. I mistakenly thought Bentota would be more like Hika - but the solitude was great.

I stayed at Taru Villas Long House expecting a luxurious and secure experience, but what unfolded was quite the opposite. Unfortunately, our stay was marred by a robbery, and how management handled the situation was extremely disappointing. Firstly, we discovered that similar incidents had occurred at this property in the past, even though the management claimed otherwise. This was unsettling because we believed their safety assurances. Knowing this was not an isolated case raises serious concerns about the property’s security measures. When I raised concerns about this, I was told that the past incidents were none of my business, and I shouldn't be talking about them. This is deeply troubling, especially since the safety and well-being of guests should always be a priority. What followed was even more disheartening. I work in the travel industry, and when I expressed that I could not, in good conscience, recommend Taru properties to my clients after this experience, the Head of People and Culture threatened me, stating that I should continue sending guests despite the security risks. This blatant disregard for guest safety and the lack of accountability in their crisis management is beyond unacceptable. And not a single apology was received from management for the behavior of their team. During the incident, we felt the staff lacked urgency and professionalism in their response. We had to take matters into our own hands, traveling back and forth to Bentota multiple times to conduct our investigation, as the hotel showed little interest in assisting us. Shockingly, it took our persistence for them to finally take action. To make matters worse, when compensation was offered (which we did not request), it was a 3-night stay plus LKR 60,000 in cash – an offer that felt like an insult considering the trauma we experienced. Our main concern was finding out who was responsible for the robbery and ensuring this matter was taken seriously, but the management seemed more concerned with offering minimal compensation to move on from the situation. I would not recommend staying at Taru Villas Long House if safety and respect for guests' well-being are priorities for you. This experience has left us deeply concerned, and I don't think the management will ever take these issues seriously moving forward as this is just one of the cases and they have shown us that they are not capable of making sure the guests are safe but they are very well greedy toward getting business at any cost.

Beautiful hotel, delicious food, sadly let down by indifferent/rude staff, hidden charges, and lack of adequate mosquito protection. Our room was spacious, comfortable and well equiped. The hotel looks like an art gallery. It backs onto the railway line, and is a short step to the beach - beautiful. The food was all delicious. The swimming pool, while attractive, is not easy to swim as it becomes shallow quite quickly. We were surprised by the lack of a mosquito net. Staff came nightly to burn coils, which in itself is not great for breathing, but does provide some deterrant at least. My partner and I both received several mosquito bites at the hotel. Staff were generally not anywhere near as friendly and welcoming as we found throughout Sri Lanka. Some simple requests for information seemed like too much trouble. On one occasion that I had the audacity to venture to the upper floor of the hotel a staff member was very abrupt (rude) and informed me that I was "living downstairs" - it was an uncomfortable moment. The menu does not make additional charges/tax/service charge clear, which added considerably to the bill. We had already left a tip, and felt 'stung' by this. When we left we were not asked whether we had enjoyed our stay. There are lots of good things about this hotel, but our stay was affected by the points above.