Hotel in zona Sri Vijayaramaya Maha Viharaya, Hambantota

The Shangri-La Hambantota is nothing short of extraordinary, but what truly made our stay unforgettable was the incredible staff. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, every person we encountered went above and beyond to ensure our stay was magical. From an early check-in—graciously offered due to a flight mix-up—to the thoughtful surprises like a beautifully flower-decorated bed and a complimentary birthday cake, every detail was touched with care and attention. My massage at the Chi SPA, delivered by the amazing therapist Ayu, far exceeded my expectations, turning my birthday into the ultimate mid-day retreat with her expert hands and the serene surroundings. With multiple dining options, each restaurant offered not only delicious dishes but also staff who transformed every meal into an experience to savor. I wish I could remember all their names, but special thanks to Vihanga, who made my birthday dinner truly special. We’re already planning our return—Hambantota, we’ll be back!

Nice hotel and great value for money - we really enjoyed our stay here. The hosts are very welcoming and the pool area and garden is very nice. We stayed in the tree house and it was very clean and had a nice balcony. The hotel organised a safari for us and even organised for another hotel guest to join us to reduce the price. The safari was very good and I would recommend booking through this hotel. The hotel also helped us to book a reasonably priced taxi to our next location. We also used the hotel restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food for each was great and reasonably priced. If you’re looking to come here for a Yala National Park safari, I would recommend staying here!

L'hotel è molto carino ed è in posizione ottima per il safari al parco di Yala, la camera tripla che avevamo era molto comoda, ampia e pulita. L'aspetto migliore è però la gentilezza del proprietario e di tutto il personale che ci ha coccolati e ci ha permesso di assistere ad un matrimonio che si è tenuto in hotel durante la nostra permanenza. Anche la colazione e la cena sono state molto buone. Consigliatissimo!

My original plan of a 1-night stay turned into 3 nights purely based on the property and the team. The rooms are spacious and well appointed, with clean linen and towels. The wooden floors are a nice look and feel. The air-conditioning works very well. An unbelievable amount of space for work / lounging. The room itself has a work desk which is perfect for remote work. The balcony is small but functional, and overlooks the majestic Tissa Lake. Spacious terraces on the 1st and 2nd levels as well as a rooftop with spectacular views of the surrounding fields and the lake. I got plenty of work done and attended web-based meetings in peace, against an amazing backdrop. At the end of the day it is the people that make a difference, and this is where Yasith and his team were exemplary. From his kind, attentive service to the care he displays to guests and the property (and of course by the way he treats Kalu, the adorable orphaned puppy), Yasith leads from the front. I noted among other things his meticulous bookkeeping skills, which is a rare find for any property. Suffice to say I have found my stay whenever I return to Tissa. What better place for a morning/evening stroll than the bank of Tissa lake. For any reasonable person willing to stay at a 3-star hotel and not expect 5-star amenities, Serene Park Hotel by Ark has all the right things in place. Full disclosure, I did not have any meals at the premises; as I am very familiar with Tissa I enjoy the many local options available nearby.

Spacious room overlooking the large swimming pool. Dinner buffet was splendid and the chicken and macaroni to die for. We can highly recommend a stay when heading for Yala leopard safari. Staff very helpful and we enjoyed every minute of our short stay.

Struttura molto bella a primo impatto. Che ha solo una cosa positiva. Un buon ristorante. Per il resto siamo nella categoria alberghi da incubo. Camera sporca. Formiche ovunque. Fili scoperti in ogni posto dal telefono al phone. In bagno non c'è acqua calda per farsi una doccia. Personale che non sa neanche parlare inglese e che non sa trovarti soluzione a nessun problema. Albergo mezzo vuoto ma alla richiesta di un cambio camera ti dicono che é pieno. Anche cambiare una batteria ad una cassaforte é diventata una odissea di 3 ore per finire con un cambio cassaforte con batteria scarica. Esposto il problema a della doccia fredda ti dicono che é calda. E poi per finire al momento del pagamento do la mia carta di credito e l'addetta mi dice transazione negata. Paghiamo con l'altra carta e andiamo via. Mentre esco mi arriva SMS su tutte e due le carte ....doppio addebito. Rientro per chiedere spiegazioni e loro negano ci sia un doppio addebito. Per 25 euro ....teneteveli stretti. Tanto con questa onestà e questo servizio non avrà lunga vita questo hotel. É meglio dormire dentro lo Yala che qui. Non credete alla recensioni mirabolanti. O alle repliche della direzione. Tutto vero e dimostrabile con foto quello che ho scritto A partire dal doppio addebito. . Non sprecate i vostri soldi. Scegliete un'altra struttura.

We have just spent a relaxing night here. Mano and staff are welcoming, helpful and very friendly. The accommodation was excellent - comfortable bed, spacious rooms and the shower big enough to have a party in! We also highly recommend the YALA National Park Safari, both the afternoon and morning. We saw a leopard, elephants, deer, water buffalo, sloth bear, crocodiles, mongoose, jackal and so much bird life!

We stayed two nights at Allure Yala in the suite with a private pool. The room was a great size - extra large and comfy bed, couch and TV, dining table, verandah with outdoor seating, and a separate bathroom with a large shower and tub. We loved sitting in the pool with the louvers open to look out to the lake. When we first arrived there was a large herd of water buffalo hanging out in the cool water next the hotel. The service we received was also impeccable. Nothing was a bother and the staff were always available and willing to go out of their way to help. We had some fantastic food during our stay too - extensive picnic packs for our morning safari, lunch on our return, afternoon tea, breakfast the next morning on the deck and two delicious dinners. The food was delicious and great portion sizes. A special thank you to the management team who kindly upgraded our stay to include our dinners and also assisted us with having our laundry done before our departure. Overall, a lovely visit!

The hotel is not that simple to get to. Once you leave a nice hard top road, you have to drive down a long dirt road for about 10 mins to get to the hotel itself. That road can become a bit flooded if it rains hard - as it did on one day we were there - and that can prevent some guests getting in and out of the hotel. We’d had a lovely quiet evening meal one night and only found out afterwards that there had been a large group due in but couldn’t get down the road. Generally, it’s ‘normal’ vehicles and buses that bring people but, on occasion, a 4x4 would be better. On the days we arrived and left the roads were passable but you could see how they become easily impassable with rivulets running across it. The hotel though is lovely. The old one was washed away in the tsunami but the replacement looks strongly built, with its exposed concrete and stone construction there for all to see. That doesn’t make it cold and like a factory though. Far from it. It feels like it belongs where it is and its appropriate for a climate that varied between sun, wind and heavy rain whilst we were there. Whilst there are bedrooms on the ground floor (plus the gym and spa), most of the hotel’s common spaces are on the top floor, where reception, the bar and a la carte restaurant are. The main restaurant is one floor down, which has a nice view from the verandas around the outside. We had drinks in the bar on a couple of evenings, choosing to sit on the covered balcony as the indoor space - complete with pool table - whilst lovely was rather cold. The cocktails we had were really well made and come with our recommendation. We didn’t try the a la carte restaurant. Frankly, there was no need to from a food perspective. It was excellent all the time in the main one. The hotel tends to get large groups stay, who like to sit together (and create quite a noise), so the main restaurant can get quite noisy. The a la carte would offer a break from that as it’s in its own, quiet space. We genuinely couldn’t fault the food at the hotel. Breakfast always had a large choice ranging from cold offerings, cereal and salad, through to traditional Sri Lankan and hot western options. Tea and coffee was to order whilst you helped yourself to juice. The story was similar for evening meals too. If anything, evening meals catered less for western palettes and more for the Chinese guests that frequent the hotel. There were always lots of local Sri Lankan dishes too, which were simply delicious. All the hot food was outside the main restaurant space, under cover, with much of it being cooked in front of you. The cold starters and desserts were indoors. I have to say, one odd highlight was the soups. Every night there were 2 soups on offer and they were really good. I did have a tiny bug bear sometimes, which correlated with the busiest nights. That was the staff were a little too keen to clear plates. On occasion, you’d literally be chewing still and hadn’t quite put your cutlery dow