Habarana Village by Cinnamon

我願給到五星🌟，因為佈景非常用心，太太太棒了！

We had a relaxing two-day break at this lovely hotel recently. The very large garden area bordering the lake is absolutely beautiful, particularly if you love big trees, lots of greenery, birds and the peaceful tranquility of being close to nature. It is a wonderful place for long walks, specially early in the morning when the birds are waking up and the sun is not too hot. Food was great, our room was spacious and comfortable (we specially liked the open air shower) and service was top class. Night time entertainment was also nice and relaxing. I would really like the management to have a laid-down policy to manage the community animals (cats and dogs) that roam within the large area of the hotel grounds. Take care of them by sterilising and vaccinating them, and regularly deworm and treat them for ticks and mites. You can even have a hotel mascot cat and dog! Many guests like to pet these stray animals and if large hotel chains like Cinnamon can follow the playbook of hotels in Ella which have in-house dogs it would be a great service for the beautiful and friendly community cats and dogs of Sri Lanka and a wonderful stress-reliever for animal-loving guests at your hotels.

After a long slog from the UK and over 3.5hrs in the taxi from Colombo, we were both ready to drop. The Village is a lovely place to drop into, with a warm “ayubowan” from the young and friendly staff. These guys make the place tick and really are a credit - the front desk, porters, cleaners, waiters and chefs. All happy to help and give great service. The suites are individual cabins, accessed by well lit avenues. The central bar and restaurant being the hub, with a terrace leading out to the pool and lawns down to the lake. Everything was clean and well maintained. Early breakfast for a day trip to Sigiriya? No problem, the kitchen serves from 6:30am. All the meals we had were first class, dip into local cuisine with the coconut sambol and some hoppers, or maybe the chefs will be preparing a delicious kothku on the hot plate while you wait - European spicy strength was delicious and left me in danger of not having room for dessert. That would have been a schoolboy error, as the air-conditioned pudding room was full of treats. The suite? Clean, tidy, best a/c after a day exploring in the mid 30s centigrade. Slightly odd choice of 2 singles pushed together, but comfy and good linen. Plus a towel elephant and flower decorations wishing us a happy holiday. Watch the sun set over the lake, then amble back through the grounds up to the bar for some cool refreshment - Cocktails were good and the mixologist went off-menu for us on the 2nd night. As the sky darkens, watch the fruit bats put on a show as they wheel in the sky, accompanied by the performing guitarist. It’s a magical place. We’re really glad we stayed.