Buckingham Place

If you’re reading this you’re considering a stay in Buckingham Place. Don’t waste your time with these reviews - book it now, book if for sooner than you planned, book it for longer and let yourself be blown away by the level of service and stunning surroundings. This is a 5* hotel with all the charm of a luxury boutique hotel whilst being warm, welcoming and unpretentious. We stayed for our honeymoon and ended up extending our stay as we loved it so much. Never been much of a beach dweller but Buckingham place allows you to truly switch off. Waking up to the lagoon and lying on the Indian Ocean through the day. The place is a menagerie with peacocks, monkeys and mongooses trotting around the property - amazing to watch their routine from the terraces. The team led by Madu, Kalpa and Chamindu couldn’t do enough for you, whilst not being overbearing but preempting your every need with minimal fuss. Just heaven. The owner Nick and his lovely dogs Bella and Gracie gave the place a homely feel and their love of Sri Lanka was infectious. The food was excellent and a great balance of local and European food and the team were so accommodating of any dietary preferences. Especially enjoyed my spa treatments- definitely factor this in to your stay.

Highly recommend place for a memorable stay. Kind staff with great service and hospitality. They provide the service in high standards and they are very much attentive to the guests. They make you surprise with lovely memories at your special events. Very delicious freshly cooked meals with authentic taste. Lovely rooms with all facilities and large area.

Our second time visiting and loving this utterly fabulous unique boutique hotel! Everything from the setting to the location is perfect! Nothing, absolutely nothing is too much trouble and every member of the excellent staff give 100% to looking after you and making you feel wanted, part of their lives and in every moment looked after and valued to such a fabulous level! They make me smile inwardly and outwardly and the pleasure they generate is just .. well just exquisite! You are engaged with on every single level. Room staff / garden staff / stewards / leads absolutely everyone work tirelessly to seamlessly make your stay extra special. What do I love most? Everything! The resident dogs Gracie B and Bella even welcome you (Well when Gracie B warms to you). The rooms are spotless. The bathrooms are unique and I adore the open roof touch that even when a rainfall comes adds to the specialness of this place! The Spa is likewise a fabulous moment in this extraordinary place! Thank you all so very much!! We are coming back and are privileged to be now called regulars! We love it!!!

Buckingham Place is a wonderful boutique hotel with views of the sea and the lagoon. It’s tranquil, calm and colourful ! The rooms are spacious and cool , the grounds are immaculate and the staff are wonderful. From the moment you check in you feel nurtured and cared for in every possible way and nothing is too much trouble ! I encourage you to book , we’d come back in a heartbeat !

Of all the places we’ve stayed in Sri Lanka this sets the highest bar and we couldn’t praise it highly enough. From the greeting on our arrival, to the beautiful presentation of our room for our wedding anniversary, to the food, the views and the staff, everything was 100% perfect. We were personally approached by the owner Nick (an English man) on many occasions who took a genuine interest in all his guests. The staff were 100% attentive, knew the guests by name and took the utmost care with everyone. On the evening of our anniversary the staff had hung a ‘happy anniversary’ banner above our table, decorated it with flowers and gave us a handmade card signed by all the staff, a beautiful touch. The rooms are, as Nick described, a sanctuary for his guests and they a very roomy, very comfortable and styled beautifully. The bathroom featured an open air shower and a covered tub area. We had a balcony where we could sit and look out over the lagoon. We thoroughly enjoyed the live piano by Sanjaya a local musician and the atmosphere was relaxed. We truely felt like we were being looked after in the best way possible, everyone made us feel so comfortable and at home. We couldn’t recommend this place any higher, if we could give it 10 stars we would. Thank you so much Nick and the crew for making our time so enjoyable and special; we will be back!

This was our 4th visit to the incomparable Mr Nick's (😉) amazing hotel, each time we have stayed for longer, this time for 2 solid weeks. As soon as we recognised the familiar surroundings we were back in our happy place. Familiar faces amongst the amazing team were warmly greeted and we settled in. The food choices, quality and service were, as ever, excellent. The dinner menu has changed since our last visit, giving more options for those staying for longer than the 5 day menu rotation. We have our menu favourites and to be able to choose these on multiple occasions made us happy. As always all food is fresh, well cooked and presented, having pre-dinner nibbles and drinks in the bar talking to other guests was nice. Both pools are immaculate, bed chairs and towels are clean and comfortable. The evening frog and toad journey through the pool, restaurant and bar kept me entertained. The rooms, we stayed in 2 due to availability, were cleaned daily, large and perfectly adequate, if you need anything just ask! There are plenty of places to walk to see the wonderful wildlife that Sri Lanka has to offer, do ask Kalpa to arrange a visit to the Rekawa Turtle Sanctuary next door, or Kalamatiya bird sanctuary both are great value. There's a reason that people return, we met several that have whilst we were there, and it's the familiarity and comfortable atmosphere that Nick has created. It's our happy place...make it yours!