- Introduction: Sri Lanka Beyond The Airport
- Review: Japan Airlines Business Class 787 Dallas To Tokyo
- Review: ANA Crowne Plaza Narita Airport
- Review: American Admirals Club Tokyo Narita Airport
- Review: Qantas Lounge Tokyo Narita Airport
- Review: SriLankan Airlines Business Class A330 Tokyo To Colombo
- Review: Amangalla, Galle, Sri Lanka
- Review: Amanwella, Tangalle, Sri Lanka
- Review: SriLankan Airlines Business Class A321neo Colombo To Abu Dhabi
- Review: EDITION Abu Dhabi
- Review: KLM Business Class A330 Abu Dhabi To Amsterdam
- Review: KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam Airport
- Review: KLM Business Class 787 Amsterdam To New York
Want to receive extra benefits for your stay at Amanwella, including complimentary breakfast, a space available room upgrade, a property credit, and more? Contact [email protected] for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
In the last installment I reviewed our three night stay at Amangalla, and in this post I’ll be reviewing our four night stay at Amanwella. While Amangalla is located in the fort town of Galle, Amanwella is located in Tangalle, a beach town along the coast of Sri Lanka.
In this post:
Booking Amanwella
We booked a seven night package between the two Amans in Sri Lanka, known as the Fort & Beach Journey.
Our nightly rate at Amanwella was 900USD (more than at Amangalla), but for booking the package we received the following add-ons:
- Daily breakfast
- Afternoon tea
- Guided tour of the Fort
- Sandalwood facial for her and a traditional shave for him at Amangalla
- Visit to the Handunugoda tea plantation (during complimentary inter-resort journey)
- Visit to Mulgirigala Rock Temple and one 60-minute Amanwella massage for two at Amanwella
- Daily choice of lunch or dinner (excluding alcoholic beverages)
Getting to Amanwella
Amanwella is located on the south coast of Sri Lanka. While Amangalla is in the very southwest, Amanwella is located in the central southern coast, so you just drive along the coast to get there.
That means it’s not far distance-wise between the two hotels, though the roads along the coast aren’t good at all, not nearly as good as the highway from Colombo to Amangalla.
For booking the Fort & Beach journey the roughly two hour transfer between hotels was included. The transfer was delayed by about 30 minutes because the car apparently broke down, though they found a replacement quickly.
Car driving us between Amans in Sri Lanka
Our transfer included a visit to the Handunugoda tea plantation. They marketed this as being a feature, though in reality anyone can visit the planation for free — everyone gets a free tour, and then they try to sell you tea.
Handunugoda tea plantation
Aman usually does a great job curating experiences, so I was disappointed by the way they arranged this, and the lack of disclosure. They pretended like this tea plantation tour was a value-add experience arranged by the hotel, rather than something that’s free for everyone. There were several tour buses at the plantation, so there were dozens of people taking this tour. I would have appreciated some warning that we were basically going to a tea timeshare presentation of sorts.
Amanwella room
Amanwella has a total of 27 rooms, and they’re more or less identical. There are two categories of rooms — ocean hill pool suite and ocean pool suite, and the only difference is the view. We booked (and received) a standard room, which is the ocean hill pool suite.
The resort is mostly pretty walkable, though it is on a hill, so you may get a bit winded while walking to & from your room. The hotel does have super cute tuk tuks that you can be driven in, should you prefer not to walk.
Amanwella tuk tuk
Amanwella resort walkways
We were assigned room 303.
Amanwella villa exterior
The villas are described as being 100 square meters (1,076 square feet), though that might include the outdoor space.
Inside the villa and to the right was the bedroom and living area. There was a comfortable king size bed, as well as a small sitting area with a couple of chairs and a daybed.
Amanwella villa bedroom
Amanwella villa living area
At the far end of the room was the minibar and coffee machine. All soft drinks and snacks are complimentary, while the alcoholic beverages are available for purchase, as is the norm at Amans.
Amanwella complimentary snacks
Amanwella complimentary minibar
Then there were double doors leading into the bathroom, which featured double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet.
Amanwella villa bathroom
Amanwella villa bathroom
Amanwella villa shower
Amanwella villa toilet
There was also a large closet in the back of the room.
Amanwella villa closet
The room also had a lovely outdoor space. On the front side of the room was a daybed and a plunge pool. This area had no views but rather was “walled in,” which is either good or bad, depending on how you look at it.
Amanwella villa outdoor seating
Amanwella villa plunge pool
The back side of the room had a large patio, which had a dining table with two chairs, as well as two loungers.
Amanwella villa outdoor area
Amanwella villa outdoor area
As you can see, our room had a partial ocean view — you could see the ocean in the distance, but you can see how the set of villas beneath us had a better view.
Amanwella villa view
Amanwella villa outdoor area
All things considered I thought the villa was lovely, and nicely appointed. Wifi in the room (and throughout the hotel) was fast and free.
Amanwella resort layout
Most of Amanwella’s facilities are located in the hillside, and then you can go down to the beach. I loved the layout of the resort’s courtyard, which is also what you see when you first arrive.
Amanwella entrance
When you walked along the courtyard the gift shop was to the left, and then the restaurant, bar, and library were to the right.
Amanwella courtyard
Amanwella courtyard
Amanwella gift shop
Amanwella gift shop
Amanwella library
One theme you’ll see throughout this review is that I think aspects of this hotel are poorly designed. The library is a standard Aman feature, and it’s intended to be a quiet place to relax.
The library is just past the courtyard, though what I find bizarre is that you have to walk through there in order to get to the restaurant or bar. A library is supposed to be a quiet space, so why would you also make it one of the parts of the hotel that gets the most foot traffic? Other than that it was pretty…
Amanwella library
Amanwella pool
I’ll let the pictures of this stunning pool speak mostly for themselves. The views were even better at sunset. While there are a lot of pools with great views, the massive coconut trees really made this one unique.
Amanwella pool
Amanwella pool
Amanwella pool
Amanwella pool at sunset
Amanwella beach & beach restaurant
While I wouldn’t say that Amanwella’s beach is the most picturesque in the world, it is really nice. The catch is that the water here is rough, so they recommend not swimming. So it’s a nice beach for walking and lounging, but not so much for swimming.
Amanwella beach
While the beach as such isn’t technically private, the hotel does have security monitoring “their” area of the beach. As someone who doesn’t actually like being in the sun, I loved the huge trees above the Aman’s beach area, which provided some shade.
Amanwella beach
Amanwella beach
Amanwella beach
Amanwella beach
I’d note Amanwella doesn’t offer complimentary sunscreen. So we had to buy some in the gift shop. The cost for a tiny 50ml bottle? 45USD. That’s outrageous.
I get you pay a premium for things at luxury hotels, and I generally think I come in with realistic expectations regarding cost. But 45USD for sunscreen that would cost a tenth of that in the US is highway robbery, and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That’s extortion, and not a reasonable markup.
The hotel also has a restaurant at the beach, which is open for lunch and dinner.
Amanwella beach restaurant
Amanwella beach restaurant
Amanwella spa
Amanwella is a secluded resort, so you’d think a spa would be something they put a lot of thought into when building the hotel. It has the potential to be a huge money maker, and it’s something that draws people to resorts.
Oddly at Amanwella it’s an afterthought. The spa is just a single converted guest room. This means they can only accommodate one treatment at a time (either for one person or a couple), and it also means that they don’t have a steam room, sauna, or anything else.
Filling out your spa consultation form while sitting on a luggage rack isn’t exactly what you’d expect at a hotel like this.
Amanwella spa exterior
Amanwella spa room
On the plus side, the spa prices were quite reasonable by international five star hotel standards, especially when you consider that taxes and service fees were included. The treatments were also excellent. Here’s the menu:
Amanwella gym
Ford and I were frustrated when Amangalla didn’t have a gym, and when we got to Amanwella the first thing we were looking forward to was working out. So we were disappointed when we found out that Amanwella doesn’t have a gym either.
WTF? We shared our frustration with the GM, and he acknowledged it but also pretended as if our frustration regarding this was a novel concept.
Fortunately they proposed a solution — we could use the gym at the nearby Anantara hotel. Unfortunately this was at the cost of 45USD per person per visit, which is outrageous. Having to pay 100USD for two people to go to a gym (including a tuk tuk) is obscene, especially given how much we were paying to stay at the Aman.
Gym at hotel next to Amanwella
Gym at hotel next to Amanwella
Amanwella restaurant & bar
Amanwella’s main restaurant and bar are located right above the pool and overlook the ocean.
The bar is located to the right, and has a variety of seating options. I love how the windows open, and thanks to the breeze it never got too hot.
Amanwella bar
Amanwella bar view
The restaurant is right next door, and is intimate. It has about a dozen tables inside, and then a few more tables outside, overlooking the pool and ocean.
Amanwella restaurant
Amanwella restaurant
Amanwella restaurant
Amanwella restaurant
Amanwella breakfast
Breakfast was served daily at the hotel’s main restaurant, and was excellent. The menu read as follows:
We started every morning with iced coffee, fresh mixed fruit juice, and fresh coconut juice.
Amanwella breakfast
Amanwella breakfast
The food was delicious as well, including the Sri Lankan dishes as well as the western ones.
Amanwella breakfast
Amanwella breakfast
Amanwella breakfast
Amanwella breakfast
Amanwella breakfast
Service at breakfast was also quite good. For example, the first morning I ordered a side of avocado (I love avocado), and every subsequent morning they automatically brought me a plate of avocado.
Amanwella breakfast
Amanwella lunch
For lunch there are two options — you can either eat the main restaurant (above the pool), or at the beach restaurant.
The lunch menu was extensive, including both Sri Lankan options and international ones. The menu read as follows:
Below is a selection of the lunch we had while at Amanwella.
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Then here’s the beach club menu, which is somewhat similar:
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella lunch
Amanwella dinner
Dinner was only consistently served at the hotel’s main restaurant, and the menu there read as follows:
The food was also very good, and we mixed it up between the Sri Lankan and international options.
Amanwella dinner
Amanwella dinner
Amanwella dinner
Amanwella dinner
Amanwella dinner
The beach club had special “Ministry of Crab” dinners a couple of times during our stay, though we didn’t partake in that. Here’s the menu, though:
The food at Amanwella was good across the board, in my opinion.
Amanwella service
My impression of service at Amanwella is similar to my impression of service at Amangalla. Service was objectively quite good by absolute standards, but perhaps not amazing by Aman standards.
Everyone working at the hotel was friendly and well intentioned, but service generally was neither polished nor proactive. There were some exceptions — there were a couple of people in the restaurant who were awesome — but other than that I thought the service wasn’t amazing.
I’d say the biggest area of improvement for the hotel was that a lot of things were unnecessarily complicated. For example, when we asked for milk or sweetener for coffee, it often took them 10 minutes to get it. Things that should have been very simple just often took longer than they should have.
Amanwella bottom line
I’m torn on Amanwella. If you happen to be in Sri Lanka and are looking for a beach resort to relax for a few days and can swing it, by all means go to Amanwella. The resort is beautiful, the food is great, and the service is good.
However, there were aspects of the hotel that frustrated me, like the lack of a gym and the lack of a proper spa, the outrageous 45USD price for a small bottle of sunscreen, and the way the plantation stop was handled on the way to Amanwella.
This trip also taught me something important — while I used to be a huge Amanjunkie, I’m done going out of my way to stay at Amans. I do think some of the top tier Amans are truly exceptional, and are worth going out of your way for. However, that’s not true across the board.
We did Sri Lanka wrong. We should have done the tea trails, and maybe a couple of nights at Amangalle. While Amanwella is nice, we flew a long way to get here, and there are more beautiful beach resorts we could have stayed at.
Hopefully that’s not too harsh…
Just finished a stay at Amanwella and will update a few things to this review given the five years that has passed.
1. You don’t need to pass through the library to the bar or restaurant. Not sure you ever did. You simply walk across the lawn in front of the gift shop. No one goes through the library.
2. Food quality is still good but WOW have the prices increased since this...
Just finished a stay at Amanwella and will update a few things to this review given the five years that has passed.
1. You don’t need to pass through the library to the bar or restaurant. Not sure you ever did. You simply walk across the lawn in front of the gift shop. No one goes through the library.
2. Food quality is still good but WOW have the prices increased since this review. The Burger at the beach club that you show as 3500 rupees is now a whopping 16,500. The world’s only $50 cheeseburger? I think that even beats out Maldives prices. Especially shocking as I was a few weeks in the Northwest coast kite surfing and the lovely place I stayed at had delicious burgers for around $6. Even simple dishes like the chicken satay is now around $30. I have no clue why they are charging this much. Food is normally very reasonably priced in Sri Lanka.
3. The rooms are identical to 2019 photos. Nothing has changed. I would say that being 20 years old the resort has aged fairly well.
4. The ocean is only too rough to swim on certain days. It is perfectly fine on most. It also depends on which section you enter. Towards the east side of the beach it’s very calm. To the west side it gets a bit rougher.
5. Rates are now more along the lines of $1200 including breakfast. For Aman that is not bad but the food has become so outrageously expensive I question the overall value. Especially with so many new luxury resorts opening around the South coast.
Thanks for another great, honest review! I would love to hear your thoughts on the amans in North America in particular, amanera, amanyara, and OF COURSE, amangiri! after following your blog for lo these many years, i'd have a hard time dishing out the necessary cash without hearing your opinion first!! (i know there's plenty on flyertalk, but you're always spot-on, and you always point out things that i wouldn't notice but would definitely annoy my husband!)
Finally getting caught up on reading your trip reports. Maybe I can help set the sunscreen situation in perspective. Spa Ceylon is a very expensive store. They have an outlet in Galle where we shopped (in Sri Lankan rupees). The airport location charges in US Dollars and is marked higher. I do love love their floral soaps.
Your sunscreen costs $30 without markup:
https://store.spaceylon.com/index.php/ranges/sun-care/sun-moisture-care-anti-age-face-cream-spf-25.html
That exterior view of your room - presumably the pool side - makes it look like a beach changing/toilet block. Not an impressive first look.
Some of the commentators on here have mentioned that there are better Aman properties to stay at - so which ones do you recommend?
Lucky,
Thanks for this review. I was hoping for more from this hotel and so were most others, judging from the comments. Just from the shot of the villa exterior I was already disappointed. Am I the only one who thinks it resembles a public lavatory? The whole aesthetic seems so stark, all I see are high bleached walls. No artworks, and no greenery to break up the monotony. The only bit I liked was...
Lucky,
Thanks for this review. I was hoping for more from this hotel and so were most others, judging from the comments. Just from the shot of the villa exterior I was already disappointed. Am I the only one who thinks it resembles a public lavatory? The whole aesthetic seems so stark, all I see are high bleached walls. No artworks, and no greenery to break up the monotony. The only bit I liked was the pool because of the views. Thanks again for your review. Will not be staying there for sure.
I like these posts even though they are out of touch with reality and do have a rockstar vibe. It is fascinating to see how the super rich spend their money. The comments are entertaining too.
Clearly, you didn't do a lot of research into these Aman properties before you went. There is a TON of info out there and you could have avoided ALL of these issues if you searched around a bit before booking. This whole report felt... Inept.
It also felt like a 'we did it because we could, not because we should have' situation. I've stayed at enough Aman properties to know they're not all created equal....
Clearly, you didn't do a lot of research into these Aman properties before you went. There is a TON of info out there and you could have avoided ALL of these issues if you searched around a bit before booking. This whole report felt... Inept.
It also felt like a 'we did it because we could, not because we should have' situation. I've stayed at enough Aman properties to know they're not all created equal. Many of the older properties are showing their age and aren't being kept up. The new city hotels are stunning, but they don't have the square footage to really compare to the originals.
Bottom line, when Adrian left Aman, the soul of Aman died a little.
900/nt in Sri Lanka? No way! The room and pool was nice but the outdoor corridors had the aesthetic of a (higher end) public school here in Honolulu (not good)!
Last year I went to Sri Lanka and took trains everywhere in 3rd class and stayed in hostels it was amazing. Kandy & Anuradhapura were awesome.
Lucky, do you ever plan on returning to Bhutan and trying the Amankora properties? I know how much you liked it here and you lamented not being able to make it to Punakha (you absolutely should if you ever get the chance btw). They have five lodges spread throughout the country (Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Bumthang, and Phobjikha) and I've driven or walked by all of them at some point or another and have wondered what...
Lucky, do you ever plan on returning to Bhutan and trying the Amankora properties? I know how much you liked it here and you lamented not being able to make it to Punakha (you absolutely should if you ever get the chance btw). They have five lodges spread throughout the country (Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Bumthang, and Phobjikha) and I've driven or walked by all of them at some point or another and have wondered what kind of splendor lies inside. They're a little bit outside of my price range so I can't find out myself.
I will stick with COMO after reading all these, they are much more consistent across the board and more willing to please.
Also bring along track shoes for resorts, there is a beautiful beach that is begging you to take advantage of to do some jogging or running, and it's also free or rather included in the room rate you paid. The gym can wait for when you are back home.
lol alot of people do Sri Lanka “wrong”.
In retrospect, one must do a whole-island road trip to truly experience the place. Beach Resort stays are not what this place is meant for - although there are plenty of nice beaches no doubt.
I appreciate your honesty in the reviews. Reads to me that the focus on staying at Aman hotels led to not planning a visit to the highlights of Sri Lanka and not evaluating the hotel itself in the decision - when we go to resorts, what they offer in terms of spa, gym and sightseeing is part of our hotel decision process. While I am surprised at the weakness/lack of spa and gym, those are things that you could have learned from a quick web search before booking.
And just to be clear, I’m a huge fan of Aman and FS. Between them they operate some of the best hotels on the planet, haven’t vacationed anywhere else for 10 years. My advice is still do your research.
@JD - FS Bangkok, FS Provence, FS Sydney
What I discovered in each case was there are much better hotels in these places for less $$ and I need do my homework not just blindly book FS. I think FS Bangkok and FS Provence have rebranded since I stayed.
Great review Ben, thanks, but I would have been infuriated with the experience there, for all the reasons you listed.
While it looks lovely, no part of this experience looked or sounded like it was worth 900 USD/night.
Moreover, the Anantara next door where you actually used the gym looks lovely. While it’s a much larger resort, I note their rooms start in region 200USD/night, and I have been very impressed with all the...
Great review Ben, thanks, but I would have been infuriated with the experience there, for all the reasons you listed.
While it looks lovely, no part of this experience looked or sounded like it was worth 900 USD/night.
Moreover, the Anantara next door where you actually used the gym looks lovely. While it’s a much larger resort, I note their rooms start in region 200USD/night, and I have been very impressed with all the Anantara properties I have stayed at before (including the Siam in Bangkok). I would have been tempted to ditch the Amanwella and spend my last few days in the resort that actually has facilities!
I don’t understand how this could be your experience and you don’t come away feeling completely fleeced. It’s like you got scammed but don’t really want to admit it to yourself.
@JD - I am a bit of a FS loyalist. For me, the the FS Sydney was a bit of a let down (Austin was just OK), albeit it was a bit cheaper. I believe they have stepped it up a notch since their recent renovation.
Besides that, the newer FS have blown me away... Denver/Seoul/Tokyo to name a few. Rarely stay at resorts, but I did enjoy the FS Chiang Mai.
Respect to Ben for stating he screwed up with Sri Lanka choices. Happens to everyone. Still, hope to see more reasonably priced hotel reviews in the future. And these do not need to be chain hotels, but quality boutique stuff would be interesting too, especially if they are priced half of chain hotels like in Phnom Penh.
Great review again Ben. This place reminds me of a recent resort trip to Bali , oh except it was a fraction of the cost , all inclusive and with much better service.
@John, curious which FS you didn't like? I've found there can be big variation, although they are a much bigger brand, so that's to be expected vs. Aman.
Thanks for your detailed and honest review. It confirms that I won't plan to stay at Amans -- seems overpriced for what you get. I'm willing to pay good money for a top-notch experience, but this doesn't appear to be worth it.
If having a gym is such a necessity, don’t book hotels that don’t have gyms.
So glad you have gotten a reality check on these Aman properties, what with the outrageous prices, lacking of basic amenities, and negligent service (this is, I believe, the second or third Aman at which you've been ignored for coffee).
Thanks for the review, I def won’t visit Amans in SL. I have three or four Amans that I visit regularly and love, but wouldn’t stay anywhere just because of the brand. Have been burnt before at FS. I was surprised that SL Amans were so inexpensive, maybe they are in Asia. Staying at Amanyara next week and it’s $2,500+ per night low season.
The pool is the only thing that looks good. Not worth it for 900USD a night.
It looks like a nice enough place, but I don't really see any "value" for what you're paying to stay there. You're right; there are other just as nice, if not nicer, places to stay that are less expensive.
Hey Lucky,
Really loved these reviews - as an Aman lover myself I would have probably would have done the same thing, but grateful I'm now more informed!!! :)
Keep up the great work - love your blog
Having stayed at many hotels in SL, the consistent theme is the high cost for less than stellar products. Often while the physical aspects of the high end places may pass for unique/world class, refinement of service, food, and the constant feeling of being ripped off detracts from an truly enjoyable stay. Even Tea Trails is way overpriced, though definitely a unique and higher quality experience. I wonder how the tourism turndown after the recent...
Having stayed at many hotels in SL, the consistent theme is the high cost for less than stellar products. Often while the physical aspects of the high end places may pass for unique/world class, refinement of service, food, and the constant feeling of being ripped off detracts from an truly enjoyable stay. Even Tea Trails is way overpriced, though definitely a unique and higher quality experience. I wonder how the tourism turndown after the recent attacks will recalibrate tourism there.
I’m afraid I don’t see what makes this an Aman other than the prices. The pool looks great but everything else from the food to the rooms looks like it could be any one of hundreds/thousands of lowish end 5 star resorts globally.
Unless the service was spectacular (and it doesn’t sound like it was) I can point to many Park Hyatt/Ritz-Carlton type resorts that are better, let alone Aman-level properties.
My experiences at multiple Aman properties can be summarized through your writing - decent, but nothing memorable. I think they are overpriced. My favorite luxury hotel properties are owned by Taj Hotels & Resorts - their unique properties, hospitality and luxury touches are fantastic.
I also warn anyone reading this article, with the thought of visiting Sri Lanka, against making any impressions of Sri Lanka based on what is written here. The jewels of Sri...
My experiences at multiple Aman properties can be summarized through your writing - decent, but nothing memorable. I think they are overpriced. My favorite luxury hotel properties are owned by Taj Hotels & Resorts - their unique properties, hospitality and luxury touches are fantastic.
I also warn anyone reading this article, with the thought of visiting Sri Lanka, against making any impressions of Sri Lanka based on what is written here. The jewels of Sri Lanka were far from visited here.
When I stayed there we met some Aman Junkies who told us the Sri Lankan location are widely regarded as the worst Amans. We did the tea trails and we loved AmanGalle. AmanWella I agree just didn't cut it (and we paid half what you paid).
Have to agree on the Aman's. The first few i stayed at (in Indonesia) felt special, Sri Lanka was almost on par in terms of service. . Jena is managed well but i didn't feel "special" like the others.Summer palace was a total rip off. I am off the Aman's. My new favorite city hotel is the Siam in Bangkok.
I would have gone home feeling very disappointed and wishing I had spent less money staying elsewhere. At these prices the service and facilities should be perfect, and asking you to pay 90USD to be taken to the nearby gym is ridiculous. Did you pay or decline- or negotiate a better deal? Aside from what was included in the room rate would you tell us how much the total extras were for the stay?
@DB, Tiffany said it had to do with a long delay of loading the article or something.
I hired a driver for 5 days for $30/day plus lodging. He planned everything and I had an amazing experience. Highly recommend doing Sri Lanka like this.
I enjoy reading reviews of these luxury places -- obviously, here I am writing a comment. However, as far as offering practical knowledge for your readers, I question how many of us are going to get our families halfway around the world in a premium cabin on points, and then spend that kind of cold, hard cash on a hotel. You could have stayed at the Anantara nextdoor for a fraction of the cost (free...
I enjoy reading reviews of these luxury places -- obviously, here I am writing a comment. However, as far as offering practical knowledge for your readers, I question how many of us are going to get our families halfway around the world in a premium cabin on points, and then spend that kind of cold, hard cash on a hotel. You could have stayed at the Anantara nextdoor for a fraction of the cost (free gym!) and used the savings on better food, spas, and experiences. I think what I loved so much about Tiffany's recent series of posts is that I can actually imagine doing everything they did. After reading this, I guess I'm just left thinking, "glad I never would've gone there."
@Tiffany
I'll second what @GoAmtrak said, seriously, it's really annoying having to scroll back through long articles that we have already read to revisit the comments. Is this some annoyingly twisted way to try to clean up the comments section?
My goodness. I just read both the Amangalla and the Amanwella reviews and I have to say... If I paid what you paid to stay at both of these resorts for a week, I would feel pretty lousy. These look like nice properties for the most part, but at several thousand dollars per week, I'd expect absolute perfection. Some aspects of the trip that you shared would be unacceptable from a standard Marriott property.
a few years ago, I paid $1100 for a private car/driver, 10 nights of 4 and 5* hotels, most meals, and most activities. In total, I think everything else I paid for on top of that cost less than $400. So $1500 for 10 days, including safaris, tea plantation visits, temple visits, etc, etc and I didn't have to plan a single thing and had a private driver willing to go anywhere at any time....
a few years ago, I paid $1100 for a private car/driver, 10 nights of 4 and 5* hotels, most meals, and most activities. In total, I think everything else I paid for on top of that cost less than $400. So $1500 for 10 days, including safaris, tea plantation visits, temple visits, etc, etc and I didn't have to plan a single thing and had a private driver willing to go anywhere at any time.
Sri Lanka is absurdly cheap, there's a lot of very cool stuff to see, and there is absolutely no reason to pay more than $150/night anywhere there. I can definitely see doing it in the Maldives or Caribbean or the like, but in Sri Lanka, it's nearly criminal to do such a thing.
Curious if this was before or after the bombing and what the occupancy was like.
I think unfortunately that the Aman chain is no longer what it was. There are still the core Amanresorts which continue to be superb and remain world-beating experiences worth the cost of admission, but the expansion of the chain has led to nice but pretty ordinary hotels (some in ordinary places) at spectacular prices.
There is no way to have...
Curious if this was before or after the bombing and what the occupancy was like.
I think unfortunately that the Aman chain is no longer what it was. There are still the core Amanresorts which continue to be superb and remain world-beating experiences worth the cost of admission, but the expansion of the chain has led to nice but pretty ordinary hotels (some in ordinary places) at spectacular prices.
There is no way to have such a large chain retain its special-ness without some compromise . . . there aren't enough good hotel managers in the world to run them all.
I feel like this blog is starting to lose touch with reality....What happened to the aspirational points stays? I am happy you are doing so well and can afford these things (you deserve it) but this isn't what the blog used to be. You spent almost $10K between the properties and for what?
"We did Sri Lanka wrong. We should have done the tea trails, and maybe a couple of nights at Amangalle. While Amanwella is nice, we flew a long way to get here, and there are more beautiful beach resorts we could have stayed at."
Missing the Cultural Triangle and Sigiriya in particular would be a big mistake. Most people I know who go to Sri Lanka hire a car and driver and spend at least...
"We did Sri Lanka wrong. We should have done the tea trails, and maybe a couple of nights at Amangalle. While Amanwella is nice, we flew a long way to get here, and there are more beautiful beach resorts we could have stayed at."
Missing the Cultural Triangle and Sigiriya in particular would be a big mistake. Most people I know who go to Sri Lanka hire a car and driver and spend at least a week visiting all the key spots from Colombo to the Cultural Triangle, to the tea plantations, to the safari jungles, Kandy and to Galle and the beach.
Or you can walk <200m to the grocery store outside this hotel and buy sunscreen for $5
There is also a wonderful seafood restaurant at the end of this very beach we stopped at when driving by.
From the last two reviews, I still dont get it, what is so luxurious about these properties?
The facilities look like run of the mill 4* hotels at best, the beach/pool is poor, the food looks delicious...
Or you can walk <200m to the grocery store outside this hotel and buy sunscreen for $5
There is also a wonderful seafood restaurant at the end of this very beach we stopped at when driving by.
From the last two reviews, I still dont get it, what is so luxurious about these properties?
The facilities look like run of the mill 4* hotels at best, the beach/pool is poor, the food looks delicious but is clearly overpriced.
Why would anyone go all the way to Sri Lanka to stay here? There are soulless luxury hotels at home! This is not what Sri Lanka is about.
Definitely a trick missed not going to see Sigiriya and the likes, a stunning place. There's more to life than fancy hotels and those hotels could've been anywhere really.
Still enjoyed the review!
I guess they figure some one who's willing to spend almost $1K a night for a hotel room won't miss $45 for a little sunscreen. But why didn't you pack your own?
For sure you did SL wrong, but it sounds like you've learned the lesson. I spent 17 days in SL a few years ago with a guide/driver seeing most of the big sights (Cultural Triangle, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Elia, Ella, Yala NP, another...
I guess they figure some one who's willing to spend almost $1K a night for a hotel room won't miss $45 for a little sunscreen. But why didn't you pack your own?
For sure you did SL wrong, but it sounds like you've learned the lesson. I spent 17 days in SL a few years ago with a guide/driver seeing most of the big sights (Cultural Triangle, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Elia, Ella, Yala NP, another NP, Galle and a couple of days hanging out in Negombo). I think I paid him somewhere around $1200 for his time and the transportation. The hotels were a couple thousand on top of that all together. And then I paid out of pocket for admissions to the various sights (not much money) and a couple of safari type thing which were more (like $100 each) but totally worth it. I stayed at a couple of unique hotels (one of which was great and one of which was odd and buggy) in addition to some more standard places. Even the 2.5-ish star place in the cultural triangle area had lovely service but not great facilities.
My feeling is that SL is still learning how to do tourism so you need to keep that in mind. It's a beautiful country though with some really incredible nature and some good hikes if you're up for it. And the people are great.
@Tiffany: Looks like the anchor links to the comments sections have been missing for a while now. Is this a new bug or feature change? Sorry if I missed something.
@ GoAmtrak -- Somewhere in-between; it's intentionally/temporarily disabled.
You asked for recommendations as you were planning your trip and SEVERAL people told you that you were missing the best parts of the country by narrowly focusing on Aman. The best parts are the tea trails/ plantation, the mountains, and sigiriya. If you don’t want advice don’t ask for it. You missed the best parts of Sri Lanka.
I came to this same conclusion after staying at a few One&Only properties. Palmilla was awesome, probably one of the best experiences I've ever had. Reethi Rah in the Maldives straight extortion.
Great review. I too would have been outraged by the USD45 charge for a small bottle of sunscreen and extremely disappointed that a $900/night 5-star resort lacks a gym. The point about the tea plantation stop would have frustrated me too. I also agree that it seems odd there wasn't a proper full-scale spa. Definitely not too harsh of a review. Factual and pointed out some really key details that a resort of this calibre shouldn't be missing.
I was eagerly waiting for this review following your other Aman review. It looks like the Amans in Sri Lanka tend to disappoint! Nothing about what you wrote here would compel me to want to stay here either!
Room looks great, and nice setting. But the lack of gym, cost of sunscreen, and just OK service for an Aman would prevent me from ever staying here. The sunscreen part is truly obscene. You are right, that is flat out extortion.