Taru Villas the Long House - Bentota

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.

We (family of 4 with 2 grown up kids) stayed at Taru Villas for 4 nights at the start of September at the end of a two week Sri Lankan holiday. The hotel was excellent with everywhere beautifully decorated and the rooms were very spacious. As with most of the hotels we stayed at in Sri Lanka, the thing that really elevated the start was the fantastic staff. Everyone was super-friendly and nothing was too much hassle. The restaurant staff were absolutely amazing and so attentive and the chef consistently produced the best food (Sri Lankan and western) that we had on the holiday. The housekeeping team were also excellent, making sure everything was perfect with the rooms - great towel art too! We would not hesitate to return to Taru Villas if we were back in Bentota. Don't worry about the proximity of the railway track - trains are not that often and they provide a great photo op. Our only advice is to use the staff knowledge if you are heading out into Bentota or Aluthgama to buy things (spices, souvenirs etc) - they will help you know where to go and what is a reasonable price.

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.

The Property was Awesome with all the amenities for a perfect break from this marathon machine life in corporates. To talk about the hospitality, I don't have words to say.. We all loved the stay and the time we spend on this place. It's safe and apt place for a party. The another part I would like to highlight is the beach is just a few yards aways with surprise railway track in-between the Villa & the beach. It's fun to explore this place with no second thoughts about it. A place to relax and rejoice.

I love this hotel because I feel lake home so that I recommend this hotel to take a good rest. Other thing that all you need next to you shopping, restaurants, nice beach…. Finally, the staff of this hotel are helpful, the manger of the hotel is helpful person that every thing that we ask him for he make it easy for us to have a good stay I love this hotel and I will try to come again. Abdullah هذا الفندق جميل جداً قضينا به أسبوع أنا و العائلة و كان من أروع المناطق التي سكناها في سريلانكا، حيث انه نظيف حداً و الموظفين و دودين بقيادة المشرف على الفندق و تشعر كانك في بيتك، طبعاً الموقع و النظافة و طاقم العمل جميعها مميزة، هذا المكان غير فكرتي عن سريلانكا من السلبية الى الإيجابية اشكر جميع طاقم الفندق خاصة المشرف مستر Geeth الذي كان لندور كبير في تسهيل أمور كثيرة خلال الاقامة انصح من يرغب زيارة سريلانكا ان لا يضيع الوقت في البحث عن فنادق و يذهب لهذا الفندق مباشرة عبدالله

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

Lovely boutique hotel. The staff are amazing and I have only positive things to say out our stay. The food is also great and the pool a welcome opportunity to cool down. Our rooms were all very spacious, wonderfully cool and I loved the outside shower! The stunning beach is a very short walk across a railway line and is very quiet too. When we booked I was a little concerned about the proximity of the railway line but there are only a few, slow trains each day and we actually enjoyed watching them go by and waving to the travellers. It added to our experience. Genuinely can’t fault this place nor the staff who couldn’t do enough for us. Definitely worth a visit! I hope to be back.

I’ve spent 5 days staying at Taru Villas as part of my longer vacation on Sri Lanka and enjoyed a very relaxing and calm atmosphere this property offered. The hotel is very well maintained and beautifully furnished. The public areas offer comfortable spaces to relax with nice tropical plants in the garden, the pool is of generous size and there are plenty of sun loungers on the side. Also the room I booked was very specious and designed in a very functional way providing plenty of storage spaces and all the facilities one would expect of an upmarket hotel. All staff members are approachable, friendly and helpful and are a big asset to the property. A couple of things could be improved, in particular the way that breakfast is served. It consists of several different options and It takes quite a lot of time to get them on the table. Coffee is served at the beginning and by the time the bread and croissants arrive it gets cold which is a bit annoying. And while I had no issues with the quality of food in general, I would be more satisfied if all breakfast options were served within a shorter time frame. Also I’ve noticed that cocktails are served with barely or no alcohol in them - at least I did not taste any of it in a mojito and pinacolada that I had on two occasions by the pool, so it’s something that needs to be looked into. Taru Villas enjoys a brilliant location by the fantastic Bentota Beach that was actually very quiet during my stay and I loved relaxing on it. It’s definitely a good place for unwinding and simply getting away from the more hectic parts of the coast.

Amazing hotel right at the beach in Bentota. Beautiful and peaceful location and amazing staff. Rooms were spascious, and both breakfast and dinner was also top quality! We would absolutely love to go back next time we are in Sri Lanka. Thanks