The Kandy House

Beautiful colonial house with original features. The staff was very friendly and helpful. However, we felt it was a little bit mean to charge for a cup of tea in the afternoon especially as our room (Ultra room) did not have any facilities for us to make one.

A wonderful experience. Very special. Lovely room. Also our butler was a delight. Food was wonderful as was the service. My wife said it was the best shower in the world and I thought it was the fastest Wifi in Sri Lanka. Brilliant. Lifetime memories.

We were here for only 1 night, it’s a 200 year old Manor House with 9 bedrooms and everyone was given a butler. The staff were clearly very proud to work there and were so lovely. We were in the Black Rajah room which was on the ground floor by an open air courtyard, it rained a lot the night we were there and we were woken up by how loud it was. Also due to the weather we weren’t able to enjoy the terrace or pool but it was such a lovely setting. The bathroom was quite small and the water from the shower went everywhere. The door to the room didn’t close without being locked with the key. Otherwise a wonderful experience.

When considering this property, you have to take into account it’s an old Manor House built in 1804 - if you like everything bright & shiny & new, this may not be the place for you. We stayed in the Black Rajah ultra room and yes, the very old, arched louvre doors may not fit like plastic double glazed doors but it’s not, as in a previous review, below the restaurant - the restaurant is further along the corridor on the same level, and is outside. One thing I will mention about Black Raja - there is a lovely open courtyard enroute to the restaurant with comfy seating, bang opposite the room- and we could clearly hear the torrential rain in the night through the opening. Our butler, Neemal, looked after us very well, always at the front door to open the car door with an umbrella (we had rain everyday), get us drinks, take our menu order & then serve at the table - lovely man. We only had dinner one night but thoroughly enjoyed it - choice of 2 starters, 3 mains & several desserts, all well cooked & tasty. Breakfast was plentiful. One thing I would mention is that wherever your room is, there are about 10 steps down to the lower floor for the restaurant, without a handrail - I’m not great at going downstairs but found I could put a steadying hand on the side - I know Neemal would have helped had I not been comfortable. One thing I would mention, again because of the rain, we couldn’t use our outdoor space, whereas some suites on the ground floor were under cover, with sun beds, so could be utilised regardless of the weather. We would definitely recommend a stay here - it’s quiet, with beautiful grounds & pool & a good proximity to Kandy.

This hotel is way overpriced for the what is it. Whilst the staff is very nice and helpful, the building is run down and dirty. We got initially allocated the ‘ultra’ category room called black rajah. This room shouldn’t be called a room. Bathroom is dirty, ceiling is really low is you are taller than 1.80cm, careful with your head. It is a lower ground floor room located below the dinning restaurant so you hear every single step above your head. The door didn’t close properly let alone lock. Toilette is totally open, with a gap in the wall so you actually really have zero privacy whilst in the room wanting to use the toilet yet. The massage spot is in the middle of the garden so zero privacy and perfect for all type of mosquitos and other insect looking for a body to bite! I found the price charged for the hotel outrageously expensive comparing to other hotels in the region and country and for what it has to offer. Really disappointing and unpleasant experience overall.

This hotel is in an old mansion on the outskirts of Kandy. It’s like a peaceful oasis - our room was comfortable and had everything we needed, the staff were friendly and helpful and the food was very good. It’s in a good position to explore the area round Kandy.