Flower Garden Hotel

From the road, Flower Garden Hotel doesn't seem like much; the design of the property has a small driveway leading to a long pathway that snakes up to the hotel -- which looks more like a private home than a resort. However, the property is surprisingly large, accommodating two pools, tons of dining space, two bars, and multiple buildings housing the 53 rooms. There is also a multi-level property right across the road that has its own bar and restaurant area, large fish tank wall, and winding stairs up to the Penthouse rooms. As a newer building, this section of Flower Garden feels a tad smarter, is visibly less dated, and has a much more contemporary vibe. Back at the main property, Western hits from yesteryears play from an English-language radio station throughout the day and evening. The staff's English may not be as good as the DJs on the radio, but they work hard to accommodate guests.Since this
property isn’t on the beach, most of the guests spend their time next to or in
one of the pools, which can be a rare offering in hotels of this level in Unawatuna. The newer Elephant Pool attracts most of the kids who stay here. While there is much covering the property lot, unlike at some other boutique hotels, the space can feel cramped here, mostly during the day, and there is little privacy outside of staying inside your room. (Even the front desk is essentially in the restaurant.) However, no one seems to mind. Oddly, the sociability of the hotel remains fairly low, at least between adults, and everyone is usually left to do their own thing. That said, it's not only a great budget option for families and couples, but also for older solo travelers who don't want to spend a fortune to stay in a property that doesn't have a hostel-like vibe.

Flower Garden Hotel is located on a side road off the main strip of the touristy
beach town of Unawatuna. While the road right outside is relatively quiet with
not much traffic, just a few minutes' walk to the main strip is where you’ll find
bikes, cars, pedestrians, shops, restaurants, and other hotels galore. The beach is about a 10- to 15-minute walk from the hotel (which provides free beach towels), though there is almost always a tuk-tuk outside waiting for fares for those who would rather hitch a ride. Guests who fancy day trips can reach the bustling city of Galle in under 20 minutes, beautiful Hikkaduwa Beach in 40 minutes, relaxing riverbanks of Bentota in just over an hour, and Udawalawe National Park in two hours and 40 minutes, or find seasonal whale watching in Mirissa in 45 minutes by car. Colombo Airport (actually in Negombo) is nearly a three-hour drive north. 

All 53 rooms at Flower Garden Hotel have flat-screen TVs; cable with lots of English channels; ceiling fans; minibars stocked with soda, water, and beer; (usually four-poster) beds draped in mosquito nets; personal or private outdoor space; and coffee and
tea facilities. With the green jungle grounds comes bugs, and the rooms here all come prepared with
mosquito coils and nets, but it’s hard to keep the bugs -- mostly mosquitoes, gnats, and some roly polys -- out of the rooms completely.The Cabanas were built in late 2014, and while a
Penthouse may sound nicer, these Cabanas are the best rooms in the house. All Cabanas are standalone units with personal porches facing a landscaped garden; they come with slightly more privacy, more contemporary furniture, lots of natural light, high ceilings, cool tile floors, king-size netted beds, and concrete and tile bathrooms -- and the Super Deluxe Cabanas have whirlpool bathtubs. However, if you just like the way a Penthouses sounds, you can pay a bit extra for these units, which do come with their own private (and fairly deep) outdoor patio plunge pools and are located in the building across the street. Just note that the Penthouses are actually two double rooms -- both with cramped bathrooms (though there are whirlpool tubs) and smaller-than-expected balconies -- making them most ideal for couples or families
traveling together.The standard Deluxe Rooms are the smallest; they often have low light and appear dated. Bathrooms are small and cramped with old-school showerheads, though a glimmer of modernity exists thanks to flat-screen TVs. These rooms also have personal patio areas consisting of Caribbean-style patio furniture just outside the front windows and doors, along the outdoor hall space. If you want Wi-Fi, you'll have to grab a room close to reception for a reliable signal.

Two of the Flower Garden's most unique and valuable features are its pools, the raised-deck Main Pool and the 2014-built Elephant Pool. The Elephant Pool has a
good amount of loungers tucked in the grassy area surrounding the pool, while the Main Pool fights for space with the hotel’s
entrance, restaurant, and pool bar, resulting in a smaller deck. Be sure to bring an extra towel down to the pool as the wooden loungers are topped with black vinyl cushions that can get surprisingly hot. Off the main pool, you'll find a small covered pool bar with a few
office desk-turned-bar-stools and a set of covered tables and chairs. The hotel's second bar is attached to a dining area next to the Elephant Pool. This dining area is only one of four; three outdoor, covered spaces with individual decor wrap around the "old wing" main building, while an Asian-Western styled bar and restaurant can be found in the "new wing" section across the street. Both restaurants have the same tasty
menu with Sri Lankan, Italian, and international dishes, though during the week
one will host special dinners like barbecues while the other remains a la
carte. While each restaurant has a bar area, they're both mostly for quick drink service and less
for hanging out and socializing.The hotel also has a small, non-air-conditioned gym by the Elephant Pool where you are more likely to get a workout swatting mosquitoes
than running on the treadmill, using the all-in-one weight machine, or hitting
the exercise bike. Flower Garden also runs tours to various sights, both near and slightly far. Though this is not a beach hotel, the hotel provides beach towels for anyone looking to spend a day by the sea. The walk takes about 10 minutes or you can grab a tuk-tuk from the hotel’s entrance.Freebies include Wi-Fi (strongest closest to reception) and a welcome drink.