Galle Face Hotel Colombo

The Galle Face Hotel was built in 1864 and has since been visited by world leaders, as well as famous authors such as Mark Twain. The outside of the hotel tells of its history with its low-rise, white colonial structure and sweeping brick driveway. The entrance has an open-air porch with hand-carved chairs and wooden tables scattered around the white stone floor. Inside, the lobby is spacious and luxurious, with white marble floors topped by Oriental rugs, Ionic columns holding up the coffered ceiling, and gold chandeliers. The rest of the hotel is similarly luxe, with hallways that are carpeted in dark red with gold accents and antique oil paintings of Sri Lanka lining the walls to keep with the colonial theme. Because of the lack of kid-centric facilities, the hotel primarily draws couples, but families and business travelers are still frequent guests.

The Galle Face Hotel is located on the waterfront in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo. It faces the Indian Ocean and sits next to the iconic Galle Face Green, which is an urban park with street vendors and beachfront promenade. There are a few businesses within walking distance, but for local attractions, guests will need a car or to hail a tuk-tuk or cab. There are a number of Buddhist temples within easy driving distance, including the Gangaramaya that is a five-minute drive away. The Kelaniya Temple, the largest and most famous temple (where the Buddha is rumored to have visited), is a 30-minute drive away. The Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct is a four-minute drive away and the Independence Memorial Hall and Independence Square is a 10-minute drive away. The hotel is a 50-minute drive from the Bandaranaike International Airport.

There are 158 rooms at the Galle Face Hotel that fall into five tiers: Superior, Landmark, Premier, Junior Suites, and Heritage Suites. Each category has its own decor, but most rooms have a simple colonial-inspired design consisting of white walls, dark hardwood floors topped with Oriental rugs, wooden furniture, patterned curtains, and porcelain lamps. The overall look is pleasant but a bit underwhelming for a luxury property. All rooms come with air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen LCD satellite TVs, kettles with local tea, minibars with free soda and bottled water, and safes. Some rooms have furnished balconies with gorgeous sea views. Modern bathrooms have white marble accents and either showers with rainfall showerheads, shower/tub combos, or showers and separate jetted tubs. There are free L'Occitane toiletries and hairdryers as well. Note that some past guests have complained of the rooms being small or letting in lots of noise.

The Galle Face Hotel is located beside a beach, but unfortunately, guests cannot swim there. However, there is a medium-sized saltwater pool next to the beach with plenty of lounge chairs facing the ocean. Also on-site are a spa with a variety of treatments, small but well-equipped gym that's open 24 hours, croquet lawn, and museum filled with Sri Lankan artifacts. There are three restaurants on-site: The 1864, a formal European restaurant with a wine cellar open only for dinner; The Sea Spray, a seafood restaurant also open only for dinner; and The Verandah, a more casual restaurant on the terrace open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are also three bars and an English pub called In… On the Green, which has live music and sporting events on the TVs. Room service is available. Wedding and events are common here, as the hotel has a conference center and two ballrooms. Free parking and Wi-Fi are also available.