Sri Gemunu Beach Resort

Family-run since 1983, Sri Gemunu started as a simple and small beachside property with only a few rooms. As it slowly built up over the years, disaster struck with the 2004 tsunami and the entire place had to be renovated. While nearly all of the public space shares a breezy open-air design, the use of dark varnished wood gives it a slightly dated and shadowy appearance. Pops of color can be found in pillows and accents within the lobby and lounge area, though the vinyl cushions on the sundeck loungers, the restaurant’s white-with-light-blue-bows banquet hall chair covers, and unrefined wood and rattan furniture lend to the overall out-of-date look -- fortunately, guests don’t seem to mind much. This is probably because the vibe here is relaxed, it feels a bit like you’re living as a local, and most guests staying at Sri Gemunu aren’t fussy or expecting anything more than what a standard beachside value property promises. (And it’s one of the most spotless places we’ve seen here). It’s most ideal for low-key travelers -- particularly families or couples -- who want a chilled-out and comparatively all-around inexpensive spot to lay their heads while soaking up the sun, listening to surf, and reading a book or enjoying some local brew.

Sri Gemunu is located directly off of one of Unawatuna’s main roads, Matara Road -- just a four-minute drive to the hustle of Unawatuna Beach. While making the two-hour-and-15-minute drive south is the most common way to reach the hotel, the more adventurous can take a boat to Galle (five miles north of Sri Gemunu) and then hop in a tuk-tuk for about 20 to 30 minutes tor reach the hotel. Nearby sights include Galle’s historic Dutch fort, the cultural mask-laden town of Ambalangoda, and the more-than-2000-year-old Yatagala Temple, which is within a 10-minute drive of the hotel.

Split across two buildings, every one of Sri Gemunu’s 20 basic budget rooms faces out toward the sea. Located on the second floor of the main building are the handful of the hotel’s economy rooms, while all standard rooms are in the adjacent building on the second and third floors, above the lobby and restaurant.

All rooms have stained and varnished built-in wood furniture, white walls, dated phones (if they even work), rattan chairs, pedestal sinks, tiny bathrooms, and solar heated hot water. For a true no-frills experience, guests in the economy rooms can expect noticeably smaller rooms with less natural light, shared terrace space, no mosquito nets around the beds, and rainfall showers in the bathrooms. Upgrades to standard rooms are worth it for the air-conditioning alone, but other upgrades include private patios or balconies, wooden four-poster beds draped with mosquito netting, and not-so-cold mini-fridges. Some units may have a flat-screen TV (which may or may not work). The corner unit Standard Triple rooms are ideal for families as they each have an additional separate single bed.

Sri Gemunu’s beach is more for looking at than hanging out on. Reason being, the sand is quickly met with beautiful, large boulders. Because of the location, it’s not unusual to see some locals casting off the rocks or dogs roaming about. Plus, particularly during monsoon season, Sri Lanka’s west coast is filled with high tides that heavily affect the amount of sand on the beach -- even for strolls. During this time it is not advisable to swim as the currents and waves are strong. There is a raised sun deck area with a few wooden loungers topped with vinyl cushions for guests to relax on while the waves crash just yonder.

Even for a value hotel, Sri Gemunu makes sure it’s got the basics covered. Although various food options are only a short tuk-tuk ride or longer walk away, the hotel has a surprisingly large, open-air restaurant with a small corner bar. The menu is reasonably priced (which is hard to say for many places in Sri Lanka) and covers both western and South Asian dishes as well as your normal assortment of cocktails, some wine, and Lion beer. Normally, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are a la carte, though some nights you may find only the buffet available alongsideentertaining live music, or a barbecue themed menu. A nice morning meal bonus is not having to order your Sri Lankan-style breakfast the day before like in most places, so you are free to decide how you want to start the day -- the day of. There’s also a small bar with a handful of industrial stools that services the restaurant.

The hotel has an on-call doctor, laundry service, 24-hour airport service (for a fee), and spotless housekeeping. Free high-speed Wi-Fi is available to hotel guests, though the signal is temperamental at times. About a 10- to 15-minute walk away, guests have access to a small two-chalet sister property with a small pool and Ayurvedic center, though there is no transportation provided by the hotel.