Taj Samudra Colombo

From the street, this massive 300-room hotel is marked with high-flying flags flapping in the wind against the busy road. Surrounded by 11 gorgeously landscaped acres, the property was built in the late 1970s, and the style reflects a more colonial time period with touches of South Asian culture. This is both a blessing and a curse, for this lost-in-time upscale hotel has unfortunately seen better days. While the lobby sparkles and wows with its high ceilings, marble floors and columns, English colonial-style sitting areas in olive and celery tones, chandeliers, large stone vases, and elephant tusk door handles, most of the public spaces look old and worn. There are a few modern spaces, though, like the lobby bar, some of the restaurants, and the pool, but overall things need a revamp, and we noticed hallways that smelled like smoke even in the hotel's non-smoking areas. Meeting rooms and offices are scattered throughout the grounds, as are restaurants and shops. Overall, the atmosphere and attitude here reflects the grandeur, exclusiveness, and splendor that is associated with the Taj brand -- it's not uncommon to see Sri Lanka's socialites, wealthy, and famous walking the halls or sipping a cocktail -- but some may find its appeal lacking.

Located right off the zippy Galle Face Center Road in
Colombo 3's upper-crust business neighborhood of Colpetty, the Taj Samudra Colombo is well-located for those traveling on business. The famous oceanside park, Galle Face Green, is just across the busy multi-lane road, as well as an unequipped red sand beach with a scattering of locals hanging out at most times of day. The converted Dutch Hospital, now a popular shopping plaza and restaurant space (it's home to The Ministry of Crab), is just a 5-minute drive down the road, while Viharamahadevi Park and the National Museum -- often touted as the best museum in Sri Lanka -- are both about seven minutes away by car in the other direction. The Taj Sumadra is 45 minutes from the Colombo airport.

There's a bit of disparity between the rooms at the decades-old property, as some of the rooms are modern while others are still waiting for a much-needed facelift. In the lower category Deluxe Rooms, the style is dated, with features like (working!) bulky control panel switches built-into the bamboo and wood side tables and 90s-era rugs. Slightly iridescent green taffeta appears in curtains, cushioned seats, and couches, and there are archaic air-conditioning dials. Walls are mostly unadorned, but for small framed pictures. Bathrooms have a motel style about them, with shower/tub combos, bland tiling, and large tan marble vanities.Thankfully, there are more modern rooms with chic padded headboards, daybeds in the windows, handsome warm wood furniture, and attractively patterned rugs on hardwood floors. These rooms also have better bathrooms, with rainfall shower/tub combos or separate tubs and showers in some units. Luxury Rooms are ideal for business travelers with ergonomic work chairs at the desk, international outlets, and bedside laptop and cell phone charging; the Luxury Suites have a sitting or meeting area as well as private covered balcony. All rooms come with stocked minibars, electric kettles, electronic safes, hairdryers, a sitting area, large flat-screen TVs with cable, and air-conditioning. Windows do not open, and walls in some rooms can be extremely thin, meaning noise from hallways and neighbors may be an issue.

Latitude is the Taj's main restaurant, located between the lobby and the pool. It serves up international fare with section dedicated to local food on the buffet line. The lunchtime menu has buffet and a la carte options along with a full bar. During dinner, this spot fills fast with lines up and down the live cooking stations. The space has wood panel walls and beams accented by brass and
gold mosaic tiles. The restaurant serves all three meals, though food is only average.Added in 2014, The Golden Dragon is a decked-out Chinese a la carte restaurant that's popular on Sundays for its all-you-can-eat dim sum brunch. It is also open for lunch and dinner, but closed certain days of the week. For other Asian options, YUMI offers Japanese fare. This contemporary spot has slick orange leather chairs and stools, a small dedicated sushi bar, and a nice bento box for lunch. There's also a small seating area
outside where you can smoke and eavesdrop on people relaxing by the pool. YUMI is open only for lunch and dinner. At night there may be a DJ. For lighter snacks like sandwiches, pastries, and cookies, Pebbles cafe stays open late. It also has a bar and a pool table in the back room. There's a wide variety of magazines and newspapers available to browse and the front section gets lots of light. Other
spots to grab dinner bites include the Indian restaurant Navranta, open for lunch and dinner,
and Steak and Grill House which is a dinner-only restaurant. 

The hotel's lobby bar, Lattice, is a classy space with live piano music, mirrored columns, and white Victorian-style couches and palm trees. High windows are adorned with intricate white wood cutouts, hence the bar's name, and a large contemporary metal sculpture hangs behind the bar. The vibe here is parlor-esque; you can't tell if someone if coming or going and you never know who might end up sipping a drink beside you. The hippest place to grab a drink after dark is YUMI. With its DJ
booth and full bar, the vibe is a bit club, a bit lounge, a bit pub, and daily happy hour specials are served. For day drinking in the sun, Pool
Bar is an all-day, nondescript hut
with a full drink menu with Lion and Carlsberg on tap. There's also a bar at Pebbles where drinks can be paired with a game of pool.  

All-in-all the Taj Samudra's meeting and event spaces can hold almost 4,000 people. At a whopping 50,000 square feet, the North Lawn can accommodate up to 2,500 guests, while the South Lawn can hold 1,000 in its 30,000 square feet of space. This massive hotel also hides three gorgeous ballrooms -- the Samudra Ballroom, the Grand Crystal Ballroom, and Crystal Ballroom, along with four separate halls. Each space has its own charms, like the stained glass skylight ceilings in the Gregory room or the more private On Golden Pond room. Other services ideal for business travelers include express laundry and dry cleaning, Taj car service, and currency exchange. 

While the Taj Samudra's 11-acre, beautifully landscaped grounds are a sight for sore eyes, the resort's sparkling pool area can look like an oasis in hot weather -- although it could definitely use more lounge chairs. The pool area and surrounding deck are large, with several covered tables and chairs for smokers, a small bar to grab drinks, and large semi-hot jetted tub with a fountain. Just off the pool area, guests will find an impressively large fitness center complete with a modern gym featuring Lifestyle machines, exercise balls, and yoga mats. There are lighted tennis courts out back, and an underground squash court with stadium seating. The hotel also has a shopping arcade that begins off the right side of the entrance. It includes a book store, tea shop, and jeweler along a covered, outdoor walkway. While the hotel does provide free Wi-Fi, it's only good for two devices and only lasts 24 hours. Premium plans can be purchased in 24-hour periods or for longer stays. Tons of free parking on-site is great for those who have rented a car, while the Taj's personal taxi service is a stylish (and more expensive) alternative to just hailing a cab or tuk-tuk. If you don't know where to go, there's a small travel desk just through the hotel's entrance doors. Other services include bell boys and a concierge.