Stunningly beautiful location, lousy service given the high price. - Stunningly beautiful. The hotel is located in front of the sea in a colonial style villa with a garden and old world furnishings and beautiful artwork. Our suite... Read More was spacious and had an enormous terrace overlooking the pool and the sea where we had breakfast each morning. Unfortunately, the level of the service was not at the standard one would expect from such a facility. There was hardly ever someone at reception. Usually the receptionist could be seen roaming the garden on her cell phone. One always had to ask for beach towel since the bin labeled “clean beach towels” was always empty. Surprisingly there was no turndown service in the evening which meant we had to lower 5 or 6 blinds on the doors to the terrace. This was complicated by the fact that some of the blinds were in disrepair. The price for a massage was $50 on the villa website but $63 in the in-room brochure and an espresso cost $12. We asked if we could keep our room until 1PM instead of 12 noon and were told that the latest was 12:30. We left the room at 12:30 and sat in the lobby waiting for the receptionist to appear 20 minutes later and send someone to get our bags. Clearly there was no urgency to make up the room.

This is the best place we have ever stayed. Ever. We stayed here for 4 days at the beginning of our honeymoon, and then later on... Read More were booked at a 5 star hotel (Anantara Peace Haven). We literally left early from Anantara, despite the fact that it was non-refundable, and booked two additional nights at the Gardens.

The setting is absolutely beautiful, the dinner area overlooks the ocean, where you can see surfers and sunsets every night as you have curry and wine. The rooms are completely unique from one another with incredible attention to detail. And then we move to the service. The staff is small, and you get to know them by the end. I will miss them all. Dulshan the concierge is professional, relaxed, kind. Sandun, Rex, Dean, and Jayntha of the restaurant staff are always positive, attentive, and work extremely hard. The kitchen is wonderful with Sri Lankan and western dishes.

We are from the US, and its a long trip to Sri Lanka. However, if we come back, we will definitely be staying here again.

Very stylish but small room for improvement  - Eraeliya Villas was our last stop of a 12 night trip to Sri Lanka. It was a wonderful place to spend a couple of days to unwind and relax after... Read More a busy trip. The hotel is beautifully designed and decorated with the perfect mix of traditional and contemporary features/architecture. Our suite was incredibly spacious and comfortable. The hotel plot is small so there isn't space to roam/explore but the gardens and pool area are well kept and there is direct beach access. The breakfasts are served on the lawn overlooking the sea which is a great spot and the food was pretty good. Dinner menu is reasonably limited but varied and the food was decent quality. There aren't any dining options within walking distance of the hotel. Our experience with hotel staff was mixed. The chaps serving dinner and lunch were great - very polite, cheery and clearly experienced. However I got the impression some of the front of house/hospitality staff were slightly inexperienced. When we checked into our suite we found we had no water pressure or hot water. We reported the issues straight away to the front desk. I was surprised not to be offered another location to be able to shower before dinner. We were told someone would be contacted to fix the issue but the afternoon/evening went by with no updates. Checking with the front desk again, there was no update so went to the next day with no hot water. The lack of communication was slightly disappointing. Of course technical issues happen but given the price point of the hotel , you do expect staff to keep you informed/find a solution. I also booked a massage which was carried out in a tent next to very loud building works on the nextdoor property. The loud drilling made it far from relaxing. i thought perhps i might receive a discount or the offer to reschedule but I didn't. The beauty and setting of the property make it a very stylish place to stay, but the price point does demand an all round top quality experience. There is a slight danger that it tips in favour of style over substance but with a few tweaks it could provide the best of both.

Delightful stay - Our beachfront villa was simply perfect, enjoying the view from our private terrace was amazing. The style and design of the villa in beautiful. The main area with pool is... Read More the perfect spot to spend your day relaxing on the sunbeds or the hammocks. The staff is very nice and the food is delicious.

Paradise - Lovely site , busy this time with a few children which the pool and garden are unsafe for . Lovely food friendly accommodating staff as always. Rooms spacious.Weather was appalling... Read More but it was still beautiful and-very tropical. Sadly being encroached by more out of keeping buildings

Unforgettable - I had an absolutely wonderful stay here! The hospitality provided was top-notch, making me feel like a valued guest from the moment I arrived. The attention to detail throughout the... Read More villa was remarkable, showcasing a level of care and thoughtfulness that truly enhanced the experience. And the views... oh my! Waking up to the stunning vistas of the beach every morning was a dream come true. I can't recommend this place enough for anyone seeking a luxurious and rejuvenating getaway

Amazing Experience  - Amazing staff and always having a wonderful attitude.
Special appreciation for Pramith who went over and above to make my son taken care of.
The property was meticulously taken... Read More care of and so much more beautiful in real life

Outstanding - We had a wonderful, relaxing stay, especially the service was very attentive, caring and super friendly, thanks a lot to Sandun! We will come back and recommend it... Read More to our friends and families in Europe.

We spent two wonderful weeks over this 2023 Christmas holidays and the 2024 new year. Exceptional experience. Gorgeous villas, lovely grounds, great reef break out front for surfing and... Read More a fantastic pool. Can't say enough positive things. Excellent service. All staff were too notch and Sandun was a standout - very elegant man and extremely gracious. He is very customer-oriented and charismatic - hopefully he will be the manager one day! The food was also amazing - the chef is a real star too, very talented with Western and local dishes alike. Highly recommended!

One of the greatest hotels in the south of Sri Lanka - The hotel was a dream! The whole area was a wonderful garden with different buildings, very nicely placed. The main building is a beautiful house, the unconventional hotel lobby was... Read More very inviting. We were given a large room with a veranda, right next to the pool. We liked it so much that we immediately extended our stay by 2 nights.
The staff were also extremely friendly and helpful, also in organising transport/taxis.
We have already recommended the hotel several times.