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.

Another Fabulous Stay - Just spent another wonderful 2 weeks at Eraeliya (main house this time). Magical as ever although sadly becoming less exclusive due to surrounding development. Also some localism has finally developed... Read More on the left hand surf break.
A special mention to the charming Rex, who once again made our stay so memorable. Also Sandun and Dean, together with Tharaka and Dulshan. Chef Kasun was new this year, and created superb meals. The gardens were beautiful as ever

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.

All you want your tropical holiday to be and more! - Walking into Paradise @eraeliya_villas on Weligama Beach felt magical ✨️

This property is truly a boutique hotel with a big soul. With an array of suites and villas... Read More to choose from, it felt like we were walking into a Tropical Heaven. Every detail had been thoughtfully put together and you can instantly feel the love, comfort, and serenity this property had to offer.

From breath taking views from the terrace to amazing bedrooms to wrap around balconies to swims in the stunning infinity pool to baths in one of a kind stone bathtubs to beautifully landscaped gardens to amazingly delicious food and drinks. This place is Perfection. It truly is the Jewel of the Bay! Don't think about it, go right ahead and book in a few days here, you won't regret it!

A gem of a boutique hotel we found in Weligama - Eraeliya is a very fine beachfront boutique hotel. well maintained and the property looks stunning. We loved all 3 meals we had during our stay with them from Dinner to... Read More the next day's lunch it was lovely. They have a really nice menu with a good number of options to choose from. The staff was really friendly and they were so presentable and always wore a smile on their face. I had a lovely birthday with them and they made it special. Thanks to the team and keep up the good work.

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.

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.

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.

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!

A beautiful slice of paradise, wonderful all around, marvellous, and fully deserving serving its 5* rating! - Eraeliya is fully deserving its 5* rating. The rooms, suites and villas are tastefully and uniquely decorated with much love and attention to detail. The beautiful grounds and gardens are... Read More maintained immaculately. The undisturbed oceanfront location affords stunning views over the ocean with unforgettable sunsets. Even though jungle beach is a favourite launching point for surfers, the sandy cove is also one of the few Sri Lanka beaches for safe swimming. The high level of service and quality of food are additional highlights. Breakfast is huge and stunning, and the catch of the day is the freshest and most tastefully prepared fish you will find anywhere. The owner Njuri, and the entire staff are fully dedicated to pamper their guests, and ensure their wellbeing. They provide service at its best! The relatively small size of the estate with only 9 rooms and villas affords a much more private and intimate atmosphere. Once you arrive, you have no desire to go outside again. Truly, a small slice of paradise!