Beach
The most private beach on the coast of Colombo, Paradise Beach beckons you to relax under the sun with your feet buried in the soft golden sand and a breathtaking view of the Indian Ocean
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Dining
Make dining an experience and a memory worth taking home. International cuisine prepared to perfection taking you through a delicious gastronomical journey.
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Weddings
Built on a legacy of Romance and Passion, with generations of love stories retold under one roof. What better place to tie the knot than in the ‘Mansion of Love’ itself?
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Spa
Rejuvenate yourself at the Balinese styled spa where the aromatic oils mingle with the fragrance of fresh flowers allures you to a pure state or relaxation.
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Amazing hotel
I spent 2 nights in this hotel at the end of my road trip with my friend around Sri Lanka to rest, This hotel is super amazing, old but classy, the views are outstanding, the food is amazing. the hotel has it's own private beach which is outstanding area. The services are amazingly good there. Most importantly the hotel have 2 amazing restaurants, The governor restaurant and the hut. The governor restaurant is awesome, classy, inside the hotel. But the Hut is what i loved, right on the beach, very frsh food, you chose the fish and sea food and you chose how you want it cooked, the tables are on the beach, there is live singing there, amazing place for a romantic dinner with the sunset.
amazing
We stay since 2014 every year, in the menatime already in OUR mount lavinia hotel. The very friendly staff, the real colonial style, the very similar beach restaurant to dine fresh lobsters and brawns with sand on your legs and fine music, the very fine food in the govenours restaurant, the lovely, very clean pool on the govenours terrace like an infinity-pool directly on the front of the indian ocean, in the morning the sound of the old, english tea-trains are always amazing für my Steffi and me. Mrs. Danushi and Mrs. Thilomi as well as the bellboy Athula, the doorman Ranjith and the beachboy Patric with all the other friendly staff gave us the feeling to bee 200 years bevore in the old, colonial time. We come back as long as we are able to visit Sri Lanka. Thank you, dear Danushi, dear Thilomi, dear Athula, dear Ranjith and very dear Patric for all the kindness! We hope to see you well again!
staff are amazing
From the front doorman Ranjith to the staff that serve in the restaurants piyumanthi, Camilus and Priyanthi they make our stay so enjoyable. This place is like our second home. A must to have breakfast here
Fantastic pool and beach facilities
We visited the Mt Lavinia hotel to use the pool and beach facilities. We paid 2,500 LKR, which included 1,500LKR to be redeemed on food and drink. After a wonderfully relaxing time on the pristine private beach, we visited the rooftop pool where we were stunned by the views over Colombo. The staff at the beach and poolside were very polite and attentive. The lifeguard, Sandum was especially helpful, acting as both a lifeguard and waiter - we were in safe hands. The red snapper kebab and butter cuttlefish were excellent. Very much recommended.
Amazing Baywatch at Seafood Cove
"Chosen Baywatch@Seafood Cove, Mount Lavinia Hotel for my girlfriend's birthday celebration. Two weeks before the celebration, I send an email to Mount Lavinia Hotel to enquire about the tower and I was attended to immediately by the Guest Relations Manager, Ms Sulochana Asela. She was extremely accomodating and very helpful in assisting me in setting up the occasions, which include discussion on timing, menu options, and special requirements such as cakes etc. Needless to say, on that special day, my girlfriend got the suprise of her life, and was extremely delighted once we laid our eyes on the beautiful settings of the tower (tables, lighting, and candlelight decorations), beautiful environment (extremely clean beach), superb service and also the wonderful food (we chosen Poem of the Sea set menu which combines a number of seafood to our delight)." "For overall service, food and experience, it is worthy of 5 star out of 5 rating, mainly thanks to the wonderful Ms Sulochana, Asela, and team." "For those of you who are looking for a nice romantic getaway with you special one in Colombo, this is the place to choose!"
Great Hotel!!
"Great hotel, great service, great food!" "Visited in September 2019 to plan our wedding at the hotel for 2020! We had a great experience with the hotel and all the staff were very helpful!" "Endra was especially helpful every time we had a query and she was so friendly!" "Thank you meeting all our needs!" "Really looking forward to coming back in 2020 with all our guests!!"
Best baked crab in Colombo
Love this restaurant. One of my top picks for seafood in Colombo. They do a great, really great baked crab (a local speciality) and you can choose your own seafood and fish and have it cooked the way you want. Nothing nicer than sitting on the beach in the evening, with the cool breeze, a glass of wine and great seafood. Worth a visit! PS: I think it is closed at the moment - so call ahead and check.
Wonderful stay at a lovely hotel
My family and I really enjoyed our stay at the lovely Mount Lavinia Hotel. Great food and an excellent setting with views up the coast to Colombo. The staff were all very friendly and Tiddy in particular gave a very interesting tour of the old hotel.
20 years coming to Mount Lavinia
I am coming to this hotel since 20 years. I have traveled quite a bit across the island and stayed in other hotels outside of Colombo. The MLH is great place to stay and work in Colombo. The friendly staff is always helpful. Date of stay: July 2019
I love the unique and beautiful charm of this historic hotel
This is a really lovely regal hotel. Sunday lunch was amazing, fresh seafood, Sushi, salads, roast dinner or Sri Lankan food all made perfectly. To end it off, every dessert you could think of. My kids don't like spicy food, so the buffet selection gives them so much choice. The pool was perfect for the kids too. Shallow area and a deep end with a shallow edge, perfect to sit and laze around. The staff are really lovely too, from the always welcoming Ranjith at the front door to the pool staff. Each time I come to Sri Lanka this hotel always draws me in and I always leave with a heavy heart, with a determination to come back again. Please visit this gorgeous hotel and see the sunset from its private beach or the pool. Most of all come and visit this amazing and friendly country.
What a welcome to Sri Lanka
What a beautiful hotel, we started a tour of Sri Lanka here. We had a beautiful corner suite overlooking the sea with a gorgeous day bed to watch the sunset. It was our anniversary and the hotel pulled out all the stops, we had wine, cake and fruit in our room and the bed was beautifully decorated. The food in the hotel was delicious too.
Mount Lavinia Hotel at Colombo - Sri Lanka
I stayed in the Mount Lavinia Hotel at Colombo during one of our Group Meetings for three days. Excellent Location, Facilities and Food. The Staff were very accommodating and hospitable. I had a sea view room and the view from the balcony was amazing.
Outstanding heritage hotel with fantastic private beach!
Mount Lavinia Hotel is housed in an impressive historical building with a grandeur and heritage which you can sense all over the hotel. The atmosphere is great, with very friendly and professional staff, doing their utmost to make your stay as pleasant as possible. The hotel is directly situated at the seaside and has an amazing quiet private beach with sunbeds not only for the day, but with a fish restaurant for the evening with tables on the beach. Magnificent breakfast and dinner buffet, with very delicious and tasty food for all taste. I can recommend this hotel to anyone who arrives in Colombo and wants to explore the city and area first for a few days, or before departure to have a relaxed ending of your trip.
Mt Lavinia hotel
The staff are very friendly and thoughtful. The buffet is mouthwatering and does not disappoint! The views are spectacular. Very satisfied every time we come. Nirusha was very helpful and I highly recommend Mt Lavinia Hotel.
Best beach property in Colombo
The hotel is a heritage property, well maintained & houses a museum which is worrth visiting. The beach is very clean & ideal for vacations. The shacks at beach are excellent. Overall service & food is also great.
Great way to relax on a Sunday
After 2 days of site seeing around Colombo we were in need of a day of R&R. It is actually difficult to find somewhere to have lunch and use the pool unless you're actually staying at the hotel but this place was perfect. For around £10 / head we turned up around 10, unfortunately missing out on the last lounger under a parasol so staff put us under the shade by the bar. In the morning there were very few in the pool but it obviously filled out later. The buffet lunch was extensive. We had beautiful sushi and crab claws, various different curries and desserts, but there was something for everyone and plenty of choice for the children. There was a jazz band playing by the pool which was lovely. The hotel is right on the coast down from the city with great views. A really relaxing day and great value.
So helpful!!
We stayed here last week for 3 nights. Great hotel, rather busy round the pool but the highlight was the Sea Food Cove restaurant where we ate every evening as it was so gorgeous. Sitting on the beach in the moonlight, choosing your own fish, having it cooked any which way and the lovely waiters and waitresses couldn’t have been more helpful if they tried, nothing was too much trouble. I can highly recommend this place
Wonderful stay!
The welcome could not have been warmer, the service was first class from all members of staff, particularly those looking after the restaurant, the rooms, the beach bar and reception. Laundry service was very fast and efficient. The food was delicious and we enjoyed the service in the restaurant. The spa was exceptional. Definitely an experience to be repeated.
Excellent hotel, excellent staff
We had a wonderful time at this hotel. The staff were first class, particularly Dimuthu the front of house manager who assisted us when I messed up our booking. His professionalism, patience and courtesy are outstanding. The seafood cove is highly recommended, fresh fish served to tables on the beach. Beach, pool, buffet breakfast etc are all excellent. Balcony overlooking the sea ensured that we went to sleep to the sound of the waves. The local environment has a number of shops and restaurants. It's worth walking along the Main Street and popping into the shops to have a look - we ended up buying some cotton and linen garments at good prices. We will be back!
Well-maintained hotel with amazing view
I didn't stay in the hotel itself, but visited it few times for a buffet lunch. Hotel restaurant offers picturesque view on the bay if you wish to sit outside, as well as spacious a/c hall inside. Selection of dishes is amazing, apart from local cuisine there are Indian, Chinese, European-style lunch meals. Everything tastes great, served hot and fresh. Price was very reasonable for such a wide selection of meals, drinks are not included into buffet charge though. The hotel itself is quite impressive, as it's big. Not a new building but very well-maintained. By the way the main hall and ground floor is furnished and decorated I can guess that the rest of the hotel space should look same lofty. There is also big outside pool with bar and sun beds. I enjoyed my every visit there.
Truly wonderful
We stayed here for one night at the end of an 8 day tour and how I wish we could’ve stayed longer. We had a disabled access room (to ensure no steps and a walk-in shower for mum) and we were delighted with it. Twin room (two double beds) and the loveliest bed linen. Sheer luxury. The dinner buffet was excellent. I’ve loved much of the Sri-Lankan food on offer and there was plenty for those who don’t enjoy spice and chilli. Virtually every taste and palate is catered for really well. The breakfast buffet was equally good. The thing that sets this hotel apart was how helpful, friendly and professional all the staff were. I definitely want to stay here again.
Amazing
The hotel was absolutely beautiful. A wonderful tour of the hotel and museum by a long term employee. The restaurants were excellent especially the Sea Cove, the food was so fresh and delicious. The staff were so smartly dressed and really added to the character of this amazing hotel. Lots of local restaurants close by
Sunbathing by the pool
We visited the hotel whilst staying in Colombo to use their pool facilities which were excellent. Sun loungers and towels were brought to us by the enthusiastic pool attendant. Location is superb with excellent views. Loved meeting Thilak at the front entrance who happily posed for photos.
wonderful Stay
Spent fifteen very enjoyable days at the hotel. Had a lovely room with a gorgeous view of the ocean.Also had a glimpse of the Lotus Tower. Woke up each morning to the sound of the sea. Breakfast had a good selection to suit all tastes always greeted with a smile by the staff who are always ready to get you whatever you need. Staff were very polite and very willing to help at all times.
The best colonial type of hotel
MLH is the best hotel we stayed so far. It has a family friendly environment and great staff that you can't express how much lovely they are. Polite, full of information, beautiful smiles and greate service to its clients. Food is amazing, starting from wide variety of authentic Sri Lankan foods to different cultures cuisine. J.W.Wijesinge is amazing with his wide knowledge of the hotel history. Greate pool pool area and a bar with spectacular view.
The BEST - for your Lankan Sojourn
Set along the beach atop mount Lavinia this hotel is a haven for tourists. From being the residence of the British Governors to a classy hotel it has come a long way. A love story between a British Governor & a dancing girl of mixed parentage adds to its mystic. Extremely helpful courteous staff who go out of their way to be helpful to its well maintained interiors, this hotel is a paradise for tourists here. The gourmet meals with a multitude of restaurants to choose from is the icing on the cake. Each of its restaurant has a special feature added to it, be it the settings or the cuisine or the ambience. The setting within is picturesque with rooms that open out to the sea, one can enjoy the sunset either within the confines of your room or by the poolside. On the whole a must stay place while in Lanka.
Stayed: September 2018, traveled with family
Seafood Cove
Our request of hotel staff to make a memorable evening for my wife and me, celebrating our 40th anniversary with friends and relatives, was delivered in spades. A wonderful evening was had by all, with an excellent array of seafood, musicians to serenade us, and a balmy evening on the seashore. The attention to detail by Royston, the Assistant Food and Banquet Manager was first class. Thank you for all your efforts. We truly appreciated it.
Stayed: September 2018, traveled with family
Lovely hotel with the ocean view
Had a nice get together and also very well maintained hotel premises with colonial type also the foods very good and variety of foods like to have with all kind of side dishes very kind staff serving well and the beach side was nice too.
Seafood market cove in hut on beach
If you stay at Mount Lavinia you must visit the long hut on the beach. We were given the BEST service by Hettiarachchi and the FRESHEST fish dinner with Sri Lankan special accompaniments. It was a night to remember - a candlelit table on the beach, choice of seafood - all laid out on ice. Highly recommend this restaurant on the beach.
Perfect stay
We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel and we're looking forward to returning! Our dinner at the restaurant was also fabulous! The staff were very attentive and friendly, especially Camillus and Lomini. Thank you Mount Lavinia Hotel!
I love the ambiance
This hotel makes me fall in love once again. Though our dinner by the beach was cancelled due to slight rain, it did not stopped me and my date to continue it to the seafood restaurant , while we have wine while we are waiting for our sumptous lobster dinner . I really recommend their main bar, with the soothing music , piano and live band . An old hotel , but rich in history. Old is gold .
Great food, people, and location!
Whenever I come to Sri Lanka, I always stay at Mount Lavinia Hotel! The food is always excellent and the service is even better, especially from two waitresses: Priyanthi and Piumanthi. Every morning when I came down for breakfast, they would smile and greet me and my family. They were both always helpful, attentive, caring, and eager to do whatever they could to make our stay more enjoyable. I owe them my gratitude and I look forward to my next visit because of their fantastic service.
Beautiful Atmosphere & Service ......!!!
My partner & I visited this hotel for the day. We paid a small amount to have a lounge chair each at the beach which came with a bartender, towel and access to the hotels pool. The atmosphere was excellent, the service from the staff were very professional but friendly. There was lifeguards at the beach and pool in case of any issues with people swimming. Around the pool area there were staff keeping away the crows which was excellent as the birds didn’t bother us at all. The staff that did this job all day keeping the birds away were awesome, they continued to look after everyone even with common enquires. Definitely would recommend to anyone!!
Celebrating Birthday at MLH......!!!
We love Friday dinner buffet at Mount Lavinia Hotel. It is without a doubt the best in Colombo. The staff was friendly and helped my family to surprise me on my birthday. The cake was really delicious. Looking forward to dine there soon.
Our Stay in Mount Lavinia
We stayed as a honeymoon couple at Mount lavinia hotel for 2 nights .we got nice room 112 .wish we could stay more. The room is beautifully decorated by housekeeping staff. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Our room always cleans and decorated. Thanks all arrangement for Housekeeper indika, flower boy Geeth.you both is done a great job. We loved the atmosphere of mount lavinia hotel and would definitely recommend this place.
Great Service & Friendly Staff
Great Traditional & Historical Hotel in Colombo. Enjoy private beach and International foods in excellent pool side location. Specially thank you very much for Frendly services all the time specially my regards to Hotel Lobby Managers TINESH and LAL Hope to see you`ll soon before end of this year again. All the best Shinkai......
Such a wonderful place to visit. The staff was so helpful and its hospitality is highly appreciated.
Being at the hotel was such a wonderful experience. The Suit and its facilities are way beyond superior.The food, atmosphere, peaceful environment,dinner with soothing music near the pool, sea view of the room was breath taking, helpful staff and entire hospitality was fully completed without and hesitance.
Ms. Sachi
This was my solo trip to srilanka and i am glad that i choose mountlavinia. Its an excellent property with awesome breakfast options i had never seen so much variety in food and it tasted so good.Superb private beach area to spend your time peacefully extra friendly staff i had my grear time there just wanna say thanks for making my trip memorabale.
Lovely colonial hotel
This was our third visit as we love this hotel. The room was comfortable, the food was delicious and the staff are very friendly. They remembered us from our last visit two years ago. Beautiful beach, perfect for early morning walk and evening sunset. The terrace restaurant is perfect for the evening meal and we were lucky enough to watch a wonderful thunderstorm one evening.
Holiday at Mount Lavinia Hotel
Stayed at the Mount Lavinia Hotel for 8 days in March 2018. Extremely friendly staff, fantastic food for local and overseas visitors, excellent pool with a view of the ocean. Room was very spcious and we got a king and two single beds for a family of four. Staff was ever willing to help, organised a get together for 30 guests in a very short time Location of the hotel is excellent for people who love the sea and a nice private beach.
Wonderful Hotel
I just had a short 6 day break at Mount Lavinia, my fifth time there. It's a lovely Colonial building. I stayed in the older part of the hotel with a direct view of the Ocean. The food is to die for, especially the breakfast. The Seafood Cove is wonderful too. As always the staff are brilliant and so attentive, especially Lakmal on the terrace bar. I will return.
Simply the best
Frequent travellers to mount Lavinia hotel!! Upon arrival we were greeted by the doormen. It was wonderful to see them again. We were shown to our room 454 once we were checked in. We enjoyed our 8 night stay very much and we were so well looked after. Thank you to all staff at mount Lavinia hotel. The concierge is very knowledgeable and always happy to help. Service from the poolside, restaurant and the beach were beyond 5 star. A huge thank you everyone; thusitha, Chinthaka, Mendis, Cemlis, tiddy and many more. The food at the poolside, beach restaurant and the buffets were all excellent. The gym has new equipment, it’s a tight squeeze in there but everything works well. The beach is by far my favourite it’s so peaceful and perfect, but you cannot really swim in the sea due to the under currents. Thank you everyone at mount Lavinia we cannot wait to return.
Magnificent
I loved my hotel experience. Excellent service, fabulous food and staff. All the staff were so friendly and welcoming from Tilakarathne and Ranjith the doormen, to Tiddy and Wijesinghe the dining room doormen, to the reception staff and managers. This was my second visit and it was wonderful. The direct ocean view room was so roomy, modern and comfortable. The views were stunning. Looking forward to our next visit. Keep up the good work.
Lovely
Lovely clean and comfortable. The food was good and the hotel was decorated from lanterns from the full moon festival. So beautiful. The rooms were nice and service on the mark. Recommended. The beach was just a stroll away and lovely
Poya Vegetarian Buffet, absolutely off the scale good!
In Sri Lanka, every full moon is a Bank Holiday, as per Buddhism. I am not a vegetarian but the buffet on offer here every Poya is extraordinarily good....There's a huge range of dishes, pastas, curries, salads and deserts to die for.... If you are lucky enough to be in Sri Lanka for Poya, this is a must visit; be warned, no alcohol is served on Poya but you don't need it! Enjoy the food, the service from the delightful Sri Lankan people, and the ambience!
PERFECT GET-AWAY
The view was perfect. As it goes to the very nice weather. its like going back to the pre-hispanic era upon seeing the hotel from inside and out. Take note of the security wearing those GUARDIA CIVIL uniforms. The beach and sand was perfect for romantic setting.. especially on sunset. Price is affordable. Breakfast was awesome. this is one of the hotel i will keep coming back.
Excellent hotel - one of the best
Recently returned from 10 days at this hotel. The hotel is in a fantastic place with its own private beach. It is however situated about 40 minutes from Colombo. However, they have a train station close bye and for 15p you can travel on the train. Tute tute are cheap and cost around £4 for the same journey. The hotel is very old are goes back to the old colonial days of when the British ruled it was the residence. The food was fantastic and had such a variety they can accommodate anyone. The staff were all helpful and pleasant and went out of there way to ensure you enjoyed every experience. I have no hesitation in recommending this hotel. Will definitely return.