After travelling throughout Sri Lanka for almost four weeks, exploring the culture, beautiful scenery and luxury travel scene, I finally arrived at my final destination before heading out. I am in Negombo a coastal town of 150,000, 30 kilometres north of the capital Colombo. Negombo is convenient for tourists as it is only 20 minutes away from the main international airport, therefore it is on a lot of people’s itinerary at the start or at the end of their holidays. This time I am staying at the Heritance Negombo, which was my 5th hotel that is part of a local Sri Lanka hotel operator called Aitken Spence hotels. Overall I have been very impressed with all of its hotels.
The 143 room Heritance Negombo, with direct private beach access, was built in 1968 and had a new wing constructed in 1981. In 2015 this hotel had a massive makeover and it shows throughout the hotel and rooms which now have beautiful contemporary designs. When entering the hotel everything feels spacious, this started from the moment my trishaw drove up the ramp to get to the hotel entrance. The entrance garden area was decorated with all sorts of statues of children playing. It kind of gave the message that families with children are welcome here.
Reception
The reception area was a stunning area that had a very posh feel to it. Like elsewhere throughout my Sri Lanka trip I was welcomed with a drink and a cold towel. The views from the reception area overlooking Negombo beach were wonderful. The three dedicated seating areas were brilliant and they were the perfect platform to watch the fishing sailboats, which can only be seen here in this region. The use of the wooden pillars throughout the hotel was a superb work of both modern design and architecture. The hotel has over 140 rooms which all overlook the beach, so there is no need to worry everyone ends up with the same view.
The ramp to the entrance
Swimming Pool
The pool was very big and there was a huge section dedicated to children with lots of fountains they can all paddle and play in. For those with young families and babies, this is the perfect place for you. It’s the first dedicated pool bar I have seen in Sri Lanka and the cocktails here were very affordable. However, its location was the connection between the two pools making the connecting area very narrow.
The seating areas were very comfortable and the pool guard was very on the ball regarding towels and looking out for the children. The grass was immaculate and the security was high. I liked the fence which separated the beach from the garden bit. The locked gate can only be opened and closed by the security guard. I liked the outdoor showers which had an impressive metal pipe artwork, it really caught my eye.
Bedroom
My bedroom was very modern and the décor made me feel like I was sleeping in the latest usage of modern design. I liked the dedicated tea and coffee area alongside the complimentary bar. They had huge proper tea and coffee mugs which is not common. The bed was very comfortable and the bed linen was nice too. I liked the separate toilet access and how there was a partition wall separating the bed from the bathroom. The wooden panels used here were pleasing to the eye.
The nice big TV combined with the comfortable chair made for the perfect combination to sit in and watch Roger Federer win his eighth Wimbledon final. The balcony was large and I loved how there was an outdoor clothes hanger for my wet swimwear, alongside a nice huge wooden table with a lamp and outdoor plug. This was the perfect office view for me to work in. The views from here were lovely and there was nothing more therapeutic than to be able to hear the ocean.
Breakfast
The breakfast area had the latest state of the art kitchen technology. The area was massive and the selections of food were excellent. There were so many dedicated food sections to cater for everyone’s pallet. The outdoor eating area with a view was just wonderful to take it all in, beware of the crows though, they are just as cheeky as seagulls on British seasides. The cappuccino was excellent and the service was very good. I liked how there was a dedicated egg area and the choices here were endless. The buffet was beautifully presented and the eating area was pristine. The usage of granite throughout the kitchen was wonderful to see.
Conclusion
The Heritance Negombo hotel is in a top location in Negombo right on the beach. Due to its recent refurbishment, it has a very modern and luxury feel to it catering for guests that want to enjoy luxury sea views. I wish the rooms were slightly bigger but then the layout design of the hotel was a while back. What you lack in size is certainly compensated in design and luxury feel. Overall I have been impressed with the hotels from Aitken Spence, this local hotel group has spectacular hotels of a very high standard throughout Sri Lanka.
Details
- Room reviewed: Ocean View Double – €200 including breakfast
- Website: www.heritancehotels.com/negombo/
- Address: 175 Lewis Pl, Negombo 11500, Sri Lanka
- Phone: +94 31 7 431431
