Arriving at reception the front desk was modern, almost space aged, but the warmth of greeting was old fashioned and welcoming. Cold drinks were served as we checked in and delightfully we had been upgraded to a balcony lake view room (326).
Quite a large room with ample space for the king sized bed, tables and chair, with space remaining to move around comfortably. Above the bed was a fabulous work of art, featuring three elephants which (when you got close up) was made up of thousands of little dots. Top marks to the room designers; for example the large wall mounted TV was fitted flush to the wall to be watched from the sofa, but pivoted out so you could watch it in comfort from the bed. The shower was operated from the far end of the cubicle, so that you don’t need to be in the stream of water when you turn it on (also the best shower we’ve had in Sri Lanka). The mini safe in the wardrobe was above knee height so you could access it with a simple bend from the waist. The bedroom was well equipped with air conditioning, fan, complimentary WiFi, tea and coffee station and fridge. A door led to the bathroom area, which housed the wardrobe. The bathroom was spacious and bright, with complimentary shower gel, shampoo and conditioner in the shower and hand wash by the sink. All were in environmentally friendly refillable containers but it’s a shame that other items (like the vanity kit wrapped in plastic) and water were still supplied in single use plastic bottles (complimentary). I’d like to see a reusable option provided to replace these plastic bottles and the other items sustainably sourced.. Kandy is a busy place and our room was well soundproofed against external noise but we could clearly hear voices in the next room. That said we had a comfortable, undisturbed and restful nights sleep. The balcony had a table and two chairs, plus views of the surrounding countryside and lake over the rooftops. There were plenty of monkeys around which were very amusing but don’t leave anything unattended on the balcony if you want it to be there when you come back, or indeed leave the balcony door open.
There was a rooftop pool and bar area, with ample seating, plus loungers around the pool. There is allegedly a gym, but with all the walking and climbing I’ve done I didn’t need it.
We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis and really enjoyed our breakfast here. Breakfast is served in a large bright area and there is a generous selection of hot and cold dishes to choose from. Options included Asian and western dishes in a buffet style with self service. We started with french toast with bananas, followed by fried eggs (cooked to order) with toast.
We found the staff throughout the hotel very friendly and helpful.
The hotel has lifts, and a ramp that leads up from street level into reception. There is also a ramp that leads from the lifts to the rooftop pool, so it appears that most of the steps can be avoided. As always prospective customers with mobility issues should check with the hotel to make sure theire needs can be met.
Thank you to OZO Kandy for our complimentary night and we’d have no hesitation staying here again when visiting Kandy and the nearby Temple of the Tooth.
