Breathtaking Views!
Galle Face Hotel in Colombo is Sri Lanka’s iconic Landmark and a colonial-style property located directly on the beach and 36 km from Colombo International Airport. The location is considered one of the best compared to other properties in the area – is only a ten-minute tuk-tuk ride from the center of town and the Fort railway station.
Entrance
Galle Face Hotel was the first of our choice and we set off for our tour to the country from here. Being at this great point, away from the noisy city of Colombo the Gale Face Hotel overlooks the Indian Ocean and faces the Galle Face Green.
Galle Face Hotel
Galle Face hotel sits right on the ocean with big open verandas to sit out on and gaze at the water with the sound of waves crashing.
Galle Face Hotel
Galle Face Hotel is a lovely property that embraces its rich history and legendary traditions.
Our Room
The rooms are fairly old fashioned but very comfortable. Some of them and the common areas feel a bit run down. The first night, the room we were given was extremely damp and very old. AC and fan did not help at all. It was so bad that I decided not to take photos, especially the bathroom! Anyway, we were upgraded and moved to this room the second evening. A total difference! The suite was huge, with high ceiling and wooden floor and furniture, and was beautifully decorated in colonial style.
Gale Face Hotel
We could hear the sea all night long! The soothing waves of the Indian Ocean lulled us to sleep and equally the crashing waves awoke us in the morning. We had a stunning view of Galle Face Green where the locals came out to exercise, work and play.
Bathroom
Our Friends’ Room
Our friend’s suite was even better than ours but we could not complain since both were functional with beautiful views.
Bathroom
We were not in the mood to watch TV at all, otherwise, it would have been a great disappointment for us because there were no satellite channels on, but we did not bother with that. We could have asked to have the TV fixed but preferred to spend the whole day outdoors instead.
Common areas in random
The cozy bar of the Galle Face Hotel has a feel of a gentleman’s club and has many photographs on the walls of the celebrities who have stayed there including heads of state, royalty, film stars and sports personalities. The atmosphere retains a mood reminiscent of colonial times gone by.
Possibly the best part of Galle Face Hotel is the food. The location of the restaurant overlooking the sea was simply perfect. Their buffet breakfast by the veranda was adequate, with a variety of choice. We mostly had international cuisine avoiding things we never tried before. Being a big hotel and busy at the same time, its service was not that personal though!
The pool of the Galle Face Hotel is only for residents of the hotel and was simply amazing. It happens to be the only saltwater pool in Colombo by the way! We would come here after the day’s exploring to swim for a while, have a drink and watch the sun go down. Beautiful memories!
Restaurants
The Galle Face hotel is splendid, with dining facilities to suit all. Fresh fish in both the beach hut, and in the more formal Sea Spay restraunt. Formal fine dining in the Restraunt 1864 – Michelin quality: cocktails in the Travellers Bar, snacks at the pool bar/ café. All attended by hard working, efficient, friendly, and professional staff. Bravo guys!
Verdict
In all, the Galle Face hotel was great! We found it quite charming and atmospheric and we highly recommend it for anyone wanting to experience a taste of Old Ceylon!
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