Guest reviews Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana

by Coolonela Wickham Bishops, United Kingdom

Great value base for local Sri Lankan attractions

This is a large estate and rooms are spread throughout the gardens and alongside the lake. As we drove up, the main building has a colonial style to it and we were offered a choice of 3 drinks at reception whilst we completed check in formalities. After this we were walked to our garden facing superior room (where complimentary cakes awaited us) and the bell boy brought our bags immediately and explained how everything worked in the room. Our room was in a 2 story block, ground floor, No. 109. Inside and out It had simple whitewashed walls but the dark wood inside and the high ceiling gave it a pleasant and spacious feel. There was plenty of space in the room, comfortably accommodating the king sized bed, settee, table and 2 chairs. Facilities included TV, complimentary WiFi, tea and coffee station, fridge, mini safe and air conditioning. The wardrobe had an iron and board inside. The spacious and long bathroom consisted of a decent sized shower cubicle, hairdryer and toiletries e.g. shower gel, toothbrush etc. Sadly these, like the complimentary bottled water perpetuates the consumption of single use plastic and I’d like to see these replaced with a reusable and refillable options. There were a considerable amount of monkeys wandering the grounds and whilst they are cute, they are also expert thieves. As such we were unable to have the doors or windows of the room open and needed to keep an eye on our possessions at all times. We stayed here on a bed and breakfast basis but had a light meal in the bar one evening which was tasty and well presented. The staff in the bar area, like all the staff we encountered in the hotel were friendly and helpful. The breakfast area (also used for a buffet dinner in the evening) was huge and set alongside the pool (similar to the bar area) and had a vast selection of hot, cold, Asian and western dishes. There was a separate cold room that contained fresh fruit etc. Our breakfasts here were all of high quality, with eggs cooked to order. Prospective customers with mobility issues should note that there are quite a number of steps on the site, some paths are moderately uneven paving stones, plus some rooms a long way from main building. So its worth checking with the hotel to ensure that your specific needs can be accommodated. Thank you to the Cinnamon Lodge for two complimentary nights during our three night stay. We’d be pleased to stay here again when in the area.

by Jacqueline145 Tadworth, United Kingdom

Beautiful hotel in a fab location!

We stayed in this hotel for 3 nights during the first part of our honeymoon in Sri Lanka and we were very impressed. On arrival (after a long 4 hour drive from the airport), we were greeted with friendly faces, a cool towel and a glass of cinnamon iced tea. We were quickly taken to our room which was lovely for a standard room and had a lovely large balcony overlooking the grounds and lake. It was very spacious, clean and peaceful. The monkeys in the surrounding grounds kindly greeted us which was great fun watching them play just outside our room. The buffet had lots of choice and the waiting staff and chefs were very helpful, they were very keen to ensure you are always happy throughout your stay. On our 2nd night at dinner we were surprised with a beautiful candlelit table with a bottle of red wine. The hotel is well located in Habarana as a central point to explore. During our 3 night stay we visited Sigirya Rock, Hurulu Eco Park, Wilpattu National Park (an early start and long drive) and Dambulla Caves on route to Kandy. Make sure you keep some chill time aside to enjoy the large swimming pool. We would highly recommend this beautiful hotel :-)

by ImgoingtoBarbados north wales

Our Favourite Hotel!

This hotel was our favourite out of the seven luxury hotels we stayed in during our 15 day private tour in March. Whilst the other hotels were all excellent, Cinnamon Lodge provided everything we could have wished for on our first visit to beautiful Sri Lanka. From the gracious welcome on our arrival, the peaceful ambience of the unique natural setting to the outstanding service and fantastic team of smiling staff, this hotel set such a high standard at the beginning of our holiday, it was unmatched anywhere else! Many of our best memories are dining al fresco at the fabulous restaurant. We would particularly like to mention Sous Chef Sooriya Tammita and Sanjeev who helped us discover so many dishes on the impressive buffet that were meatfree and dairyfree. Without their assistance, we would have missed sampling some delicious Sri Lankan dishes which we absolutely loved. A true professional, Sooriya even managed to provide some amazing vegan desserts for us at very short notice which we really appreciated. A truly memorable start to a wonderful holiday and we very much hope to return one day soon.

by JohnS431 Newbury, United Kingdom

Excellent place to stay

My wife and I were here in March 2020 from 8th to 11th. It was a real pleasure to stay here. We had a splendid room with a balcony and comfortable bed. We had a minor problem with the air-conditioning, which was fixed as soon as we reported it. The grounds were just amazing to see with many birds, including kingfishers, and blackfaced monkeys that kept us entertained. The food was just brilliant with a very good breakfast and quite splendid and varied evening buffet, at a very fair price. On our last day it happened to be my birthday, although I had never mentioned it to anybody. Anyway at breakfast on our last day I was given a quite splendid birthday cake that was very much appreciated. Maybe this date was noticed in my passport. I should mention the fact that all the staff we met were most helpful and did help to make our stay quite wonderful. I cannot mention all those we interacted with but I should mention Senarathne who gave us quite excellent service at meal times. In a park a few miles away we saw very many elephants (dozens). I just hope we can return one day. John S Newbury March 2020

by thisislife Poznan, Poland

Nature, monkeys and more!

Surrounded by nature and wildlife over and over again - that's how I spent my days at this hotel. It was a unique experience as where else your neighbors are monkeys? You exit your room, they are there, you walk to the restaurant they are on your way, but no worries they are very friendly unless you are bad to them. The hotel has a huge garden where you can indulge in nature, I had a walk through it with the Lifestylist who works at this hotel, his name was Tharindu, and he explained everything to me. His dedication to the hospitality is beyond.. This hotel has also a great pool but didn't have time for that as there is also so much to see nearby the hotel location. Highly recommended!