칼루타라/로얄 팜 비치 호텔

Booked this hotel after reading a very positive review by a well know travel company. The hype certainly did not live up to the actual hotel reality. First things first, the staff from the bottom to the top were fantastic, some of the nicest we have experienced anywhere on our world travels. The hotel is nearly 30 years old and it is showing it's age. Rooms are dark and uninviting and in desperate need of redecorating. Where repairs have been carried out, the work is shoddy. Our room has had the bathroom and entrance area ceiling repaired, using plain, pine tongue and groove planks with joints clearly visible. The worktop in the bedroom is on a concrete plinth, and it has not had a lick of paint in decades. Patio door doesn't fit properly, and you have a bolt to keep it closed, which in turn leaks when the weather is bad. Bathroom is very small, only room for 1 person at a time. Beds are uncomfortable with mattresses needing to be changed. The balcony, has a lovely outlook over the pool and the sea beyond, but again it is tacky, floor tiles chipped and flaking paint. We had to ask for the floor to be cleaned on two separate occasions. According to the travel agents advert, this is five star luxury, it certainly is not, certainly by European or US standards. We would rate it at 3.5 maximum. Around the hotel itself, flooring repairs with miss matched tiles, garden area with patches of mud, cats and dogs roaming around freely, all very off putting. The swim-up bar is grim, either modernise it or knock it down. We sat there once, it is dire. Food in the main restaurant is buffet style, with separate areas for starters and desserts and quality was good, though we found the food in the Cabana restaurant to be better. Drinks were reasonably priced. Finally, really don't understand why this is still called a beach hotel, because there is no beach. There are beaches nearby, but they are not conducive for holiday makers, being dirty and unkempt. There was occasional entertainment in the bar, but it was very poor and most guests walked out after just a couple of minutes. We didn't even bother to go on the second week, returned to our room to watch tv.!! The biggest exaggeration though is that "Kalutara, one of the islands most popular resorts" OMG, that could not be further from the truth. Kalutara is a Sri Lankan working town with no tourism aspects at all. It is dirty, noisy and manic. There are no restaurants to talk about, apart from a small Pizza Hut and a KFC. You will find a couple of "shack" type cafes but to be honest, you would not eat there. Our only option was to upgrade our booking to half board after finding out the truth about Kalutara at $40 per night. Believe me, we would never ever go back to Kalutara again. This review is not through "sour grapes", we didn't have any, and as previously said we loved the staff there, but to highlight that adverts are there to sell a product whichever way they can and not always tell the truth. And finally, we booked the hotel independently and not through MT, though it was their advert which got us interested. I have plenty of photo evidence of the faults mentioned, but for some reason both Agoda PC and mobile sites will not let me upload them.

This is a better place for relaxation. The staff are highly professional and stand out for their exceptional service, always being courteous and ready to assist. The food quality is very good, and the overall cleanliness is commendable, creating a pleasant and comfortable environment. However, essential amenities such as toothpaste and toothbrushes were not provided and had to be purchased separately. Overall, it is a good choice for a comfortable stay, especially for those who enjoy the refreshing sea breeze.