Colombo
ColomboSleeping
ColomboS
l
EEPiN
gVel REligiOUS FESTiVAl
(hJul or Aug) During the Vel, the gilded chari-
ot of Murugan (Skanda), the Hindu war god,
is ceremonially hauled from the Kathiresan
kovil to a kovil at Bambalapitiya.
4 Sleeping
Like many other aspects of life in the capi-
tal, the accommodation scene in Colombo is
awakening from a long slumber. New top-end
hotels with names like Hyatt and Shangri-La
are being built and older ones refurbished.
Luxurious boutique hotels are proliferat-
ing in the city’s leafier neighbourhoods and
there’s a new selection of high-quality mid-
range places.
Amid this new hostelry energy, some old-
er properties continue to limp along on past
glories. Fort and Galle Rd in particular have
shabby hotels that are little changed – or
improved – in decades. As visitor numbers
in Sri Lanka soar, it’s worth booking ahead –
especially for that first night in Colombo – so
you don’t end up at an inferior option.
Negombo is a short drive from Bandara-
naike International Airport and has a full
range of sleeping options, many right on the
beach.
4 Fort & Pettah
Fort is home to international-style highrise
hotels, some of which are decidedly long in
the tooth. This is also where you can find
historic hotels with rates that make their
miscues palatable.
Colombo YMCA g UESTHOUSE $
(Map p60; %232 5252; 39 Bristol St, Col 1; dm
Rs 1050, s/d from Rs 2050/2600; W) This old Y
is a bit shabby, but if you’re on a very tight
budget this could be it. It offers male-only
dorms, and a few very basic single and dou-
ble rooms that are open to both men and
women: some share bathrooms and some
have fans.Grand Oriental Hotel HOTEl $$
(Map p60; %232 0391, 232 0392; http://www.grand
oriental.com; 2 York St, Col 1; r US$70-100; aW)
Opposite the harbour, this was Colombo’s
finest hotel a century ago, a place to see
and be seen. Although that is no longer the
case, there’s a certain frumpy charm here.
Rooms have a tired, generic look. There are
superb harbour views from the fourth-floor
restaurant and terrace; go for a drink, skip
the food.Colombo City Hotel HOTEl $$
(Map p60; %534 1962; http://www.colombocityhotel.
com; l evel 3, 33 Canal Row, Col 1; r US$60-100;
aW) This hotel has reasonable rates and a
fine location next to the Old Dutch Hospital,
but the hotel can be very noisy and service is
unpolished. The 32 rooms have fridges but
are rather small and most lack decent views.
The sea views from the restaurant roof are
outstanding, even if the food is not.Hilton Colombo HOTEl $$$
(Map p60; %249 2492; http://www.hilton.com; 2 Sir
Chittampalam A gardiner Mawatha, Col 2; r from
US$160; aiWs) This large, international
business-class hotel buzzes with activi-
ty around the clock. It has 382 rooms in
regular- and executive-floor flavours, six res-
taurants, a pub, a 24-hour business centre, a
fully equipped sports-and-fitness club and an
attractive garden and pool area.4 Kollupitiya
Colombo’s best large hotels (with many new
ones being built) are in this central area,
near the ocean and noisy Galle Rd. On back
roads to the east you’ll find numerous inter-
esting choices.Clock Inn HOTEl $
(Map p64; %250 0588; http://www.clockinn.lk; 457 gal-
le Rd; dm/r from US$15/50; aW) This clean
and well-run hotel is great value, in a great
location. The four-bed dorm rooms have
a dash of style, while the regular rooms
have queen-size beds with cable TV and
private bathrooms.SWIMMING
Skip the polluted waters off Galle Face
Green; the only place you might con-
sider an ocean dip is at Mt Lavinia.
Rather, if you are staying someplace
without a pool – or just want a change
of scenery – consider paying to swim
at a hotel with a pool. Many will allow
you to use the facilities for a fee of
Rs 1000 to 2000. Two good choices
are the pool at the Cinnamon Lake-
side (Map p64; %249 1000; 115 Sir
Chittampalam A gardiner Mawatha, Col 2;
adult/child Rs 1200/750) hotel and the
magnificently positioned pool at Mount
Lavinia Hotel (p74).