Mount Lavinia Hotel

Poppy & James

I have been staying at Mount Lavinia since I was a child. Now at 35 I still continue to visit from the U.K. Situated on the beach, just outside of Colombo, sits the magnificent Mount Lavinia Hotel. The history, the people, the setting and the service is everything!! My last visit was in March 2026. We had the evening party before my wedding at Mount Lavinia. I must say this was absolutely spectacular it was actually better than my wedding day which I had elsewhere. We had a private party on the beach, the food was excellent, the organisation and execution was five star! As global event planner myself I was very impressed. Fire works, Kandy dancers, a band etc. nothing is too much trouble for Mount Lavinia hotel. A huge thank you to Mr Lal and Hareendra for all your efforts. A side from our event, our room was very large and spacious, clean, breakfast is always good, the terrace is the perfect place for a sunset too. Thank you Mount Lavinia Hotel. Such a beautiful, special place.

Yash Munot

This was, without a doubt, one of the worst hotel experiences we had in Colombo. The service was disappointing from the moment we arrived. After a long journey, we requested a glass of water at check-in—a basic courtesy offered by most hotels. Instead, we were told, “Sir, you will be charged for it.” That set the tone for the rest of our stay. The room itself was poorly maintained, with both cockroaches and lizards present. Basic amenities such as coffee powder and creamers were missing, and every request had to be made through WhatsApp, where responses took an unreasonable amount of time. To make matters more confusing, the room contains what appears to be a telephone with reception and service numbers on it, but it is merely a decorative piece and not actually functional. The most disappointing part of our stay was the attitude of the staff. During breakfast, the food manager interrupted us regarding a booking issue that was ultimately caused by the hotel's own failure to maintain proper records. Instead of handling the matter professionally and discreetly, guests were inconvenienced and made to feel uncomfortable. We stayed at multiple properties across Sri Lanka during our trip, including several 4-star and 5-star hotels, and this was by far the poorest experience. Hospitality is about making guests feel welcome and cared for, and unfortunately, that was completely missing here. If someone offered me a free stay at this hotel, I would pay that person just to get out of it!

Iranda Rathnayake

I recently stayed at Mount Lavinia Hotel from 1st to 2nd May 2026. The food quality was very good, and we truly enjoyed the variety and taste of the dishes offered. However, there were a few areas that could be improved. At the buffet, some food items were not refilled once they were finished, which was a bit disappointing. In addition, the cleanliness of the surrounding areas was not up to expectations. The service level of the staff also needs attention. On several occasions, after we finished eating, our plates were not cleared unless we requested it, which affected the overall dining experience. On a positive note, the pool attendant was very attentive and responsible. He was always alert and even advised our child not to go into the deep end, which we really appreciated. Overall, while the food and poolside service were highlights, improvements in general service, cleanliness, and buffet management would greatly enhance the guest experience.

Chamika Srimantha

Went to Mount Lavinia Hotel for a wedding recently. The place has a nice old-school vibe, and that's probably what I liked the most Other than that, the experience was just okay. The air conditioning in the wedding hall wasn't good at all, and it got quite uncomfortable. The food also wasn't very tasty and could definitely be better. Overall, I think the hotel has potential, but it really needs some improvements

JK

First day of check in at this hotel on 15 June 2026 and it has been a terrible experience. This is not a 5 star hotel. It is a 3 star hotel. The room fittings are old and worn out, but that is still acceptable. What is not acceptable is the room temparature in the both booked rooms are set at 27 degrees in hot and humid Sri Lanka. I was informed by the frontdesk that the acmv has been down and is spoilt since morning and till 5pm, the acmv is still down. We had to ask for fans in the hotel room to try to manage the heat. Reception could not inform when the repairs will be done. I have never come across a reputable hotel with a broken down central acmv system, with no back up systems and no service recovery process. This is such an unfortunate incident amd experience of poor service quality. Even 3 star hotels have working acmv to cool the rooms.