Reef Villa and Spa

Enchanting grounds and floating paths over water lead to an open receiving area, a sweet ice tea welcome drink is very pleasant during the check in process. Our room was very large styled in the colonial era with a separate outdoor jacuzzi bath and a small seating area, the bathroom was open to the elements and so didn't benefit from air conditioning so it was warm and humid. There's an in room safe, a couple of modern multi country plug sockets but I'd recommend bringing an adapter for Sri Lankan sockets. There's a tea kettle and a selection of drink sachets but it's poor given where we are and the price point of this hotel. The receiving area feels like wasted space, maybe it's more for the inclimant weather, this leads out to the garden and pool area with attached restaurant. The pool is fine for cooling dips with easy enough stair access, it had sufficient beds and towels, but it was struggling with low occupancy so it may be different at 100%. The restaurant produces some excellent food and does it consistently. Sadly it lets itself down by charging London prices for food and drink, this sits at odds when compared to the competition. The staff are outstanding and are really trying to impress. A constant theme of our stay was the inquisition as to if we were or weren't having all our meals at the hotel, sometimes it seemed as we had disobeyed the warden by stepping out of the compound. Overall the hotel and the local area feel as if it's best days are behind it. As an example the gift shop is closed, the spa has been closed and many areas would've benefit from redecorating.

I'd give Reef Villa 6 stars if I could. First the service, what can I say, it was just exceptional, thank you Malith, Dino, Rohan, Asanka, Sandy, gardeners and security (including Fred and Wilma the friendly but vigilant golden retriever security team!) for making our stay the most relaxing and enjoyable I've ever had (and we have travelled all over the world). Special mention to Sandy for showing me the baby fish and trying :) to teach me the Sinhalese names of the birds, our mutual love of wildlife meant the language difference wasn't a barrier 🙏. The property and gardens are beautiful, 'Raj' in style, spotlessly clean (thanks Rohan and your team), comfortable. Asanka you are a top chef, your dishes prepared and presented would not be out of place in the best hotels. Dino, you are a gem, your attentive service was just exceptional and we enjoyed our many chats and your stories, you made us feel part of the Reef Villa family. Lastly location, it feels off the beaten track, the grounds and rooms are very quiet, with direct access to the beach from the garden and pool on one side and the railway line and quiet access road on the other. It's only 10minutes quiet amble to the railway station, bustling little market (2 banks and grocery stores). It's undeniably poor by western, but I was only pestered three times, it's generally super friendly and the place is not as littered as many places in India. I spent a couple hours every morning just wandering around with my camera. Be respectful and ask if people mind their photo taken and you're usually rewarded with a genuine smile and occasionally a slightly bemused expression (as I'm sure I would give in the same situation). We took the commuter train along the coast, that was an experience not to be missed. Finally I'd go back tomorrow if I could, it was a beautiful, unique boutique, relaxing 2 weeks with lovely people on the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.

We stayed 3 nights at the end of our 12 nights in Sri Lanka & all we wanted to do was relax & this place certainly ticked the box. What we weren’t prepared for was that we had the whole place to ourselves! At first this was a little uncomfortable to grasp but then it hit us - you have an amazing villa with your own private chef & staff to look after you. & boy did they. Dino was amazing, always on hand to ask if we wanted a drink by the pool, occasionally bringing us a lovely sorbet & always with a smile & great stories. We had the lily pond room which was lovely. All rooms look lovely especially the 2 suites in the main house. The house is full of lovely antiques but has a very contemporary feel with the main staircase. The pool is large & welcoming in the heat of the day. The beach is lovely but after storms is strewn with plastic rubbish. There isn’t much around that tempted us but we were happy just to soak up our surroundings. The food was amazing. Breakfast very substantial. We are not lunch people but had dinner in the restaurant each night. Whilst there isn’t a big choice we did ask for something off the lunch menu for dinner on our last night & this wasn’t a problem. The curries were amazing & you could probably share one. Yes the prices are high, the highest we paid in the whole of our holiday but the fact that we were the only guests made it worthwhile & very special. In summary this is an amazing place to spend a couple of nights at the beginning or end of your Sri Lankan trip. Whilst we loved the fact we were the only ones there, this place needs guests to survive & my recommendation would be just go, you won’t be disappointed.