Waterside Bentota

We had a very enjoyable three nights at Waterside. Beautiful location and excellent staff. We enjoyed the food - both breakfast and dinner were of high quality. We took the opportunity to go out on an early morning river safari. It was well worth it. It is about a fifteen minute walk into the village and a further ten to the beach. Very much recommended.

Wonderful team of staff who did their best to ensure we had a lovely stay, which we did. We enjoyed chatting with them and they went over and above with customer care. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious. We also ate evening snacks with beers one night on that they delivered to our balcony. And we shared a nice but small seafood platter one evening too. The location is lovely and peaceful and right on the riverbank with so much local wildlife around. We saw so many bird species, langur monkeys, and monitor lizards. Massive pool and lots of space. A surprisingly big place considering there’s just 6 rooms. The rooms are big with great balconies and comfortable chairs, tables and good beds. It’s easier to get to the beach if you have your own transportation as it’s a few kilometres away. We did the river boat safari which was wonderful- the boat is right there on site and we went early in the morning but a cup of tea was ready for us before we went out which was lovely. We saw and hand-fed the very gentle and lovely purple-faced langurs (monkeys) which was very special and saw lots of other wildlife. So serene on the river in the early morning. We really enjoyed our stay here and would highly recommend. Moragalla Beach is great for snorkelling too.

First I would like to give feedback about the staff. The moment our car arrived there were people to welcome us. This was a great experience. This hotel has 6 Villas. Villas are exactly located opposite to the Bentota river. There is a beautiful but medium sized swimming pool sufficient for the guests staying here. Nuvaan is one guy who treated us really well. Another couple of guys who gave great hospitality. Even the owner of the property Kamal met us during our breakfast time to see if everything was fine. Staff were very friendly and asked us what to prepare for Breakfast and Dinner. Overall I enjoyed the Service here. Room: View is very good. In-room view is also very neat. However some essential stuff like Coffee maker, Kettle are not kept. I advise owners to arrange this. And the hair dryer, Iron box should also be given too. Since there is no screen between the shower and the washbasin the floor might get wet soon. So I advised the management to take care of this. Any more suggestions: When staff asked for dinner we asked for something which can be eaten with drinks. But later they added this to our bill saying this was not part of the package. This disappointed us. Water can be provided even from the filter as well. So anything provided additionally, better inform the guests about it. We felt bad as we asked the staff to prepare fewer items for Dinner and breakfast to save their time/money. But shocked to see they charged for a small dish prepared even though this was part of dinner. When Visitors are paying a big amount for the stay which includes Dinner and breakfast It is also important to provide water and the dishes with no extra cost. This is my honest opinion. So I am reducing one star! Let the management learn the importance of some small things. Otherwise I am fine to recommend this to anyone who wants to stay.

This is a small hotel by the charming Bentota river. A calm place to stay. Environment is very magnificent. We had a boat ride in this river. Through these mangroves. It was an unforgettable experience. The service is excellent. Price is valuable.