Name: The Villa in Lavinia
Address: .No 26/3, Sri Dharmapala Mawatha, Mount Lavinia, Colombo, 10370, LK

6/10

Pleasant

23 Oct 2025

Jerry

It is a cheap place to stay. You get what you pay for.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2025

Rajini

Great place to stay
Everyone working there is lovely

8/10

Excellent

21 Oct 2024

Ananda Shantha

Very kind people very good place to stay. Close to everything. Close to beach. I can recommend to anyone.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2024

Duncan

Nice place. Good location.

Good location. Good value for money. Effective AC. Nice breakfast. Friendly staff.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Feb 2024

Adnan

A little hidden gem. Clean, simple, great staff, very reasonably priced. I would definitely come back!

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

07 Dec 2023

Verified traveler

Did the job, but just!

The Villa in Lavinia is a nice-enough, quaint property and on the whole, well run by the owner and staff, who were nice people, grateful for your patronage and always helpful.

Its location is not in the nicest environment at the bottom of the street off Galle Road, just a hundred yards from the train track. Trains pass often with screaming horns at all hours, which has to happen given so many people live, (in dire poverty), at the railway line or cross the track in the normal course of the day/night.

The room itself was basic, a little tired and could do with renovation and re-painting (at least). There was air-conditioning in the room, but wasn't always effective in a tropical climate. Sometimes the ceiling fan did the job more effectively.

The bed was pretty 'hard', uncomfortable and old. The mattress under the sheets looked pretty dirty.

The Wi-Fi was okay.....worked 50% of the time, though was set through an unsecured connection. It often dropped sporadically just when you needed it.

The room had a fridge, which was great since you need to buy mineral water and keep it cold. The bathroom was good, but very tired and needs renovating - the shower-head was literally rusty.

However, all this is in context since Sri Lanka is, at best, a 2nd world country/developing nation.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

19 Nov 2023

Swarna Mahinda

Inside shower room, toilet bowl and wash basing arrangement are not safe, as sitting in the toilet is not safe due to wash basing square slab with sharp corners. This is a health and safety issue, accident waiting to happen, requires urgent revisit the washrooms and attend to appropriate resifting of wash basing so on to make safe. I alert this issue with the manger InCharge, and he acknowledged the issue. A simple modification of bathroom would solve the problem.

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2023

Massimiliano

I like the stay in this hotel and people is nice and professional

8/10

Excellent

24 Aug 2023

Verified traveler

The Villa

Have stayed at this establishment over the past 20 or so years. First choice when visiting SL. standard has improved with the addition of fridges. Friendly, obliging professional staff standards have not changed.

8/10

Excellent

25 Jul 2023

Joi

Small establishment; great service

We spent 1 night here at the Villa in Lavinia. The staff greeted us at the door and walked us to the room as they explained things. We had a nice breakfast prepared for us the next morning accompanied by a gentle knock on the door to let us know it was hot and ready. When we had an issue getting an Uber to come pick us up to go to our next location the staff immediately stepped in and contacted a driver for us. The Villa at Lavinia is a small establishment, but the personal care and service is unmatched. Thank you for that.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Quiet cosy atmosphere. Staff was friendly and provide assistance.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

18 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Great little place

The Villa in Lavinia is a great little place tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Colombo proper which is a few minutes away though there is plentiful supply of taxis (Uber) and tuk-tuks so it was not an issue for us. Although the location is closer to the beach there aren't many things to do locally so the taxis do come handy. Facility wise, the room and the hotel in general was in good clean condition and the pool (although small-ish in size) and surrounding area was well kept.

The only real issue we had during our stay is the daily power cuts for which the hotel didn't have generators for at the time.

Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Apr 2019

M

Staff were pleasant and obliging - although initial requests made at booking were not met. The manager's personal attention to promptly solve a technical issue was very much appreciated. Location is good. You get value for money and I liked the homey feel of the villa.
The building itself is very nice but needs upgrading e.g. plug points should be changed to square from round; fan in my room was noisy; bedside lamps would be nice; amenities were just two tiny lumps of soap. Bring your own.

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

26 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Location is also not that good.
Wifi was pathetic. You cannot connect in your room and when it is connected it was very slow.
After that in evening there is a power cut and hotel doesn’t have anpower back up. When i asked then came to know that power cut is also in morning from 0830-1130 and evening 1700-1800 or 1830.
I checked out in morning as soon as i got up.
Worst experience of hotel.

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

28 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

Disappointing stay here, chaos best describes management. Holes in bed sheets that you could put your arm through, toilet seat that was broken. Complained every day . No room make up on 2 of 4 days by 7.00pm had to ask!! Checked out early and went somewhere else.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

28 Dec 2018

Pudupakkam Varadarajan

Palatial Rip-off!!

The Villa is definitely not value for money.Internet is very poor the breakfast pathetic. Has anyone heard of Date Juice???unless desperate please do not use this place for even a days stay

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Aug 2018

Monica

Very good value. Small touches would take it up a notch e.g. a bedside lamp, upgrade TV set to a slightly larger one. Nice grounds and plants/trees. Although the rooms were smallish, it was nice that there was an open-ness in the common areas. Well designed.
Every single member of the staff was extremely helpful and communicated well in English (apologies if it sounds patronising; but English is not so widely spoken nowadays). Would definitely stay there again.

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jun 2018

Rodney

Hidden away

All round not so good. Upon arrival we couldn't get in and had to bang on the door for a long time to attract someones attention. The room had been cleaned but wasn't ready so lots of coming and going. Nobody came near our room for our 3 day stay and we had to ask for things like toilet paper. For dinner the menu meant nothing and you pretty much had to order what suited them. Our room wasn't very clean. The staff were nice, helpful and friendly.

8/10

Excellent

13 Jan 2018

Heather

Nice hotel walking distance beach & restaurants

Found staff friendly and helpful. Were there for a wedding and tour. Family came in at various times and were made very welcome dispute their late arrivals.

8/10

Excellent

22 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Our stay has only begun. We have been very fortunate to have had the help from the staff here, no problem opening the Villa for us at 2.00am or providing meals. If you need something it's a matter of asking and they are willing to help solve your problem.
Our days have busy getting organised for a wedding. Travel comes later.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2017

Asiri

Place to stay

This is my 8th visit. Excellent service. James and the team is extraordinary. If you are going to Sri Lanka - Colombo this is the place to stay. Clean, Comfortable and secure.

8/10

Excellent

30 Oct 2016

Jocelyn

Super-clean, modern n comfy at a good price

My first impression of this place changed significantly over time, largely due to the lovely staff and manager.

On first glance the room seemed smallish and the location a little out of the way for a woman travelling alone but I soon realised how safe n comfortable it was.

The rooms are compact and super clean and modern. My room was bug-free, which is a difficult task for any hotel in SL. There's a nice little porch outside the room which offers great drying opportunities if you decide to do some handwashing. In the heat your clothes can dry in as little as an hour!

The amenity kits in the bathroom are lovely n after use the bottles are fab for putting your own toiletries into if you're trying to downsize on cosmetic bottles in your luggage.

For anyone put off by dogs, the villa's namesake, Lavinia, is a very sweet, small n good natured pup.

The villas are at the beach end of a little laneway, which means it's convenient for beach walks. Tuk tuks are stationed not far from the building so do ask the staff to grab you one if you're going out at night.

The staff n manager are delightful and did whatever they could to make my stay a pleasant one. I felt very at home n looked after here.

Thanks for a great stay!

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2016

Shu

A welcoming retreat

the place is secluded, quite but very safe. compound is well maintained and has great staff who is ever willing to assist (the chef even made us a special breakfast). it is only 5 mins walk to the beach. i would highly recommended for its cleanliness and high quality of customer service.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Sep 2016

Verified traveler

nice hotel and v calm place

I liked the hotel staying for holiday. Hotel was very clean and very calm. Location is best. Beach is very close by hotel. Hotel security is very good so I felt much secure during stay.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2016

Verified traveler

Clean, comfy and cheap

Not too far from the beach, nice rooms for the price, AC, minibar, TV etc. Cute swimming pool. Staff friendly if at times a bit slow. Off street parking.

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2016

M. HCQ

Best breakfast in Mt Lavinia!

Order the Sri Lankan breakfast! Roti, Dal and the most delicious tomato/onion topping I've ever tasted! I would love to have the recipe.

The worst part of my stay was missing the breakfast on my second morning as I checked out at 5am.

Hotel was nice. A good walk from Gaulle Road and a short walk to Mt Lavinia beach (and beach restaurants and pubs) which you would need to get to for eating in the local area.

Hotel upgraded my stay to a large room which was nice. Staff and Manager were friendly and helpful. Rooms and bathroom nicely decorated. Cold dip pool was refreshing.

Noise from the road was a little loud for light sleepers.

6/10

Pleasant

28 Apr 2016

David

You get what you pay for plus dogs, but no wifi.

Room was clean and it was okay for what I paid. Breakfast was okay, but doesn't start to 8am There are two dogs roaming around the property. The free WiFi doesn't work. The TV in the room is tiny, 14 inch. There is a window from the hallway into the room above the door and the curtains on the external window only cover half the window area. If you ask for something the staff will try to help, but not great service. I guess you get what you pay for.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2016

John

A good choice on the south side of Colombo

We spent a couple of nights in Mount Lavinia on arrival in Sri Lanka - this place was a good choice - clean and very well appointed, with helpful staff. Close to the railway station; and walking distance to the main road where you can get a bus. The location is initially a bit off-putting, down a back alley, but once you are inside it is really nice and it is a few hundred yards from the beach, where there are lots of restaurants and the nearby Mount Lavinia hotel, great for a sundowner on the terrace (go for Happy Hour - drinks half price).

Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Feb 2016

Peter

Great staff

Lovely staff. By SL standards it is what I now know is about normal. Staff were very helpful.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2025

Marie-Jeanne

Du 11 au 13 février

Dans ce charmant hôtel, nous avions une chambre au rez de chaussée,avec petite terrasse privée, à côté de la piscine.
Le personnel est aux petits soins, toujours souriants.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2024

Jose Ignacio

En general está bien, con atención personal del propietario, puedes ir andando a la playa, y muy cerca se coge un autobús que lleva al centro.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 May 2024

Akif

Umduğum gibi değil

Tesis ana arterden uzak mahalle arasında, günlük oda temizliği yapılmadı, günlük ücretsiz şişe su verilir yazmasına rağmen ücret istediler...

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2020

PAVEL

Bien !!!

Très bon emplacement, entre plage et commerces. Personnel très agréable.
Idéal pour visiter Colombo puis finir la journée à la plage.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Sauber und gut ausgestattet. Das Personal ist durchweg sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit.
Am besten gefallen hat mir aber die Lage ,dicht an Colombo und allem was man braucht und vorallem in einer realen Umgebung dh kein Touristen Ghetto. Uns haben die Tage dort wirklich gefallen und uns das Ankommen auf Sri Lanka sehr erleichtert .

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Die Lage ist wirklich gut, kurzer Weg zum Strand über die Bahnschienen. Der Strand ist sauber und die Restaurants sehr gut. Ich hatte keinen Adapter und das Personal vom Hotel hat mir netterweise einen besorgt, danke dafür.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Zeer vriendelijk personeel. Erg hulpvaardig.De kamer was schoon en had een goede air conditioning

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2018

Elena

Отдых сердцем.

Это очень комфортный отель,а персонал дружелюбный.Помогали и поддерживали на протяжении всего отдыха.Чувствовала себя как дома с друзьями.Я очень довольна,уезжать совсем не хотелось.Готовят вкусную еду и огромные порции.Вблизи пляж,идти пару минут.Магазины тоже на расстоянии 10 минут.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Dec 2018

Marko

Second visit on this hotel. Nothing has really changed, rooms are really good, staff friendly. Fridge and electric kettle is a big plus. One of the best wifis we met during our 26 days visit in Sri Lanka.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2017

Anna

Ett personligt boende

Ett mycket bra personligt boende i ett lugnt område, nära till stranden och Colombo. Personalen gav oss utmärkt personlig service. Vi rekommenderar hotellet.

Partner

4/10

Poor

24 Jul 2017

Ako

中は綺麗なホテル

午前0時過ぎのチェックインだったが、気さくに対応してもらえた。しかし、気分良く朝食付きで予約してあったのに、朝食は有料だと言われた。予約時の印刷を見せてが、どこかの手違いでかホテルの受付では、ノーブレックファーストになっていて、実費を支払って食べた。
また、ドライヤーも貸してもらえると思ったらなかった。

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jan 2017

bjørn

Service +++++

Good valyue for the money

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2016

Verified traveler

Gutes kleines Hotel. Bisschen außerhalb von Colombo, aber mit dem TukTuk oder Bus kein Problem zu erreichen.
Zimmer sauber, im Hotel selbst etwas hellhörig.
Frühstück auf Wunsch zubereitet, etwas wenig, aber lecker.

8/10

Excellent

22 Mar 2016

Verified traveler

Schönes Hotel in Strandnähe

Das Hotel liegt gut, um dort den ersten Tag nach der Anreise zu verbringen. Der kurze Weg zum Strand über die Bahngleise ist etwas ungewöhnlich aber so ist man gleich richtig in Sri Lanka angekommen. Die Ausstattung des Hotels ist super. Wir haben uns dort sehr wohl gefühlt.