Rooms were quite tired, windows needed cleaning. Although the food and service were great, the restaurant room lacked atmosphere.

Pool area was fantastic and location very close to safari park entrance - hotel provide a picnic breakfast which was appreciated.

Stayed in December 2024

The location is superior, and the staff are very enthusiastic. The bathtub doesn't seem to have hot water. The sound insulation in the rooms upstairs and downstairs is not very good.

Stayed in February 2025

The Resort is very old. It looks beautiful on the pictures But if you look a little closer you will see that it really needs Renovation & clean up. The bathtub was dirty & the sofa was dirty. The chair on the balcony was broken as well. The only really great thing was that it was right next to the ocean, But when we arrived we had to find out that you‘re Not Even allowed to swim on there :(

View of the Hotel is wonderful, Right next to the ocean. Since we couldnt have breakfast, because Safari starts at 5am, they packed a lunch for us.

Stayed in April 2024

The service for food and drinks was appalling. We waited about 1hr 30 for food and there were hardly any visitors to attend to. Not much on the menu was available. We thought they may have been getting the food from the next resort as it took so long and came with cling wrap over it. Hard to understand as it is peak time during January. The staff were friendly and in abundance but had NO IDEA and only the manager spoke English so communication was difficult. Such a shame as the resort in itself is amazing. There was a pack of wild dogs who were fighting near our rooms during the night. Dont think they were scared off by anyone as they kept on and on. The place could be 5 star or more if they could just get everything right.

The setting is truly amazing and one of a kind. The rooms are spacious. The view is sensational. The pool is wonderful. It’s like desert setting and the ocean is an oasis. The elephant visit was a bonus. Very close to Yala National Park so not too early to rise for a safari. The pool attendant was lovely

Stayed in January 2024

This is not a resort as it claims to be in the title. Half of the accommodation is closed down due to it being uninhabitable and needing major renovations. The other half of the hotel where we stayed was OK, although very tired and in need of major attention. When we arrived, we had to wait for our room to be made available, though we arrived very late in the afternoon. The poor quality towels in our room were wet, and we had to ask for them to be replaced. We approached the staff 3 times to have them replaced. The bed was large and comfortable. The TV reception was very bad, with a lot of the stations either fading in or out or having no signal. The bathroom had mould on the curtains, and the shower had no hot water for the time we were there. It's our fault as we couldn't be bothered approaching the housekeeping staff again. Some amenities claimed on the booking.com website are false and were not provided. I doubt it if booking.com or TripAdvisor has ever been to this place. The photos of the bathroom amenities are nothing like reality. One very small bottle of shampoo and body wash to serve two adults. We went to the bar for an afternoon drink. We were given an extensive drinks list, only to be told that only beer was available. The bar area itself lacks atmosphere. Went for a walk around the complex. The pool area was very nice, but question as to how often the pool tiles are scrubbed clean. There appeared to be no bar area operating around the pool. What there is are two run-down structures overrun by sand that look like they have not been used in years as a bar area. The cabana area was run down and falling apart in some areas. The spa was out of order and had been for sometime. See attached dirty hotel information sheet attached. Finally, housekeeping amounted to someone knocking on our door at nearly 6 pm. He replenished the toiletries and towels, only to leave the old towels behind in our living area. That is all they did.

The only thing going for this place is its staff. The restaurant staff and the chef were 10 out of 10. One night, there was a buffet that had a great selection of dishes. If it weren't for the staff and the location of the hotel, there would be no reason to stay here. One amazing experience was an elephant coming through the hotel grounds within metres of our rooms. The highlight of our stay. The views from our room to the ocean was perfect. To all the restaurant staff, especially the captain ( lady in charge) and the chef, thank you.

Stayed in August 2025

Nothing

My exhilarating trip to Sri Lanka was an incredible experience that will always remain in my memories. The pristine landscapes and beautiful nature of this country captured my heart. However, what made this trip even more special was our stay at Laya hotel. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and also the place was very comfortable and quiet at night. We happened to be there during Sinhala and Tamil new year holiday, and we decided to stay an extra night to celebrate with them. We participated in their games and festivities, and it was a great new experience. We were even honored as special guests on the second night to stay in their brand new caravan. Special thanks to the hotel general manager (Mr.Wasantha) and his deputy (Mr.Dulaj) for their hospitality.

Stayed in April 2024

I booked this hotel for our UK client who visited Sri Lanka. They enjoyed their time at Laya Hotel. Staff were friendly and helpful. Asya Tours Kalutara will recommend this hotel for further travellers

Stayed in March 2024

Lovely staff and beachfront location

Stayed in February 2024

Bathing facilities.

Location.

Stayed in February 2024

The toilet bidet spray was leaking, the hotel staff seemed to think this was ok until I insisted we change rooms. The facilities are old. The gym equipment is rusty and not safe. None of the machines are working and there is no aircon. The food is terrible. Lunch was like cardboard. Breakfast was poor - again no one asked if we were vegetarian. I have never been served plastic cheese before that’s still in the wrapper and rubber sausages. We ooted to have dinner which was included in the price over at the Hilton hotel - I throughly recommend the food there.

The location is great. Having seen the Hilton, Laya is right on the beach with immediate access from all rooms. Perfect to see the sun rise and set. The rooms are fairly spacious. The bed is soft and marginally comfortable.

Stayed in February 2024

The property was dirty and there were lots of stains on the walls/ cabinet/ sofa/ blinds, and dead insects all around. Mosquito net had holes in it and cabinet doors creaked badly. Beach area was dirty and not well-maintained. It felt like a semi-abandoned resort, to be honest. Even though our shower tap/ head were fixed, the water pressure was low and temperature difficult to adjust. We had to mix two shower heads (one with cold water and the other with hot water) to get the temperature right. Dinner prices were cheaper at the neighbouring hotel and food quality incomparable. We are not picky guests; my husband and I camp a lot and have couch surfed/ backpacked through third world countries and lived in very basic accoms high up in mountains. We are usually non-confrontational but were indeed quite uncomfortable with our stay here that we had to voice our opinions. Hotel manager told us it was safe to walk in the dark over to the neighbouring resort about 8min away by foot. We knew there were wild animals around as our resort was located very close to the safari. Our guide told us that leopards and bears have been spotted along the roads before, and elephants frequently bypass the area. We asked if they could offer us a short 3min drive over to the neighbouring resort (they had a car parked out front), and offered to pay for the ride, but they told us it was not possible. They mentioned that we would have to call in a tuktuk from town (about 40min away) and that would incur a high cost. Since the hotel manager said it was safe, we decided to take the risk anyway and walked over for dinner because there was still some sunlight. After dinner, we were planning to walk back but were quickly stopped by the staff from the neighbouring resort. They insisted it wasn’t safe and told us to call our resort to give us a ride. After informing them that Laya couldn’t offer us a ride, they put us in their van and gave us a free ride back.

This resort is situated on a big piece of land located in a prime beach-front area very close to Yala Safari. We had issues with our shower but they were fixed promptly. The restaurant manager showed professionalism and accountability when we provided feedback on their dinner. He waived the costs even though we insisted to pay. He was very apologetic.

Stayed in February 2024

Bali theme out of place, better to have a more traditional village theme

Staff are exceptionally helpful and friendly

Stayed in February 2024

It was off season so it was very quiet and it felt like the room hadn’t had attention in a while. The water was a bit intermittent too. The hotel overall is a bit tired and needs love (ie. paint, plumbing etc) but the staff and location made up for it.

The location is incredible, it’s right on the ocean with an infinity pool overlooking the beach. The bedrooms are huge and very comfortable. We saw a wild elephant at the hotel. The staff were very attentive and offered to make a bonfire on the beach (there was a storm so we couldn’t). The pool was warm and lovely.

Stayed in November 2023

Good place to see

Very good

Stayed in November 2023

We stayed in this hotel for 2 days in October 2023. The hotel is located in the Yala Nature Reserve on the ocean. We were pleasantly surprised by the hotel staff. The general manager of Colonel proved to be an amazing person. He gave us a real celebration in honor of our wedding anniversary. It was funny and unforgettable. The hotel itself is not new, but it has everything you need. The rooms are large and colorful. All with ocean views, comfortable enough. Many thanks to the staff of the entire hotel for their hospitality and attention to our people.

Stayed in October 2023

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Stayed in March 2024

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Stayed in April 2025

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Stayed in January 2025

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Stayed in December 2023