Prices were steep compared to the rest of Sri Lanka. The food could be better to what you expect of the level of this hotel.

We had a warm welcome by Ayesh. The room was spacious and clean. Our kids enjoyed the pool, playing area and the beach. Great to have this all so close. Although we were there during low season, they did everything possible to make it to an enjoyable stay.

Stayed in August 2025

Great location, big room and a very nice vibe also because of the great staff!

Stayed in August 2025

Since we were here in July, which is low season, you are not able to access the sea in front of the hotel. You are able to access the beach, but the sea is rough. This is not something to dislike, but you might want to know if you are going to book this amazing place. (There are pool clubs nearby where you can go for a swim / surf in the sea, just a little drive away.)

We really enjoyed our stay at Lion's rest. The room was so spacious, the hotel was clean and beautiful but at the end what makes the experience memorable is the kindness and the helpfulness of the people who work there. We received tips and hidden gems where to go, didn't order dinner upfront (low season) but were still able to get dinner spontaniously, no problem at all. The people working there really doing the extra effort.

Stayed in July 2025

Lions rest was the most amazing stay for me and my family. The staff were all so so helpful, kind and accommodating and I request big or small was too much trouble for them. The room was clean, spacious, and the location is just amazing right next to the main surf breaks. Everyone made us feel truly welcome and a special note that my wife has got a gluten-free allergy so travelling can be difficult but again the management and catering team went above and beyond every day to make sure she had lovely food to eat throughout each day. Could not recommend this place highly enough …great work guys and thanks again! Jon Duncan ✌️

Stayed in July 2025

Warmly welcomed and felt like part of the family from the moment we arrived.

Stayed in March 2025

Nothing at all

Great location right on the beach. Very friendly and helpful staff, excellent food, particularly the Sri Lankan curry. Nice clean pool for when sea to strong to swim/surf.

Stayed in May 2025

The restaurant for dinner is very nice. The food is great, but it is expensive for Sri Lanka. Breakfast was included and was excellent.

Great location, top service with beautiful rooms, pool and view.

Stayed in April 2025

Lion's Rest is an absolute gem. It made my trip to Gurubebila exeptional. The staff was friendly and attentive, they went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. The grounds were very well taken care of. The room I stayed in was very comfortable and clean. The locations was perfect, right by the sea, surf, and close to restaurants. The breakfast was delicious, I love that the coffee, tea, fruit, and toast, was set out to self serve (then you get to order off the menu as well). Everything about Lion's Rest was very well thought out, I will return!

Stayed in April 2025

My son loved his own sleeping space with the upstairs loft!

Stayed in March 2025

Great place.. Zero complaints.. no cars.. kind people..

Stayed in March 2025

We felt very welcome, the staff was super friendly, the environment is relxed and the room was perfect for a family.

Stayed in March 2025

Fantastic location, in more chilled village a short Tuk Tuk ride away from the main hustle and bustle of Weligama. Staff super friendly and helpful. Delicious breakfast and dinners. Great for staying as a family with young children. Plenty of space to relax and for a crawling baby! Lovely pool. Rooms were spacious, cool and clean. We would have stayed longer if we could! We may return at the end of our trip!

Stayed in March 2025

Price is a bit too high. However, if you want to stay in this majestic area and have a pool there are not many options. It should be also noted that superior double room (the one with huge balcony and ocean-view) is not as private as it might look - common stairs separates the room and the balcony thus you might want to cover your windows (no view if so).

Its in perfect location - best location to live in the area for calm holidays - intermediate surf spot (on the beach ask for surf instructor Freddy) ahead, yoga place nearby, nice cafes and restaurants around, best sunset area. Its also nice to have a cooled pool. The staff is also amazing - the manager can help with any issue as well as his crew. They also have tuktuk drivers (2 nice guys) in front of the hotel who are ready to go anytime. Very convenient place to stay. Lots of people with children.

Stayed in March 2025

Nothing, lovely place to stay at.

Quiet location away from weligama busy street. There’s also really nice natural pools round the corner. It’s like a secret small beach.

Stayed in March 2025

I paid for additional expenses - food, massage, drinks -with a payment card and I was charged a 3% transaction fee, you have to remember this to withdraw the money earlier, I was not warned that. The water in the pool has a lot of chemicals, thanks to this you won't catch a disease, but watch out for swimming shorts, my son had blue ones before entering and pale blue ones after leaving. There was no enclosed shower in our room, only a small shower tray almost at floor level, which is why after a bath in the bathroom there was water on the floor for a long time.

I spent 6 days at Lion's Rest at the end of our Sri Lanka trip with my two teenage sons. The place is cool. The room was quite small but big enough for the three of us. The bed was comfortable. The breakfasts were delicious and there was a choice of both continental and local dishes. We had a great barbecue buffet at the place twice for a reasonable price. The boys also had a few tasty lunches. I recommend the food and the drinks. The place has a great surf instructor who helped me catch my first big waves. Every morning he took us in a tuk tuk with boards, which had a lot of charm. The area around Lion's Rest is homely. Right out of the gate you meet cows and you're just a few steps from a beautiful beach. You don't have to look for a trip to see turtles, because there are plenty of them on the ocean next to hotel. The center of Weligama is very close, and there is always a Tuk Tuk in front of the place to take you there. The staff was wonderful. They took great care to make sure that the stay at Lion's Rest was a success. In the evenings you can also watch surfing films on the projector what was real fun for us.

Stayed in March 2025

The manager and owner were extremely friendly and helpful. We did some Surf-lessons with Lucky and enjoyed them a lot. Breakfast was fantastic, the accomodation was beautiful, clean and cozy. Overall our best stay during our time in Sri Lanka - full recommendation!

Stayed in February 2025

We liked everything.

The Lion’s Rest was a wonderful property. The room was lovely and the staff very welcoming particularly Ayesh. There’s surf breaks and turtles swimming in the ocean right in front of the property. Our only regret was that we didn’t stay longer.

Stayed in February 2025

-

Staff are lovely, nice rooms and great location

Stayed in February 2025

Nothing it really hit the spot

The location was amazing with a mix of 'surf culture' and local every day life. It was truly relaxed and welcoming but not showy. The staff including Ayesh Prasad, Kalhara, Nuwan, Ramesh and Kalana the in house tuk tuk driver were very friendly, full of useful advice and ready to help. The Sri Lankan breakfast and the curry buffet were tremendous! We were only sad not to have been there for the fish bbq the day after we left.

Stayed in February 2025

We had a ground floor room close to the entrante and swimming Pool. Not as Private as the upper floor rooms.

Excellent location and great breakfast. The Lions rest is in a village very close to Weligama making it more peaceful . Great beach best by. We had a fish bbq there which was also very good.

Stayed in February 2025

Nothing

We had a wonderful stay at Lions rest - the property was clean, well maintained and to a high standard. The staff were super welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. It’s really well located on the beach, near good restaurants bars and within a 10 min tuktuk of nearby towns. Lions Rest can arrange great surf lessons with Lucky and has a great restaurant on site, offering a weekly seafood bbq we would recommend Wouldn’t stay anywhere else on the South coast, recommend you book here for your next trip!

Stayed in February 2025

Only thing was our bathroom was kind of damp smelling. I think adding an extractor fan would help a lot.

Nice relaxed quiet spot for a great price. Very friendly welcome. Good food at the restaurant

Stayed in February 2025

Nothing

Friendly, very comfortable and relaxed, nice pool, lovely beach, very helpful

Stayed in February 2025

Food was a bit expensive.

Loved the location, away from hustle and bustle. Clean and very friendly/helpful staff. Breakfast was really good.

Stayed in January 2025