Reviews of Rekawa Turtle Gate Hotel

The position and the owner

Location to turtle beach

Shower in one of the rooms didn’t work Found price not so cheap compared to other hotels around

Nice location close to the lagoon and a few mins walk to the restaruants (we recommend Hungry Dragon tucked away in the corner on the way to the beach - really fragrant curry with multiple dishes and friendly, English speaking service) and beautiful long palm-lined turtle beach. Rooms are simple but clean - mine even had an iron and board! Ask for the room with garden view or the larger studio upstairs. Good breakfast. The owner's son has a kayak you can hire for 4000 LKR. Access to turtle beach after 8p.m. only with guide (2000 LKR) and infrared lamps beause of the turtles nesting - well worth staying to watch them lay their eggs and return to the ocean. We were amazed at how few people were on the beach during the day. Literally just a handful! Maybe their hotels all had a pool (the waves are really strong so swimming is difficult)...

Only the front room and studio upstairs have garden views.

- Lovely family run - Good food - Nice people - Helpful

- Rented a scooter but with no petrol, had to fill up for them, bit cheeky - Cold showers, no hot water - Found a cockroach in the room - No bin on the room - Too far from Tangalle, would definitely look to be closer next time

The location was great to see turtles and lovely beach but hard to find. Owners very welcoming and even picked me up after hearing I’d had trouble with tuk tuk to property. He also drove me down to beach very kind. Room was very comfortable great size. Had a lovely dinner and b/fast

Nothing it was perfect

Good accomodation super close to the beach where you can spot turtles. The breakfast was exceptional and the hosts are friendly.

Very nice host, and great breakfast and dinner. The turtle beach is very recommandable! Just 5min per foot and you can see baby turtles hatching

Looks a bit different than the pictures, bathroom is ok.

Fabulous and friendly staff. Great breakfast. Clean room. Great location for the turtle conservation. Quite a few restaurants around. Chose this one because it was bigger than most but the size included the lovely balcony, and a kitchen I would never use. Two bedrooms one was good the other very hot with a squeaky fan. Great aircon but didn't quite reach enough into the second room. I was a bit disappointed.

The bathroom smells like sewerage and the toilet is not properly fixed to the floor so it moves a bit and leaks. I think it was overpriced a bit. No mosquito nets. I don't like to say bad reviews for good people but some things need fixing.

We really enjoyed our stay, everything was perfect. The house is very close to the most beautiful beach we've ever seen. On the beach, we could is see turtles in their natural environment. We were served amazing breakfasts - everyday they were different! It was an amazing stay! Thank you!

Delicious breakfast. Very kind staff.

Located near a beautiful beach and other hotels and restuarants and shops. Friendly, family run hotel. Nothing too much trouble.

Nothing

Amazing stay I definitely recommend this place 100 % The family owners are so nice and will help you with anything The food at the restaurant is delicious and the breakfast amazing with some Sri Lankan touch The rooms are clean and the bed are the comfiest I tried in Sri Lanka The ratio quality price is unbeatable They also did my laundry and helped us organizing the turtle observation tour

Staff was very friendly. Lots of good recommendation of the area and turtle watching.

Bathroom area.

The Room: - clean, spacious, beautiful, quiet, great air con, comfortable bed & linen, surrounded by nature, peaceful, hot shower, a space to hang your clothes, plenty of bedside table & floor space. The Villa: - beautifully designed with shells and plants lining the path, bar & seating/dining area - mosquito coils provided upon request, as well as fans being readily available in seating/dining area - upstairs private seating; definitely recommend sitting here for breakfast and listening to the various birds whilst the palms sway in the breeze The Service: - can’t thank Sachi & his father enough for the 24/7 support that they offer. Every time we were greeted with a smile and radiant positivity. They took our requests on board and made them happen (things like a mango for breakfast instead of other fruits, or a 1/2 chicken for dinner when it isn’t on the menu). They were so wonderful that we extended for 6 nights. They made us feel at home and for that we are so grateful.

Beautiful house with 3 rooms in the middle of nowhere and 3 minutes walk away from Rekawa beach. Best breakfast I've had in my Sri Lanka trip. I had room with a/c and hot water. Staff super helpful and helped to arrange bike rental. Can only recommend.

If you want to stay in nature and close to the beach look no further and book here.

Our stay at this accommodation was absolutely perfect! The hosts were incredibly helpful and greeted us with a delicious welcome drink. The breakfast was fresh and very tasty, and the food at the restaurant was also excellent. The nearby beach is easily accessible, and if you’re lucky, you can even watch sea turtles laying their eggs in the evening – an unforgettable experience! All in all, a wonderful stay that truly enriched our trip to Sri Lanka. Highly recommended!

Our visit to the Rakawa Turtle Gate Hotel in Tangalle was a deeply disappointing experience, filled with mismanagement, misleading descriptions, and an overall lack of professionalism. Here’s a detailed account of what went wrong: 1. Misleading Room Descriptions We booked two rooms via Booking.com, with hot water, kitchen access and Wi-Fi. What we received was drastically different: Instead of two rooms, we were given one room with two double beds separated by a thin curtain, offering no privacy. The room was shabby, worn-out, and clearly outdated compared to the photos online. Half the lights didn’t work, and the overall atmosphere was dingy. The so-called "kitchen" was unusable, with only two gas burners and no pots, utensils, refrigerator, or even a gas cylinder. 2. Poor Service and Unfulfilled Promises From the moment we arrived, the service was subpar: We were asked to pay for the entire stay upfront, which we reluctantly did, trusting the good reviews. The rooms weren’t ready when we arrived at 2 PM, and we were asked to wait while being served tea. Basic amenities were missing: no hot water, only two towels for three people, and no immediate action to resolve these issues. Promises to deliver a gas cylinder were delayed until 8:30 PM, hours after we returned from dinner. 3. Lack of Accountability The manager’s behavior was astonishingly unprofessional: Despite multiple requests, we could not speak with him on the day of our arrival. We were told he would return in the evening, but this didn’t happen. The following morning, he briefly appeared but vanished before we could address our concerns. Instead, a very young waiter was sent to communicate with us, claiming to act on his behalf but unable to speak English. 4. Refusal to Refund and Dishonest Claims When we informed the hotel that we would leave early due to the unacceptable conditions, we were told a refund was not possible, even though the Booking.

The property is clean, owner is nice and the dinner was great too! The best thing is the dreamy beach nearby, beautiful, no crowds and with a fantastic view from a coconut hill.

Very authentic hotel with super hosts. Wonderful breakfast and dinner and the rooms are great with good air conditioning. Amazing to just walk to the beach after dinner and see turtles egg laying and returning to the ocean.

Nothing

Incredible stay at a unique location, close to the beach. Calm and serene environment with excellent staff, one of the best places I’ve been in Sri Lanka

Friendly Staff