The Kandy House

Introduction

The Kandy House is a highly-sought after old colonial 'Walauwa' (ancestral mansion) in the spice-growing hills that surround Kandy. Its completion heralded what Sri Lanka's hill-country-capital had been waiting for so long: a brilliant small boutique hotel capable of offering stylish and private accommodation and attentive personal service in a beautiful natural setting. The inspired refurbishment, with its white interiors, polished hardwood floorboards, jackwood staircase, Dutch-style antique furniture and careful injections of colour, has been a triumph. Channa Daswatta, one of Geoffrey Bawa’s protégés and Sri Lanka’s leading modern architects, provided the creative inspiration. The bedrooms are unquestionably the finest in Kandy. The freshwater infinity pool in the garden and wide verandas of the house provide irresistible opportunities to unwind and relax. Note: Children are welcome, although they must be over 12 years.

Accommodation

Nine luxurious bedrooms take their names from varieties of Kandyan butterflies. They all have a colonial character updated with contemporary silks and cottons. All have four-poster beds with mosquito nets, a/c and ceiling fans and floor to ceiling shuttered windows overlooking the gardens. They split into two categories: four Ultra Rooms and five Deluxe Rooms.

Ultra Rooms:

Indian Admiral: A gallery room on the upper floor overlooking a large courtyard. This double room has a private veranda complete with chaise longue. An extra bed can be added, for appropriate surcharge, to create a triple room.

Black Rajah: Has arched doors opening out from the large living area onto garden below. The bedroom has a low king-sized bed and romantic bathroom with a tiled, octagonal two-person bath and massage area. A double swing hammock is installed in the garden by this suite.

Peacock Royal and Red Spot Duke: These two veranda rooms are the most spacious. They open out onto a wide wrap-around veranda, dotted with cane chaises longue, reading chairs and antiques. The bedrooms are air-conditioned and have four-poster beds with fitted mosquito nets. Stylish concrete-washed ensuite bathrooms have private bathtubs, showers and twin washbasins.

Deluxe Rooms:

Monkey Puzzle: This is a small twin-bedded garden room, the smallest in the house, situated on the lower level of the courtyard. The bedroom has low ceilings and the bathroom has shower and single basin. As it adjoins the Black Rajah room, the two rooms can combine to offer excellent family accommodation.

Sunbeam: The Sunbeam Room overlooks the swimming pool and the courtyard. The bedroom has a ceiling fan and four-poster double bed with mosquito net and ensuite bathroom with double basin, a vintage cast-iron bath tub and shower.

Cornelian: A gallery room on the upper floor which overlooks a large courtyard. This double room opens onto a private veranda complete with chaise lounge.

Pioneer: A garden room with its own veranda in a beautiful garden. The bedroom is furnished with canopied twin beds and the bathroom has a shower but no bath. A double swing-hammock is installed by the veranda. An extra bed can be added, for appropriate surcharge, to create a triple room.

Lime Butterfly: Located on the upper floor, this spacious double room overlooks the inner courtyard. This bedroom is furnished with a four-poster bed fitted with mosquito netting and ceiling fan. The ensuite bathroom has an old-fashioned cast-iron bathtub and h/w shower.

Facilities

The freshwater infinity pool in the garden provides an irresistible opportunity to unwind and relax under the shade of tropical trees. The restaurant offers a daily 3-course European set menu: the fusion food is imaginative with an emphasis on sweet flavours and local ingredients. There is also the option of a ten-course Sri Lankan curry feast which rivals anything available in Kandy. The hotel offers room service, laundry service, safety deposit boxes and left-luggage storeroom. Yoga and massages are available on request. The newly built ambalama with views of the paddy fields is great for spa treatments, yoga and private dining.

Why We Like It

One of Sri Lanka's finest boutique hotels offers large rooms with sumptious sofas and wide verandahs and an excellent restaurant

Location

The Kandy House is 12 kms from Kandy's town centre, far enough away to escape the hustle-and-bustle of this congested city, but close enough to use as a base for seeing its most memorable sights. The Kandy House is located on the eastern hills of the town on a spice estate, a three-and-a-half hour drive from Colombo.