Elephant Stables

Introduction

Elephant Stables is a six-room boutique villa set on a hillock in Kandy's outskirts This is a quiet and peaceful destination from which to experience Kandy’s ancient cultural heritage. Elephant Stables was the original ancestral home of Sir Cudah Ratwatte, a Ceylonese nobleman from Kandy. In days gone by, elephants owned by the family used to graze in the gardens. Over the years, the house has remained within the Ratwatte family and following a complete refurbishment was converted into a boutique hotel. Elephant Stables is a six-bedroom boutique villa that provides Kandyan hospitality amidst a tranquil setting on the fringes of the Knuckles Mountain Range. Interiors are decorated with a blend of contemporary design, antiques and Kandyan artefacts that give a flavour of this region. After a long day of sight-seeing, relax by the poolside and enjoy the mountain views. Elephant Stables is booked by the room and welcome families with children.

Accommodation

There are six luxurious rooms, of which five are located on the upper floor of the Main House whilst one suite is in a separate garden cottage. The main house has the original Colonial Wing and a New Wing. Suites and rooms are well-furnished with a colonial period four-poster bed, a wardrobe and lounge chairs. In-room facilities include a 42 inch TV with satellite channels, Blue Ray DVD player and film library, an iPad and iPhone docking station, tea/coffee facilities and an electronic safe. Wi-Fi is also available. Ensuite bathrooms with h/w showers also contain a bathrobe and slippers.

Vanilla Suite: Set in the Colonial Wing, the Vanilla Suite consists of a double room and an inter-connecting smaller room with bunk beds. This is ideal for a family.

Citronella Suite: Also a part of the Colonial Wing, this is a spacious suite on the upper floor with mountain views.

Saffron Deluxe Room: A smaller suite set in the Colonial Wing with mountain views.

Pepper Deluxe Garden Room: Set in the New Wing, this room opens out to a private section of the wrap-around veranda which has beautiful garden views.

Lemongrass Deluxe Garden Room: Set in the New Wing, this room features a spacious bathroom and opens out to a private balcony with mountain views.

Cottage Suite: Set in the gardens closer to the swimming pool, this suite consists of a separate bedroom and a living room furnished with two single beds. This spacious suite is ideal as a triple room or for a family.

Luxury Royal Tented Suite: The Luxury Royal Tented Suite is the latest addition to their accommodation. This super-luxury tent is an exact duplicate of the world-famous tents are used at Aman-I-Khas at Ranthambore. The open-plan design encompasses a Master bedroom, secondary bedroom, living room, bathroom and reception area. It is complete with stylish furniture which fits in with the theme of 'colonial living'.

Facilities

The ground floor consists of a living room furnished with antiques and a fire place that is lit on cool nights. Relax in the New Wing lounge while sipping a fresh juice from the juice bar. Meals are served indoors in the dining room or out on the veranda overlooking the gardens. Traditional Sri Lankan cuisine and western dishes are on offer. There is a small reading room on the upper floor which has interesting books on Sri Lanka as well as a laptop for guests to use. Other facilities include: complimentary Wi-Fi and an infinity edge swimming pool.

Why We Like It

The Pepper and Lemongrass rooms have balconies with views over Kandy.

Location

Elephant Stables is about 15 minutes from Kandy lake in a peaceful residential area of Sri Lanka's second city. About three hours from Colombo and the international airport.