Galle Fort Hotel

Introduction

Galle Fort Hotel was one of the pioneers in the gentrification of Galle Fort.  It began life as an 18C Dutch villa, offers quality accommodation at the heart of the Fort. The hotel evokes a subtle sense of colonial grandeur, skilfully updated for the modern age. Its social heart is a convivial café bar yet once you walk into the main hotel area, a more private interior unfolds – verandahs and courtyards, columns and arches. A newer building at the back blends seamlessly. The interiors are elegantly furnished with a minimalist style.

Galle Fort Hotel won the title of Sri Lanka’s Leading Boutique Hotel at the 2016 World Travel Awards, and a category win at the 2016 World Luxury Hotel Awards.

Accommodation

The Galle Fort Hotel has 12 impressive a/c rooms and suites of individual design, opening out to the central courtyard and the swimming pool. All the rooms have king-sized beds dressed with canopied mosquito netting and crisp white linen. Stylish ensuite bathrooms have showers.

Garden Rooms: Three a/c Garden Rooms have a small private garden, wall fountain, verandah and attached bathrooms with showers. The rooms are elegantly furnished with a modern king-sized four-poster bed. The Garden Rooms can accommodate two people.

Loft Suites: There are four a/c Loft Suites. These two-storey suites are more like small villas with a loft bedroom overlooking the garden and a cozy sitting room on the ground floor. The ensuite bathrooms are stylish and fitted with modern, Italian ceramics. A private verandah, furnished with planter’s chairs, overlooks the swimming pool, garden and grand colonnade.

Admiral Cheng Ho Pavilion: This is a large two-storey suite that commemorates the visit of Admiral Cheng Ho to Galle in 1406. The upper floor bedroom has a carved Chinese opium bed and work desk. A screen made from rare, antique columns provides privacy from the generous living area below, which has oriental furniture and a day bed. The attached open-air bathroom has six-metre columns with a large, elevated waterfall shower.

Blue & White Porcelain Suite: This magnificent a/c suite opens out to the central courtyard and swimming pool and has a high ceiling and separate dressing room and ensuite bathroom. The towering bedroom walls feature 18th century blue & white Chinese `export ware' porcelain. The suite has an antique four-poster bed and cabinets.

The Mews Suite: Ideal for a family. The mezzanine floor has a single four-poster bed, while the downstairs area has a king sized bed. The open-style ensuite bathroom has a granite shower. This suite opens out to a small private garden and separate entrance.

Library Suite: This a/c suite has two king size beds and separate bathroom with shower. The sitting area opens as a balcony onto the archway of the main building. The Library suite houses a fine collection of traditional Kandyan hat pins with rough cut semi-precious gems and glass, part of the Royal dress worn by chieftains in the Kandyan Perahara. The antique ebony and satinwood chest and almirahs and two enormous daybeds make this one of the most beautfiully furnished chambers in the hotel. Three adults or two adults and two children can be accommodated in this suite.

Le Grand Apartment du Comte de Mauny: This grand suite occupies the entire top floor of the old wing and has two king-sized bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and private verandah. Covering an area of 2,500 square feet, this apartment also has a living and dining room with an antique eight-seater table. The apartment features original artworks, antique chests and cabinets and two large Dutch period four-poster beds. The original design was by the Comte de Mauny, an Edwardian `faux noble’, and acquaintance of Oscar Wilde, who lived on the island after fleeing his wife, who caught him in a compromising situation with a valet.

Facilities

The inner courtyard, with a small garden and 10-metre swimming pool, one of the largest in the Fort, offers a tranquil and exclusive area for guests. The charming bar-cum-cafe is becoming a favoured meeting point. Meals can be taken on the terrace, the bar or in a grand dining room.

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Why We Like It

A forerunner in the Galle Fort transformation, this boutique hotel has one of the best pools in the fort.

Location

Galle Fort Hotel has a privileged position within the Fort. The journey from Colombo’s International Airport will take approximately 2.5 hours or take the Air Taxi and fly to Koggala, which is a 20-minute drive away. If you are then heading from the coast into the hills, we offer competitive rates on a daily sea plane between Koggala and Hatton.