ME Colombo Hotel — Hotel in Colombo

A Disappointing Experience for a Girls' Night Out!

I recently stayed at this hotel for a girls' night out with my friends on the 13th, a Friday night. Our stay was initially planned for a double room but was later changed to a triple room. I regret to say that our experience at this hotel was extremely disappointing, mainly due to the service we received.

Our disappointment began with the security personnel, an older, bald-mustache, and thin gentleman, who questioned me as to where I was going when I mentioned the rooftop where my friends had initially gathered. His response was extremely rude, which set a negative tone for our stay.

After we decided to change our double room to a triple room, we proceeded to the reception where we encountered a staff member named Gayani. Her lack of professionalism and poor English communication skills made our interaction quite challenging. We were initially quoted an additional 2,000 rupees for the triple room, but to our surprise, we ended up paying an extra 4,000 rupees because we had made our booking through their website, and the direct rates differed significantly. This price discrepancy seemed absurd and unfair.

To add to our disappointment, we were informed that no guests were allowed in our room, a policy we found strange for a hotel, as we've stayed in many hotels that have no such restriction. We asked if two of our friends could join us briefly before heading out, and were initially told they couldn't. When we requested to see their written policy on no guests, the staff claimed they had nothing of the sort. We even checked our online confirmation, which did not mention any no guest policy.

During our stay at the hotel, we had interactions with several staff members that left a negative impression. Viran, a member of the staff, unfortunately raised his voice at us and made mocking comments, which was unprofessional and disrespectful.

Additionally, our interaction with Supun, the front office manager, was marred by his behavior, which appeared flirtatious and inappropriate. Such behavior is entirely unacceptable in a professional hospitality setting and added to our overall disappointment with our stay. Throughout our stay, the front desk called us several times to inquire about guests, and security guards repeatedly checked our room for visitors. This constant surveillance and questioning made us feel extremely uncomfortable. It's evident that the hotel's staff treated us poorly, raising concerns of discriminatory behavior. We noticed that another room on the 5th floor had male guests over without any issues, which left us feeling that the staff believed WOMEN COULD BE BULLUED OR MISTREATED.

To top off our disappointing experience, the same security staff member who initially questioned us unprofessionally replied with, "please don't come again" when we were checking out. This final interaction further reinforced our belief that our stay was far from pleasant.

I strongly advise any FEMALE considering booking a stay at this hotel to avoid it at all costs. Our experience was marred by unprofessionalism, unfair policies, and what seemed to be discriminatory behavior towards female guests. We were left feeling unwelcome and mistreated, and we cannot recommend this hotel to anyone seeking a positive and welcoming stay.

17/10/2023 Responding to your reply I believe that you do not live upto being fully transparent as we were not informed at the check in about the no guest policy nor was it mentioned while taking our money for the online booking. Had this being mentioned we would have never considered hotel in the first place. It was only mentioned after our guests came in and I had requested to see the hotel policies to which the receptionist said we have nothing as such. I dont see as to why you have mentioned about visiting the rooftop by the male guests (to clarify it was 2 male guests whom were our fiances) as it is a public space which can be used by...

I have been here once before I left Sri Lanka for the UK. So, when I came to Sri Lanka on vacation, I was happy to stay at this hotel during the days I planned to spend in Colombo. The rooms are very nice and clean, and have everything you need. The hotel is located centrally in Colombo and has easy access to all major destinations which is a huge benefit. ||Over a period of 3 weeks, I stayed at the hotel for about 7 nights as I was travelling away from Colombo frequently. The staff was friendly and supportive. Niroshan and Rushani from the front desk were especially very helpful in my encounters with them. I thank them for their kind hospitality. Secondly, the food in the restaurant is also some of the best food I've had. Definitely recommend the room service here. ||One of the only things that I could suggest as an improvement is to have larger water bottles in the room. We ran out of the bottles quite regularly and had to call up housekeeping to refill them multiple times (to which they happily obliged, which is great!) ||All in all, ME Colombo is definitely good value for money. You also get access to a rooftop infinity pool and a bar. I was able to host a couple of my friends at the rooftop bar for a nice cold beer as well. P.S. The view of the Colombo skyline from the rooftop is amazing. You can also get this view with most of their Superior rooms. ||By this point, I was starting to feel like it was home. However, I tried checking in for another time (8th night in 3 weeks if my memory is accurate) but did not have the best experience. Maybe it's my fault that I didn't make a reservation. My plans are always so sudden, so I couldn't manage to book anything before. Regardless, when I arrived at the hotel to try and check in, I was given very conflicting information and potentially treated unfairly. I arrived a little earlier than the check-in time. The receptionist at the time communicated to me that I could get a room a little later once some of the guests check out and the rooms are cleaned. I was happy to wait and even offered my card to finalise the payment. She even said that she will try to get the room arranged for me sooner for an early check-in. At that point, she had to contact the manager to get the authorisation for a special rate that was offered to me since I was planning to come back multiple times during my 6-week stay in Sri Lanka. The manager then came in and checked some things, and suddenly told me that there is no availability. Was it because he didn't want to oblige to the rate I had before when the hotel had low occupancy and it was at high occupancy at the time? Or was it because I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt with flip flops because I drove all the way from Kandy? Or maybe it was a miscommunication and a misunderstanding. Regardless, it didn't feel right to us. Ultimately, we ended up going to a different hotel that we...

This was not the most pleasant experience I have had at a hotel. The pictures do not accurately depict the state of the hotel as it is dated, as opposed to the pictures of the establishment which make it seem new. The staff are not the greatest and the hotel is a bit lacking.

The issues started upon arrival, was not greeted warmly by the security and it seemed as if he did not want to let me in.

Following this, the front of house took roughly 30 minutes to check me in which was tedious and unprofessional. Customer service works upon communication with staff. It would be nice to actually be conversed, with as opposed to no one giving you the time of day, whilst holding your passport.

The only saving grace was that I got brought a drink by one member of the staff. However, this took 15/20 minutes, which was ridiculous. Interactions with people are important, especially when they are paying for a service.

Following this, was taken to the room after much delay. I had asked for 2 single beds but was givens a double bed. Informed the staff and they rectified the situation which was good. However, all that happened was the double bed got separated. So if you have a double bed, try to ensure that the bed is actually a double, as it is 2 single beds like this, you will more than likely fall through the gap. Do check.

In addition, I had wanted to go for a swim but the hotel has built a temporary seating above the pool. This cuts the pool down the middle , so as opposed to swimming, you can float. I had picked the hotel for the pool, but was extremely disappointed by this seating/ stage as I had wanted to swim. The gym is tiny and more a room with weights, the only benefit is free bottled water.

Lastly, the rooms have a small hot water tank so quick showers are what you can have.

All in all, disappointed in the hotel from front of house...