Moi Galle Fort by DBI — Hotel in Galle

⭐ 1/5 - Extremely Disappointed A Complete Scam

We had an extremely disappointing experience at Moi Galle Fort by DBI. As four girls planning a short getaway, we contacted the hotel after seeing an attractive offer of Rs. 15,000 for a double bed BB basis room. Since we wanted two rooms under that offer, they informed us only one was available, but offered us a bunk bed room for four, assuring us it would be suitable and clean.

They rushed us into making an advance payment, saying they would otherwise give the room to someone else. Trusting them and relying on the pictures on their website (which looked clean and neat), we made the full payment without seeing the actual room. What a mistake that was.

On arrival, we were immediately asked to pay the remaining balance upfront, even before checking the room. Despite being tired and carrying heavy bags, we paid, trusting their “policy.”

But what followed felt like a nightmare. Instead of taking us to a proper guest room upstairs, they led us through the kitchen — which was smelly and unprofessional, and we even saw a staff member sleeping in the Kitchen area (during the day). The room we were taken to looked nothing like the photos. It was cramped, unpainted, poorly lit, and had visible water leakage on the walls. There were two tiny bunk beds, no fan, no mirror, no towels, no bedsheets, no duvets — nothing basic you’d expect. The bathroom was filthy, old, broken, and definitely not worth Rs. 14,000.

Feeling completely misled and disheartened, we asked for a refund. Thankfully, the front desk girl, Tashmi, was kind and did try her best to help us, but no one from their finance or management team responded. In the end, we only received half a refund, despite not staying there even for an hour.

We then found a FAR better place right next door —The Ivy by Frangipani. For only Rs. 11,500, we got a huge family room, with two fans, one A/C, a double bed and two single beds, a large clean bathroom, towels, mirrors, ample storage, and even a big balcony. The difference in quality was shocking.

Do not trust the pictures on Moi’s website — what you see is NOT what you get. We felt scammed and trapped, and were lucky to have found a decent alternative nearby.

We do not recommend Moi Galle Fort by DBI to anyone. They are misleading, overpriced, and unprofessional. There are much better, cleaner, and more honest places to stay in Galle Fort....

had a very disappointing experience at this hotel, starting from check-in itself.

Parking Issue On Agoda.com, the hotel is clearly listed as providing free parking. This was one of the main reasons I chose this property over other hotels in Galle Fort, especially since I was traveling on a long trip with my toddler and carrying a lot of luggage. However, upon check-in I was told that the hotel has no parking at all. They suggested I park nearby, but the spot they recommended was flagged by a security guard as unsafe after 10 pm, warning me that spare parts could be stolen. This forced me to spend nearly an hour looking for safe parking around the area. Eventually, I had no choice but to park in front of another hotel’s elevator, under a security camera, and then wake up before 5 am to move the car. This was extremely inconvenient, especially with a small child, and the hotel staff made no real effort to help resolve the issue.

Room & Bathroom Condition The rooms are very small, which I could accept, but the bathrooms were tiny, unhygienic, and poorly maintained. There was a strong smell of urine, the toilets were unclean, and the shower had no hot water. The overall hygiene was very concerning, particularly since I was traveling with a toddler.

Misleading Photos It seems that the photos used on booking platforms were taken years ago after a renovation, but the current condition of the property does not match what is shown online.

Service & Breakfast The staff were friendly, but not proactive or helpful in solving problems. Breakfast was very average with nothing special to note.

Overall For the price charged, this hotel is simply not worth it. The misleading amenities (no parking despite being advertised), poor hygiene, and lack of staff support made my stay very uncomfortable. I would not recommend this hotel, especially for families or travelers...

I’m writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the handling of a refund request related to a booking I accidentally made through Agoda earlier this year. Although I understood that Agoda typically does not support refunds, one of your managers kindly assured me that a refund would be arranged as a gesture of goodwill. I appreciated this gesture at the time and trusted the process would be handled professionally.

However, I made the payment in January, and it is now nearly May, with no update or resolution provided. Despite multiple follow-up calls and attempts to get clarity, I’ve been repeatedly informed that the payment has not yet arrived — with no further explanation or communication since. Most recently, I’ve been asked to submit an email outlining the issue, which feels incredibly delayed given the circumstances.

While I remain grateful to the staff member who initially offered the refund, it is deeply concerning to be given hope for over four months without any follow-up or accountability. If a refund could not be honored, I would have appreciated clear communication instead of prolonged silence and unreturned calls.

Having worked in the hospitality industry myself, I understand the importance of customer satisfaction and the damage such experiences can do to long-term loyalty. I sincerely urge you to improve communication and follow-up processes with customers in situations like this. A timely update — whether positive or negative — goes a long way in maintaining trust and professionalism.

I would still appreciate any final clarity you can provide...