Mahaweli Reach Hotel — Hotel in Sri Lanka

The Mahaweli Reach Hotel was my accommodation in Kandy. Having reached it after a long day, I instantly fell in love with it. The building was a beautiful, immaculate white with the façade reminding me of colonial buildings.

Upon entering, I was greeted by the front desk on my left, a garden in front of me, and a restaurant on my right. The front desk staff made me sit comfortably in the reception area while they smoothly carried out my check in formalities.

I was then taken to my room for which I had to cross the shopping arcade and the swimming pool. The shopping arcade looked quite glitzy and had a gemstone shop from where I was almost tempted to buy a few gems/ gem – encrusted jewellery.

The swimming pool, located on the ground floor, looked ethereal, illuminated by soft lanterns placed all around it. Dip into it! It was surrounded by the garden, the Uyana Restaurant, the Tamarind Bar, the deck area and a set of rooms, making it the central feature of the hotel.

I had booked myself a Deluxe Room that overlooked the River Mahaweli Ganga, a fact I realised the next morning! A lovely bookmark, with a quote from Buddha and a Nasturtium flower tucked into it, welcomed me into my room.

The room was of an adequate size, comfortably furnished, with all amenities available, as can be expected from a good hotel. The room was quite comfortable from a sleep POV; I got two good nights of sleep here.

The bathroom turned out to be quite a different one. The bathing area was at an elevation, and one had to climb a few steps, open a glass door and step inside for a shower. I have to admit that it was not a great design from a safety viewpoint.

Most of my meals were at the Uyana Restaurant. Indulging in its dinner buffet was one of the top highlights during my stay. You should not miss the breakfast buffet either. The restaurant offers a delightful array of freshly – baked pastries, a variety of fruits, and a selection of hot and cold dishes to kickstart your day.

I had a drink at the Tamarind Bar too. Sprawled on an armchair, I sipped on a Mango Martini made expertly by the smiling bartender. Enjoy your cocktails while partying with friends.

And that brings me to the staff attitude. I absolutely LOVED the staff at the Mahaweli Reach Hotel. All of them were always attentive, ever efficient and tremendously cordial. Every single one of them! I was made to feel like a cherished guest and also made comfortable as I was a solo woman traveller.

I did not use many services at the Mahaweli Reach Hotel as I was mostly out and about sightseeing, but I did avail myself of the boat cruise offering.

To summarise, Mahaweli Reach Hotel in Kandy is indeed a good hotel, known for its exceptional service and luxurious amenities. It stands out as a premier establishment.

The breathtaking view of River Mahaweli Ganga creates a stunning backdrop as you unwind and socialise in this vibrant setting.

As Mahaweli Reach Hotel is located a little away from the attractions of Kandy, it serves as an ideal...

Disappointed with Our Wedding at Mahaweli Reach

We had our wedding function at Mahaweli Reach last month (August), and while the lunch was delicious and the changing room was helpful, the overall experience didn’t live up to the reputation or what we were promised.

To be fair, the staff were helpful during the planning process, especially when it came to selecting the menu, and the food on the day did taste great. But unfortunately, several serious issues came up that left both us and our guests disappointed:

There weren’t enough staff, and service was very slow. Some guests were ignored when asking for basics like water, and a few were even treated rudely. Some of the cutlery was clearly dirty. The welcome drinks and platters were brought out way too early (around 9:00–9:30 AM), before guests had arrived. Non-guests helped themselves, and no refills were given even though we asked. We were also charged Rs. 600 per cheese platter even though we brought the cheese ourselves and only part of it was served. Key lunch items like crumbed fish and dessert ran out and were never refilled, despite multiple requests. We later found out this has happened at other functions too. Guests from another event came and used our bar, and we were charged for drinks they had. Our own alcohol ran out unusually fast, and no one from the hotel seemed to be monitoring it. The complimentary honeymoon room was also a letdown. There was no fruit platter or candlelit dinner as promised, the bathroom had a bad smell, the A/C wasn’t working properly, and the room was far from ideal. Staff claimed the hotel was full and that it was the only room available but it clearly wasn’t.

What hurt the most was that when we followed up with these concerns, we were basically brushed off. I was told things like this “don’t happen”, even though they clearly do. Some of our guests even said they’ve had similar experiences before.

If you’re planning a wedding here, make sure to double-check everything beforehand; food refills, bar setup, staffing, room details, all of it.

We really wish we had known what to expect so we could’ve avoided some of the stress our parents had to go through during the event and so we could have informed the staff in advance not to repeat the same mistakes that clearly happened at...

Title: Disappointing Experience at Mahaveli Reach Hotel

My wife and I recently celebrated her birthday and the arrival of our 4-month-old baby by booking a day out package at Mahaveli Reach Hotel. Despite our excitement, our experience was marred by several disappointments.

Firstly, I had made a reservation over the phone, which cost us approximately 32,000 rupees for a 5-hour package. When inquiring about meal options, the front office staff appeared uncertain about whether they were offering a buffet or not. We were advised to choose our meals from the à la carte menu.

Upon check-in, I requested to have our meals served in the room, and once again, I was informed that we could order anything from the à la carte menu. However, this turned out to be a false promise. To our dismay, we discovered that we were only offered fried rice as a meal option, despite being charged a hefty 4,500 rupees per person.

The room itself was decent, featuring a nicely decorated interior and a spacious bed. However, it was marred by cleanliness issues. The floor was dirty, there was no doormat, and even a basic kettle was missing, which was surprising for a hotel of this caliber.

To make matters worse, our stay was disrupted by persistent construction noise. We promptly brought this issue to the attention of the staff, and they assured us that the noise would cease within 5 minutes. Regrettably, it took more than two hours for the construction noise to finally subside. Considering that we had only booked a 5-hour stay, this significant delay greatly impacted our experience.

In conclusion, our visit to Mahaveli Reach Hotel to celebrate our special occasion left us with a sense of disappointment. The lack of clarity regarding meal options, the disappointing meal itself, cleanliness issues in the room, and the prolonged construction noise were all significant letdowns. The hotel has the potential to be a delightful destination, but our experience fell short of our expectations. We hope the hotel can address these issues to provide a more satisfying experience for...