Galle Face Hotel
Colombo

After undergoing a 30 month long refurbishment, more than 150 years after its debut, the charming and iconic colonial Galle Face Hotel has emerged, with an air of romantic faded elegance. One of the oldest in Asia (established in 1864), it is perfectly located in the heart of Colombo beside the Arabian Sea overlooking Galle Face Green, and whilst the service can be slow and somewhat chaotic, there is no other hotel in Colombo that has quite as much charm or character.

The North Wing’s 72 rooms and suites have been completely reimagined for the 21st century; with striking new interiors and classic mahogany furnishings in the bedroom, and the bathrooms encased in stylish grey marble. The South Wing has 84 rooms, some of which provide a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean. The hotel has a number of sophisticated restaurants and bars to choose from, serving both contemporary and traditional dishes from Sri Lanka and abroad. The hotel also features a spa, fitness centre, saltwater pool, library, museum, croquet on the lawn and an onsite historian to name a few.

My favourite thing is to go where I've never been.
Diane Arbus