Galle Face Hotel
Colombo

After a meticulous 30-month restoration, completed in 2015, more than 150 years since its debut, the legendary Galle Face Hotel has re-emerged with romantic, faded elegance. Established in 1864, it’s one of Asia’s oldest hotels and a living icon in the heart of Colombo, overlooking the Arabian Sea. The daily flag-lowering ceremony at sunset, complete with bagpipes, is best witnessed from the checkerboard terrace with a Pimm’s or G&T in hand, providing an unforgettable welcome or farewell to Sri Lanka.

The hotel’s North Wing houses 72 rooms and suites with reimagined interiors; classic mahogany furnishings, marble en-suites and bespoke design details. Many offer sweeping ocean views, while others overlook the lively Galle Face Green, where street food and local energy come alive at dusk. Meanwhile, the South Wing’s 84 rooms overlook the saltwater pool and Indian Ocean, offering a serene retreat. We especially recommend the Premier Ocean Balcony Rooms and the Junior Suites for their comfort and character.

Dining is a highlight here, with a selection of refined restaurants and bars offering both Sri Lankan and international cuisine. The open-air verandah restaurant is our top pick, ideal for a breezy breakfast or elegant afternoon tea beneath the frangipani trees. The hotel also features a L’Occitane spa, a well-equipped fitness centre and a striking pool area that extends almost to the edge of the sea.

Adding to its vintage allure, the hotel has its own library, a resident historian and a small but fascinating museum showcasing colonial-era artefacts, including the 1935 Standard Nine that once belonged to the Duke of Edinburgh, and black-and-white portraits of past guests such as Mahatma Gandhi, Che Guevara, Pope John Paul II and D.H. Lawrence.

For over seven decades, the iconic doorman, Kottarapattu Chattu Kuttan (affectionately known as Mr Kuttan), who began his career as a waiter aged 18 in 1938 and never formally retired, greeted guests at the hotel’s majestic entrance with folded palms and a warm smile. He embodied the hotel’s gracious hospitality, welcoming visitors from around the world; from dignitaries like Emperor Hirohito, Richard Nixon and Jawaharlal Nehru, to royalty such as Lord Mountbatten and the then Princess Elizabeth, and even Bond girl Ursula Andress. Mr Kuttan’s passing in 2014 at age 94 marked the end of an era, but his memory remains a cherished symbol of the hotel’s spirit and warmth.

In 2024 the Galle Face Hotel was named Best Hotel in Asia in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards, alongside accolades such as Best Heritage Hotel, Best Chef of the Year (Chef Rukmal Samarasekera) and Best Contemporary Fine Dining for its 1864 Limited Edition restaurant at the Sri Lanka Tourism Awards 2024.

True to its character, service can be gently imperfect, occasionally languid or charmingly chaotic. Yet no other hotel in Colombo offers quite the same soul, sense of history or character as the Galle Face. Whether you’re here to bask in its storied legacy, savour oceanfront sunsets or simply feel the echoes of generations past, this Grande Dame stands unparalleled in its timeless allure.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson