Uga Riva
Negombo

Just a 30‑minute drive from Colombo’s international airport, Uga Riva is a restored 180‑year‑old manor house quietly set in a five‑acre coconut estate. Opened in late 2023, it is designed as the perfect first stop on your journey across Sri Lanka with the Uga hotel collection, blending heritage with modern service.

Walking through Riva’s pillared verandas, courtyard and arched doorways feels like stepping into a memory, one shaped by colonial elegance and Sri Lankan artistry. Once home to six generations of a Colombo Chetty family, Riva literally holds stories in its walls - a tree planted by Mahatma Gandhi during his 1927 visit still flourishes at the edge of its gardens.

Uga Riva offers just seven individually styled guestrooms; three Deluxe Rooms, three Superior Rooms and a Premier Suite. Whitewashed walls, dark wood furniture and contemporary Sri Lankan artwork create a timeless aesthetic. Despite their period charm, the rooms offer all the expected comforts with air-conditioning, smart TVs, tea- and coffee-making stations, minibar and generous ensuite bathrooms.

Encircled by swaying palms and coconut groves, the property feels like a private estate. A small, sunlit pool invites relaxation, and in the evenings candlelit tables are often set beneath fairy lights beside the water.

While there’s no formal restaurant, the all‑day menu offers refined Sri Lankan and fusion dishes made with regionally sourced produce, spices and fresh seafood. Meals can be taken by the garden, indoors or poolside, and heartfelt service makes every meal feel personal, even when you’re dining solo with a book.

Service here is discreet and polished, where attentive staff greet guests as old friends, offering the trademark warmth of the Uga brand.

Though Riva is ideal for beginning or ending a tailor-made journey in Sri Lanka, its coastal location means Negombo is easily explored, where ancient fish markets, mangrove-lined lagoons, colonial architecture and peaceful beachside walks are all within easy reach.

Uga Riva is where Sri Lanka’s past and present exist in tandem. It’s an intimate heritage manor turned boutique refuge, quiet, gracious, rich in story and rooted in place. Whether it’s the final night of your Sri Lankan itinerary or the gentle pause before exploration of Sri Lanka begins, Riva sets the tone with understated elegance and timeless hospitality.

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.
Susan Heller