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Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.5
#13 of 46 hotels in Dambulla
Location
4.1
Cleanliness
4.5
Service
4.5
Value
4.0
Deviating from the long scenic route of the A9 road which connects Matale and Dambulla, one comes across a path surrounded by a wild, lush natural forest leading to one of the most unique and secluded getaway spots in the serenity of rural Sri Lanka. The Arika Luxury Villa, evocatively named after the intricate water lily; is located in a heavily landscaped area at the confluence where the stream meets the local river. With a part of the hotel facing the stream and merging with the tranquility of the natural surroundings, its strategic position in the remarkable location highlights its environmentally friendly ethos and makes it the perfect private hideaway. Arika is a two-floored architectural marvel that is built around an indoor swimming pool overlooking the stream beyond the open deck. Having avoided damage to the surrounding environment as much as possible, the hotel also has a local Karandha tree indoors emerging from the courtyard.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Boutique
Luxury
Languages Spoken
English, Sinhala, Tamil
Location
Puwakattawala Road, 40th mile post off Matale Road, Dambulla 21100 Sri Lanka
Arika Villa is a modern boutique hotel with a small number of rooms. The rooms are spacious and well appointed. The hotel backs on to a river and then forest so we sprayed regularly with mosquito repellant which proved to be effective.
The housekeeping was extremely good and each day when we returned from our excursions the room was immaculately clean with fresh towels and toiletries topped up.
There is a swimming pool which we used for a refreshing dip when we returned from our excursions.
The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly, they simply couldn’t do enough to make our stay a pleasant one.
There isn’t much in the immediate vicinity so unless your driver takes you somewhere they know you are limited to the hotel restaurant. We ate a mixture of Sri Lankan meals and western, alternating breakfast and dinner. The Sri Lankan food was always outstanding whilst the western food was not quite of the same standard. Had we been able to manage the SL breakfast and dinner each day, this would have been the answer but it would simply have been too much food. I can strongly recommend the Sri Lankan breakfast with hoppers.
This hotel does not have a licence to serve alcohol although they will sell you a can of Lion beer. If you want wine or a G&T then you need to provide your own as we did. The hotel is happy to open these without a corkage charge. There is a mini fridge to keep drinks cold. Simply don’t expect cocktails, wine list or spirits etc.
On one of our three nights we were the only couple in the hotel. On the other two nights there was one other couple. As a consequence the dining room did not exude any atmosphere and the attentive service was so fast that dinner was over and done within an hour. We did not see anyone else use the lovely pool in the three days we were there.
Sri Lanka has still not recovered from the Easter bombings of 2019 and it is a shame to see such lovely boutique hotels in the main season with very few clients.
We wish the hotel all the best for the future and thank the staff for their attentive service.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our host Nishandra enabled us to have an excellent stay as part of a trip of a lifetime for us three sisters. All aspects of our stay were of an excellent standard. We were very well cared for by the lovely Kumuduni on the front desk. Mr Nunapala served us beautifully at all the tasty meals. The food was beautifully presented, providing food tailored to our personal taste, mild Sri Lankan dishes and some very well cooked western style dishes. Bimalka and Madusanka need congratulating on their level of skills. In addition to the fabulous service it was wonderful to be able to spot an array of bird and animal life from the property. Highly recommended!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
From the moment you enter the property you're in awe of the beauty and the interior of the location. We had the entire boutique hotel to ourselves and we just loved it. From the interior and the ambiance of the entire property was on point. The staff was so courteous and accommodating, and the food was so good as well. Good location for a group of friends or family and if you just ask the staff you’d even be able to find a secret bathing spot too. Absolutely will return.!!
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I’m sorry Nishandra and team for this late review. Better late than never. Thank you for reserving the entire villa for our family gathering, hosting us for two nights, and for providing the best service for money. Thanks for being extra nice to our toddlers - making them the food they want, arranging all sort of amenities our complex family requested ! It was a nice, pleasant and memorable stay for us. Hope your chief of kitchen’s family and their newborn are safe! Pass our thanks to each and everyone of your staff, for their commitment and super service. Wish you guys all the best!
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
At first I was wondering why my tour agent would choose a hotel so far from Sigiriya and such a long walk from town but I'm actually quite happy that we stayed there. We received a warm welcome when we arrived after dark. All the staff were there to greet us with garlands and welcome drinks. The 4 of us were the only guests and received very personalised attention. We stayed for 2 nights over New Year's Eve. They made a special gala dinner just for us. Breakfast portions were huge and delicious. The rooms are huge and luxurious and the bathroom had strong warm showers and lots of space. There was a nice view of the river behind the hotel and lots of langurs, squirrels and even a water monitor were our companions at breakfast and while we were swimming. Great place for kids and animal lovers.
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Date of stay: December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had such a lovely stay at Hotel Arika. The staff were so accommodating and flexible. The dining and pool area is beautiful. The trees and river next to hotel mean you can always watch the nature that inhabits the area from the comfort of your table. Our room was spacious, modern and with good air conditioning. From the balcony, again, you could watch the monkeys and birds. The food is really first class, offering a good selection but obviously the Sri Lankan curry selection was particularly good. Also, for those cautious travellers, you can rest assured that the hotel takes great care in providing plenty of safe bottled water. This was a very peaceful experience and would highly recommend for anyone seeking this too.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:You will need to get transport or ride a bike to local villages. Visit the local temples as well...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in Arika villa for one night at the start of May 2022. Not only was the place beautiful, with large rooms and a gorgeous pool, set amongst the trees, but the welcome and attention we received was second to none. We were treated to the most delicious Sri Lankan meal of about 12 different curries, all homemade on site. The food at Arika was in fact probably some of the best food we ate in our 9 day trip to Sri Lanka. I would recommend this place to anyone who visits the area.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had an incredible stay at Arika Villa dambulla . Beautiful Rooms, delicious food . The best part however were the incredibly friendly and hardworking staff who made our stay perfect. Especial thanks to Mr Nishendra Fernando (Gm)who was very attentive to us ensuring all our requests were attended to in a timely fashion . highly recommend this place to anyone.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arika Villa is located conveniently and can be found very easily. As we were a big group the staff accommodated to our every request and was very obliging. The food was absolutely delicious and the chef was always at hand for any special requests that we had. Arika is also perfect for mountain biking and they also have a few trails that they can share with you if you need one. if you want to be challenged they also have a few trails that they can share with you. The rooms are very spacious and the linen was very fresh. some of the rooms did have a balcony from which the view was very nice.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Arika is very relaxed and comfortable place to chill and explore dambulla
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked this hotel having read the reviews and website. Before I continue I want to say that we are frequent travellers and mainly stay where possible in 4/5* hotels. Unfortunately apart from the service from the Manager, Nishandra for the first 2 out of 4 days of our stay, and that of a young 18 yr old waiter, Rasanjana, they were 5*. The manager had to leave and left the chef in charge. This is when the staff, apart from Rasanjana seemed to not pay any attention to us. We were the only guests at this time. There is no phone in the room so you have to go hunting to find anyone to assist. The front reception is not always manned, on one occasion when we asked where the girl was we were told she's sleeping and the chef come assistant manager was also not available. The rooms are big and spacious and they will cook different things for you but that's the only positive. Our tap in the bathroom was falling away from the sink. The attention to detail was also not there. The state of the whole hotel is in need of a desperate uplift as it was dirty. The photos and description are misleading. I am sure if the manager had not had to leave for a few days, all the staff would have been 5* in his presence. This review is harsh but honest. It is only for those frequent travellers who are used to a 4/5* service.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Nothing near by nowhere to walk
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nishandra Fernando, General Manager at Arika Villa
Responded Apr 20, 2024
Dear Andrew, Thank you very much for the true experience sharing on review, Please accept our Sincere apology for any inconvenient cause during my absence and will take measures tp avoid these kind of situation in future, Hope to see you and your sons family in Sri Lanka soon. Best Regards, Nishandra Fernando
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Colombo, Sri Lanka28 contributions17 helpful votes
You need to come to dambulla town from Colombo. Then would recommend a tuk tuk (small taxi) drive for 15 min. You can reach us on 0771256694,0664935045. Hope this basic info help.
Colombo, Sri Lanka220 contributions56 helpful votes
It is situated in Dambulla but off the main trunk road. so if you have private transport no issues. But if you are using public transport you will have to get off a few stops before Dambulla town and take a Taxi/tuk tuk from there. Check with hotel. I think they provide a pick up service from the town.
Kent, United Kingdom52 contributions79 helpful votes
Hi. The easiest way is to get the bus to Dambulla and then a tuk tuk to Arika. It is about 15 mins ride and only cost about 300 rupees.
Arika is a great place to stay and I hope you enjoy it!
Dear Sir/Madam,
We hereby confirm that we offer free accommodation and meals for drivers of our in house guests on sharing basis and on the same meal basis as booked by their guest.
We have 6 beds for drivers on sharing basis and in case of a non-availability we will also sought them accommodation out of hotel at our cost.
There are more places to choose from in the Dambulla area.
PRICE RANGE
$68 - $87 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Sri LankaCentral ProvinceDambulla
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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