The Palace by Ocean

My sister and I stayed at The Palace by Ocean for 3 nights from 13th July after attending a wedding at the Taj Bentota Resort & Spa. We were looking for somewhere quiet to unwind and this place was exactly what we needed — calm, relaxing, and beautiful. The hotel is very small, with just 7 suites, and during our stay there were barely any other guests, which made it feel even more peaceful. On the second day it was just the two of us there! We stayed in the Queen Suite which was gorgeous — spacious, comfortable, and really well kept. The hotel has two pools (indoor and outdoor), and we spent most of our time reading and relaxing by the water. What really stood out to us was the service. Every single staff member was kind, polite and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. We had breakfast included, and the team asked in advance what we’d like to eat each day. Because the portions were generous and we didn’t want to waste anything, we mentioned we’d be happy to share meals — they were totally understanding. We didn’t realise they offered massages but were so happy when we found out. The masseuse was lovely and very attentive, checking throughout to make sure we were comfortable. Another lovely gesture — the young guy who checked us in (he was only 17!) even let us use his phone to make a local call to our previous hotel when we needed to get in touch. There’s also a cosy lounge upstairs with a TV. They don’t have Netflix but we found enough to watch on YouTube, which was perfect for some downtime. A huge thank you to Jalitha, Dilitha, Dilhan, Dilum, Udayanga and Reman — you were all so kind and made our stay extra special. This trip was just what we needed, and we’re so glad we chose The Palace. Highly recommend for anyone looking to slow down and switch off for a few days.

My family and I truly felt so much peace and relaxation while staying at this beautiful property! From the moment we arrived until the time we checked out, each of the staff were nothing but helpful and very hospitable to us, and made us feel right at home! We loved the beautiful pools, meals and extremely comfortable rooms - not to mention the gorgeous views and proximity to the beach, convenience store and train station. We would absolutely love to return to this amazing place!

We booked this hotel for a few nights before leaving the UK. We planned to travel south after our stay. As soon as we arrived we knew we wanted to stay for our whole holiday (11 nights). The hotel is beautiful. Attention to detail 1st class. Spotlessly clean. Amazing fixtures and fittings. All the staff are very friendly and can’t do enough for you. Every member of staff helped us to experience the real Sri Lanka. Manesh (owner) was there at 6am to let me out to go fishing with Tiny most mornings. I fished with the locals off the rocks a few minutes from hotel. Sunrise was a true experience. The food in the restaurant is outstanding. They have a very talented young chef. We ate here most nights. Hoppers for breakfast or a selection of homemade curry certainly gets you off to a good start. Whole king coconut served chilled every morning. Wow. We stayed in the Princess room and were lucky enough to watch a troop of monkeys playing in the yard most evenings. They have the best Tuktuk driver. Ronaldo will take you anywhere, wait while you have dinner or a swim. He took us to Yala for the day and set us up with an amazing guide to tour the safari park. Thoroughly recommend this gentleman. He really made our holiday. Take him shopping with you to make sure you pay the correct price. Thank you Kushan. We will see you in March 2025 when we will return for another two weeks.

Spent a couple of nights here as a small getaway from the city. Very comfortable and spacious room. Staff were attentive and the meals I ordered a la carte were very good. The beach is about a 1-2 km walk away. There is an indoor pool, which was a new experience for me. An outdoor pool is under construction.

We recently stayed at this lovely hotel, and while it's a bit farther from the beach and town, we still had a great experience. The beach is about a 10-minute walk away, and getting to Bentota town is easy with a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride. The highlight of this place is that it feels like staying in a beautiful, modern mansion. Everything is super new, and the facilities are in excellent condition. The staff is also incredibly welcoming and attentive, which made our stay even better. If you're looking for a peaceful and well-maintained place to relax, this is a great option!