Citrus Hikkaduwa

First problem: No real information on the differences between Deluxe & Superior rooms on the website. We booked a hotel with a lift, thinking it would go to all rooms, NO, it only goes to DELUXE rooms. Our room was up two flights of stairs (not suitable for either myself or my Wife) the response from the staff when we raised this was that ‘it’s not their website’ but nowhere stated the superior rooms were not accessible. That was when the nightmare really started, this was by far and away the worst Hotel room I have been allocated in 40+ years of travelling the world. If this is their idea of superior I hate to think superior to what? The decoration was dated and needed a good update, however the Mini Fridge had mould and dirt across the front and inside, (see photos) the floors were dirty, the inside of the bathroom door was also covered in something and mould, rainfall shower head looked like it had never been cleaned in the 15+ years since it was put in, black mould all over the shower and bathroom. Unsurprisingly, I went back to reception to complain and the Duty manager came out and agreed that the room was not of the standard that they would want to supply, he couldn’t move us to a Deluxe room but “May be able to tomorrow” at an additional charge of £20 per night for the remaining 12 nights of our Holiday. We were shown a different room which was down one flight of stairs, so still not accessible. The facilities were the same as the previous room, they were marginally cleaner but the shower was filthy and mouldy. So much so that even after 20 hours travelling I wasn’t prepared to have a shower in the room. The sheets also had dirty marks on them (we didn’t notice until later as it was late at night and we’d been travelling nearly 24 hours at this point). We agreed to stay in the room for that night on the understanding that we would be leaving the next day unless they could come up with a suitable room. The “all-inclusive” restaurant is actually a “some inclusive”, Coke is, but Coke Zero isn’t, different meals are and aren’t, and the quality is poor. Breakfast was no better. When we were at Breakfast we saw the Duty Manager but he didn’t come to talk to us. After Breakfast we decided that we needed to find a different hotel, so we went on a tour of the other hotels in the area and found somewhere better to stay. When we checked out, the Duty Manager finally offered us an upgrade to a Deluxe room and showed me around 3 rooms which although they were better and cleaner- hard not to be- they still had black mould in the showers. Their surprise that we still wanted to leave, after their disinterest and poor customer service meant for me it was just too little too late. We checked out and because we hadn’t accepted the offered ‘upgrade’ we received no refund. This is the first bad review I have ever written about a trip ever, normally if things aren't quite what I was hoping for, I can accept different standards for different people.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Wonderful Stay at Citrus Hotel Hikkaduwa! We stayed at Citrus Hotel Hikkaduwa on the 10th and 11th of November and had a truly pleasant experience. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm smiles and a lovely welcome from Malsha at the front office — she made us feel right at home. The cleanliness of the hotel was excellent, and we were very happy with the value for money of our room. Mr. Kuree from security was also extremely kind and helpful, always smiling and sharing great information about the local area. The food could be improved a bit — we would love to see more variety in the breakfast and dinner buffet — but the service made up for it. Mr. Sahan, our waiter, provided excellent and friendly service throughout our stay. We also met Mr. Dammi, the animator, who was very friendly and made our time even more enjoyable. Overall, we felt like we were staying at home rather than in a hotel, thanks to the warmth of the entire team. Thank you so much to everyone at Citrus Hikkaduwa for making our stay so memorable. Keep up the great work — we hope to visit again soon! 🌴💛