Set on two acres of beachfront gardens in Bentota, 1.5 hours south of Colombo airport , the Villa Bentota is a stylish and chic beachside retreat. Housed in the Mohotti Walauwa, a small colonial mansion built in 1880, the villa has been refurbished first by celebrated designer Geoffrey Bawa and later by Shanth Fernando, a Sri Lankan lifestyle designer whose signature design and creativity has transformed The Villa Bentota into an exquisite boutique hotel with lots of character.
Accommodation
The Villa has a total of 15 individually designed rooms out of which 8 are suites.
Rooms:
- Single Room: Small room on the first floor, suitable for single traveller on a budget. The room feature a single mattress, a mosquito net, a small wardrobe and drawer, a small balcony with a view of the swimming pool with sea beyond and an attached bathroom with rain shower.
- Standard Room: These rooms are sea facing, open to the garden or feature balconies with a table and chairs. Each room is unique in design, style and layout and features a king size bed.
Suites:
- Superior Suite: Feature sea/garden facing balconies with private lounge spaces.
- Executive Suite: Do not offer sea or garden views but are an ideal option when seeking extra privacy along with comfort of additional space.
- The Mohotti Suite: The Mohotti Suite consists of 2 Double Rooms (1 with king sized bed and 1 with queen sized bed), a shared grand bathroom with free standing bath tub, a separate lounge area with with lounge chairs, TV and stereo facilities. Decorated with original antique Dutch period four-post beds and chairs, this suite is suited for larger families or friends seeking privacy and luxury.
Dining
The Villa Café serves many of Paradise Road The Gallery Café (famous restaurant in Colombo) signature dishes such as Black Pork Curry and Sri Lankan Prawn Curry. In addition to these dishes, the choice of international cuisine focuses predominantly on Italian and fresh seafood. Paradise Road The Villa Café is open to outside guests daily.
The Lion Bar sits on the far end of the property overlooking the manicured gardens and palm trees. The bar offers the same signature cocktails as Paradise Road The Gallery Café (famous restaurant in Colombo), such as the Tamarind Chilli Martini and Frozen Lime Margharita. The bar features large white upholsetered cane sofas, perfect for lounging after a day spent exploring Bentota or tanning by the pool.
Experiences
At the Villa:
- Villa Shop and Gallery: The shop carries a selection of home ware and giftware from the Paradise Road flagship store in Colombo. The tableware and crockery used at The Villa is available for sale in the store in addition to other locally crafted smaller items.
- Outdoor Dining: Guests have the option of dining in their own private balcony/patio or outdoors in the garden for a candle-lit meal for a maximum of six people per table.
- Massage Room: Massages are available on request and the massage room and the local masseurs/masseuse use ayurvedic oils and ayurvedic massage techniques.
Excurions: Below stated excurions are possible from The Villa Bentota:
- Turtle Hatchery: The hatcheries house turtles that have been saved from fisherman or injury and also play a huge role in the endangered species by safely providing nesting grounds for turtles. On the right day visitors can let the baby turtles free into the wild.
- Explore the beach: During the months of December to March the beaches of Bentota are perfect for swimming and a few 100 metres walk down the beach there are calm dipping spots. During the low season the sandy shores continue to provide the perfect space to lounge, suntan or have a good walk at any time of the day.
- Boat Safari: The lakes of Bentota and surrounding areas provide for a stunning discovery trip with temples hidden on islands and breathtaking views.
- Water Sports: Just ten minutes down the Galle Road, the Bentota Lake provides the perfect location to waterski, ride a jet ski or go for a group trip on a banana boat. Hotel front desk has the information on the best services available in the area.
