Thambu Illam - Jaffna

We had a great stay. Staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was excellent.

Lovely traditional house with large rooms and good facilities. Loved the pool, and the staff were excellent. Very helpful.

Because Jaffna's hot, and we had the aircon on, the windows had to be shut at all times. It would be great if the windows could be open and sealed against the heat.

Sri Lankan breakfast was good. The place is very clean and the staff very attentive. The location is good being between Nallue temple and the heart of the city.

Very helpful and friendly staff. Beautiful Tamil house and a lovely entrance and sitting area. Room was large and bed very comfortable. Breakfast was plenty and delicious. Sutha (one of the amazing staff members) took us to the Nallur Festival, which was amazing. Afterwards, he introduced us to some delicious local dishes.

Building works next door, which caused for a dust layer on the water in the pool. A bit far from town, but plenty of Tuk Tuks.

The hotel is an old sri lankan house renovated with a local style which gives a nice charm. The personal is super friendly and helpful. The hotel is really clean. The breakfast is also well-served.

Still a bit expensive compared to other hotels in the neighbourhood

Location , quiet. , staff

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Naprosto výjimečný přístup personálu, udělají pro vás vše, o co si řeknete. A to doslova. Milí, pozorní. Krásné prostředí. Chutné snídaně, kdy máte na výběr z několika druhů jídel. Bazén je příjemným zpestřením a je udržovaný.

Dveře ve sprchovém koutu neustále vypadávaly z kolejí a bylo potřeba je nasazovat, nefungovala moc regulace teploty vody, Ale to jsou drobnosti. Avšak nerad to píšu, protože vše bylo jinak naprosto perfektní a personál se snažil,, jak mohl, ale cena ubytování úplně neodpovídá dané lokalitě. Na Bookingu na nás nejprve vyběhlo, že je ubytování zlevněné z 21000 Kč, To je nesmysl. I tak bych naši cenu za ubytování výrazně snížil.

Una bella casa antica ristrutturata che rende piacevole il soggiorno, stanza confortevole e lo staff sempre disponibile.

Niente di negativo da segnalare se non il consiglio d'incrementare ulteriormente le possibilitù di scelta della colazione

Excellent! Lovely staff - many thanks

Limited space in room so coffee cart could be placed in communal area.

Superbe hotel ! Service super, chambre confort et tout equipé ! Le diner et petit dejeuner super ! Je recommande à 100% le personnel est super !

L’accueil adorable des employés , une service haut de gamme , emplacement au top Je recommande à 100%

Joli bâtiment colonial avec 4 chambres et un personnel adorable Les chambres sont grandes et propres et la piscine un vrai délice !

Il y a la route très fréquentée juste devant ce qui ramène beaucoup de bruit avec les aboiements de chiens en continu ce n’était pas les nuits les plus reposantes Coffre fort non fixé

Een prachtig verblijf in Jaffna! Een echte aanrader Wat een ontzettend mooi hotel! Thambu Ilam is gevestigd in een prachtige woning van meer dan 100 jaar oud die met veel smaak en oog voor detail is ingericht. De 4 kamers zijn comfortabel en stijlvol. Ook het zwembad is prachtig en heerlijk om even te ontspannen. Je kunt er bovendien heerlijk eten. Het eten wordt voor je besteld en wat wij kregen, was zonder twijfel een van de lekkerste maaltijden die we tijdens onze reis door Sri Lanka hebben gegeten. Maar het allerbeste aan dit hotel zijn de mensen. Het personeel is ontzettend vriendelijk, gastvrij en behulpzaam. Geen moeite is te veel en je voelt je er echt welkom. Een bijzonder mooie plek om te verblijven. Echt een aanrader als je naar Jaffna gaat!

Staff were the highlight as they were absolutely lovely - so kind and helpful and always willing to go the extra mile! The bed was comfortable and the location was central. Shower was hot and room was large and clean. It was easy to order from the restaurant (located off the property) and have dinner at the hotel.

It would be great if there were fly screens on the windows as the room was quite dark as you couldn’t open the shutters or mosquitos would fly in.

This place was exceptional from the staff, to the location and simply the ambience. Everything was truly a 10/10

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Small, but very cosy!

Magnifique ancienne demeure, dans un quartier relativement calme. Les restos sont un peu loin à pied, mais facilement accessibles en qqes minutes de tuk-tuk. La chambre était spacieuse et agréable. Le coin piscine/mangeage joliment décoré. Les petit-déj étaient copieux et très bons. L'ensemble du personnel était accueillant et bienveillant et nous a aidées pour l'organisation d'un tuk-tuk à la journée (visite région nord Jaffna).

Après une journée très chaude, déception d'avoir reçu une bière tiède ;)

Clean, very friendly helpful staff. Good quiet location with a reasonable swimming pool and good local food.

A little shabby in places.

Great opportunity to stay in a traditional Tamill house. Amazing house with only 4 rooms that have been well restored. The staff are the kindest and most efficient we have met. Thank you everyone. We miss that place already and could have stayed a lot longer.

I don't like booking.com encouraging people to whinge.

ambience

food

The hotel is the real old Jaffna, the building is very gracious, furniture matches the real Jaffna culturally. Staff were excellent and couldn't do enough for me to enjoy my stay. Breakfast was very good, always on time and with very good surroundings. I would recommend this to anyone wishing to have the real Jaffna instead of just another usual hotel room.

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Location perfect

Pool needed cleaning

We had a wonderful stay at Thambu Illam with my parents, sister, brother-in-law and two little nieces. As my parents are originally from Jaffna, it was special to reconnect with our cultural roots. Sutha, Niranjan and Mathu looked after us wonderfully (and were especially patient and attentive when the kids had tantrums!) The location is central, and the rooms were clean with hot water, air conditioning and Wi‑Fi. We’ll definitely stay here again on our next trip to Sri Lanka - 10/10. Shalini

Das Personal war der Hammer! So freundlich, aufgestellt und zuvorkommend, das hatten wir noch nie.

Es war ringhörig (nach aussen und in den „Gang“), schlechte Isolation.

Clean, beautiful building, lovely pool, spacious room and bathroom.

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Lovely traditional accommodation. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Room was spacious and everything worked.

Internet was flaky and speed poor

Zwembad.. Supervriendelijk.. ‘This is your home’

Das Personal war sehr freundlich.

Leider wurde uns vor der Buchung nicht mitgeteilt dass das Hotel in Renovation ist.

The staff are very helpful and will try to give you whatever you request. Rooms are very spacious and meet five-star hotel standards.

A fabulous heritage property with exceptional, helpful staff and a great swimming pool - an oasis in the city.

Personnel exceptionnellement dévoué et sympathique. Très belle maison spacieuse et confortable avec beaucoup de cachet et tout le nécessaie, y compris fer et planche à repasser. Au calme. Piscine agréable et beau coin repas. Literie confortable. Magnifique grande salle commune avec fauteuils confortables. Et... très apprécié: Sutha a pu trouver pour nous un chauffeur de tuk tuk fiable et sympathique avec qui nous avons pu visiter les points d'intérêt de la ville en plus de la Côte Nord jusqu'à Point Pedro et qui, à son tour, nous a organisé une journée à Delft Island. Chaleureux merci! Chaudement recommandé.

Chambres un peu sombres. Les moustiques. Un transat supplémentaire à la piscine serait un atout.

Excellent location, the staff were wonderful and the building was beautiful

Une très jolie maison, les parties communes ainsi que les chambres sont très agréables. Le personnel aux petits soins, très disponible pour organiser nos sorties. Ils nous ont laissé la possibilité d'utiliser la chambre et la piscine jusqu'à notre départ tardif. Un service au top. La piscine est un plus après les sorties sous le soleil . On se sent ''comme à la maison '' Je recommande fortement.

Le petit déjeuner Sri lankais était bien, le western devrait être un peu plus copieux et varié. Mais cela n'a pas gâché notre séjour

Everything, the staff were wonderful, beautiful building and pool, great leisurely breakfasts. Location was perfect, everything was close by.

Absolute nothing

This hotel is nicely located about 15 minutes walk to the main centre. It is a little quieter which is nice as Jaffna is noisy. The staff are so so helpful. They helped us orgnaise a Tuk tuk tour of Jaffna for the day which was a highlight of our trip. They had a fantastic laundry service. The breakfast was wonderful.

The rooms were quite dark but I'm sure when the temperatures increase, this is very welcome.

Lovely, family owned characterful building centred around an open courtyard. Plenty of outdoor seating areas to relax in. Good location and around a 20 minute walk into the town centre. Very friendly and helpful staff who can provide help with planning and arranging day trips. Also, have to mention the breakfast which was one of the best we’ve had all trip. Really enjoyed Jaffna as a city, and would recommend a Tuk Tuk tour of the sights (make sure you finish at Rio Ice Cream Parlour!)

Sehr komfortable geräumige Zimmer. Tolle Verpflegung. Hervorragende Gastgeber.

A wonderful boutique hotel converted from what must have been a fabulous family home in days gone by. Set back from the street in a quiet residential area of Jaffna rooms fan off a beautiful and peaceful courtyard. Our suite had a cosy lounge area, perfect for stretching out after a long day on Jaffna’s busy streets. Dinner was ordered in for us from a great restaurant and breakfast is served beside their smart - compact pool. Great staff were helpful when required and they found us a driver to help us tour round historical sites north of the city. Especially good were the Keerimalai Sacred Water springs - with men’s and women’s pools which felt amazing and many more locals than tourists enjoying them. A genuinely historic and charming hotel which felt like a perfect match for the city of Jaffna.

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Beautiful, calm location. Stylish decor. Plenty of space to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

Beautifully restored traditional family home. Relaxed ambience and comfortable rooms and public areas.

Everything was great!

very clean. friendly staff. nice environment.

nothing to complain

Wij hadden de Deluxe room, dus met een aparte woonkamer. Dat was fijn. Bedden zijn goed. De douche vond ik wat krap met de deur die open gaat tegen de ingang van de douche aan. De mannen zijn super vriendelijk en het is een mooie kleinschalige accommodatie met maar 4 kamers.

De douche vond ik krap en weinig water uit de kraan. Zwembad wel in gezwommen maar er lag een film van stof overheen. Waarschijnlijk veroorzaakt door de bouwwerkzaamheden naast de deur die om al om 6.30 uur begonnen. Best een drukke straat waar de Tuk Tuks s'morgens vroeg al toeterend door heen sjezen. Ze mogen wel wat meer aandacht aan de kamers besteden. Salontafel wiebelde echt heel erg. Handvat van koelkast hing er half af. Net als het zeepbakje, Het zijn kleinigheden maar voor zo'n prijs in Sri lanka moet het beter, vind ik.

Lovely comfortable ,quiet place with kind ,attentive and thoughtful staff.Excellent breakfasts.

A few mossies and the pool was ok but not sparkling .A mossie net in the bedroom would be useful.

Personnel avenant Piscine Suggestion de guide pour visite de l’île sacrée Nainativu et souper dans une maison privée

Moustiques Confort moyen de l’ameublement

This is a lovely old building which is very good condition and furnished to a high standard. Our superior double room was large, having a separate lounge area. There are only four rooms so you get particularly good service from the staff, who speak good English. They serve a nice breakfast and will order in lunch or dinner and serve it in the dining area - a nice touch. Tip - buy some mosquito spray for your room since the windows are not glazed. You don’t want to keep the shutters closed all the time.

The authentic SL style of accomodation. The staff were friendly and attentive The breakfast

The twin room was a double and a single bed. The single was very small for an adult. Compared to other places we stayed at in SL, I feel this was over priced for what it provides. I appreciated the help with hiring a car and driver, but this didnt go smoothly. I repeatedly questioned the size of vehicle and, whilst we eventually got a big enough vehicle, we ended up paying a lot more and our driver spoke no English or Sinhala.

Tout! Magnifique hôtel boutique, plein de charme. Personnel adorable.

Rien

We had a lovely stay at Thambu Illam, the staff were so friendly and it was in a beautiful old home. The food is ordered in from one of the best restaurants from Jaffna and served in front of the pool. Highly recommend

I would recommend bringing good mosquito repellent and there’s lots of mosquitos in Jaffna

A very relaxing experience

Ein historisches Haus, welches als Hotel umgestaltet wurde. Die 3 Herren waren sehr freundlich, zuvorkommend, aufmerksam und hilfsbereit. Eine Gastfreundschaft, wie sie in Europa nicht zu finden ist. Eine tolle Erfahrung.

Charmantes historisches Haus mit persönlichem und stets hilfsbereitem Service. Sehr gute zentrale Lage und ausgezeichnetes Frühstück mit abwechslungsreichen Optionen.

Zimmer zur Straße hin zeigt etwas Straßenlärm, und das Bad könnte eine Auffrischung vertragen. Insgesamt aber ein sehr angenehmer Aufenthalt.

It is a very beautiful hotel with peaceful environment .Very friendly and helpful staff. Breakfast was awesome!

Het personeel was super vriendelijk en heel behulpzaam, de kamer was heel netjes en het ontbijt was heerlijk, heel vers en met veel liefde gemaakt. Je werd als koningen behandeld.

Naast het hotel wordt er gebouwd, dus er is geen vrij uitzicht meer vanaf het zwembad (zo zien de foto's er nu nog wel uit op booking)

We loved our stay here and we absolutely loved Jaffna. It is such a beautiful area of Sri Lanka and the food is delicious!! Thambu Illam was a fantastic place to come back to after a busy morning/day sightseeing. We enjoyed coming back to the accommodation and relaxing by the pool with a book. The old heritage building is stunning and you immediately feel like you're in a cosy, historical home when you walk inside. The best part of this accommodation is the 3 staff running it. They provided us with very accommodating, thoughtful and kind service. Any problems we had were solved immediately and they always tried to ensure we were having a good stay. Thank you again. We hope to be back one day!

Nothing that the accommodation can control but don't forget your mosquito repellent if travelling during the Northeast monsoon season.

From the moment we arrived (we were a party of four), the staff there were so hospitable, friendly, and they genuinely cared about the wellbeing of the guests. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, and thoughtfully designed for a good night’s sleep. The dinners were simply superb, that we decided to dine at the hotel on both nights instead of going out. The heritage architecture and overall design of the house added to the charm of it all, especially the central verandah which brought in a fresh breeze, and the seating area where we could read or play board games. Overall, we had a fantastic stay at Thambu Illam, and it’s one of the best places we’ve stayed in Sri Lanka thus far.

Nothing, we loved our stay. If, like me, you are used to rooms getting a lot of natural light, the old-style shutters don’t have glass panes. But this really isn’t an issue because keeping them shut keeps the rooms cool and minimises mosquitoes. Plus, there is so much to do in Jaffna, we didn’t spend the daytime in our rooms!

This place is a gem. The moment you enter, you feel immediately relaxed and you learn the family history of this place. The pool is relaxing, and the dinner we ordered each night was easy and traditional Sri Lankan food. Our visit to Jaffna has been magical, and we are so thrilled that we chose to stay here. The beds are comfortable, and the rooms are private and quiet. This is our first trip to Sri Lanka, but it won't be our last, and we will definitely be back.

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This place was like walking into a different world and in a safe quiet area. The staff were outstanding and highly recommend. So clean and comfortable with beautiful cold air conditioning.

Die Lage ist sehr gut, ideal um die Umgebung zu erkunden. Das Gebäude ist architektonisch interessant und stilvoll gestaltet. Der Service war sehr gut, besonders hervorzuheben ist die hervorragende Kommunikation mit dem Management. Alles war sehr sauber und der Aufenthalt insgesamt bequem und angenehm.

Alles war in Ordnung, einzig das Bad war etwas klein.

Very friendly staff. Accommodating. These two young men are their biggest assets. Traditional set up, good to understand the architecture. Expect a real home environment, mosquitoes and all.

Unfortunately construction next door was noisy with loud continuous music and they were open burning. This made it unpleasant but it is not the property’s fault. The architecture of the house inevitably doesn’t block out the smoke so that was difficult. Also large number of mosquitoes possibly due to the rainy season. One room was ok but the other was too cramped with a nonfunctional fireplace taking up half the room. There was a mongoose on the roof/ceiling that was creating a ruckus so couldn’t rest that night. There is no driver accommodation so that pushes up expenses due to having to pay an extra room at a nearby guest house. Food though served on the premises is ordered in from an outside restaurant. It is good for a home experience as long as you are not expecting a hotel style set up within this.

Staff friendly and very helpful. Quaint small hotel with 4 rooms set around a central courtyard. Good sleep quality Location within 20 minute walk to city centre and the main Hindi temple. Off street parking

Rooms, particularly the bathroom are quite small but adequate for a couple of nights. Leak in the bathroom room 4 a bit annoying Quite expensive for what it is and compared with many other stays in SL

Chambre un peu sombre, salle de bain petite, mais tout était très propre, bonne literie et petit salon avec tv (mais meubles plutôt vieillot). Piscine agréable. Personnel très gentil et à l’écoute. Le patio est magnifique, il fait très bon s’y tenir.

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Sehr gutes Essen, nettes Personal, toll, dass man alle vier Zimmer reservieren kann, dann hat man das Haus ganz für sich allein!

It’s offseason so I was the only guest and well taken care of. I had dinner and breakfast brought in, as there’s no restaurant, and the food was uniformly excellent.

Getting to and from Jaffna from Colombo by train was a challenge. Train late both ways. This isn’t Thambu Illiam’s fault, but you should plan for delays.

Thambu Illam is a lovely, atmospheric colonial villa in a quiet area of Jaffna. Our double room was simple, but comfortable and there were plenty of areas outside the room - verandahs, garden, interior patio - to sit and relax. Even though the guesthouse doesn't have its own kitchen, the food we ordered through the guesthouse and which the staff served in an open pavillion by the swimming pool was delicious and authentically Sri Lankan. We'd also like to highlight the wonderful treatment we received from the helpful and attentive staff. Among other things, they arranged several tuk tuk rides for us with the incredible Prasath, as well as onward transport.

Nothing. We were extremely sad that we could only stay for 4 nights as the guesthouse was fully booked after that, due to the Nallur festival.

Tout, le personnel était génial (avec le manager qui nous a fait faire un tour de Jaffna, passionnant!), le petit dej délicieux avec deux options (nous recommandons vivement l’option Sri Lankaise), la chambre spacieuse et propre.

La chambre pourrait bénéficier d’un petit rafraîchissement et était un peu bruyante (côte rue)

Friendly helpful staff. Lovely building and grounds. Great breakfast. Good size,clean rooms with comfy bed.

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Great ambience. Comfortable, peaceful and relaxing accommodation. Attentive and helpful Staff.

Shower wasn't working well and hot water was not hot. Food is bought in via another restaurant, so it takes a long time to arrive.

Ambiance, swimming pool alter a hot day….

Despite of the nice place the location is too expensive.

It was fantastic to have a pool as it was so hot in Jaffna. The staff were so helpful and attentive. They tried everything to satisfy their guests. They had a number of guidebooks available for guests.

The food was brought in so it ended up being a bit soggy and not so appetising.

Stunning property and very clean

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sehr freundliches Personal, toller Pool!

Für 2 Personen ideal, für 4 Personen zu klein. Die Zustellbetten haben das gesamte Wohnzimmer blockiert. Dies wurde auf Booking nicht angegeben

It’s a great beautiful place

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Ruim opgezet alles was aanwezig wat je nodig hebt

Nvt

La piscine et le bâtiment. Le personnel est sympa

Le rapport qualité prix.

La gentillesse du personnel La maison joliment décorée Chambres confortables La piscine

Bruyant (route, travaux) Mobilier extérieur pas propre (poussière sur les meubles, transat) Un peu loin du centre

Très joli hôtel à Jaffna. Les 4 chambres sont distribuées autour d'un patio. Les chambres sont spacieuses mais un peu sombres mais le jardin avec la piscine est très joli et agréable pour prendre l'excellent petit-déjeuner proposé par l'établissement. Le personnel est aux petits soins pour nous, toujours disponibles et souriants. Le soir, il y a possibilité de commander le diner à des tarifs très raisonnables. Ils nous ont proposé aussi un city tour avec un guide très sympathique, on vous le conseille.

Le lit d'appoint (moyennement confortable) qui est ajouté pour une chambre triple ... dommage.

Beautiful small hotel - just four rooms - in a traditional Tamil house. Friendly staff, nice pool. Food can be ordered from a restaurant nearby and is then served in the hotel. Great service!

There is some construction going on next door - but this has nothing to do with the hotel itself.

Small hotel in a traditional Tamil house with just four rooms and a nice swimming pool. The staff is friendly and welcoming. Location is convenient. There is no restaurant onsite, but food can be ordered from a provided menu. Good stay, will come back.

The rooms have no windows, but this is customary, due to heat.

Booked for 3 adults and one child, but they provided only king size bed. So many ants in the floor. Toilet and bathroom very small. Staff were good. But Manager very rude and unethical behaviour

The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. They also helped us plan our days by providing excellent drivers at good prices. Thank you.

This is a lovely, tastefully decorated small hotel, with excellent facilities and staff. Mr Sutha and his nice colleagues made our staying wonderful. Both breakfast, of our choice, and dinner, were very tasty and well prepared and served. We received advice on sightseeing and were facilitated by local transport by Mr Prasath. The location is in a quiet leafy green area of the town. Lots of traditional architecture to be seen. The swimming pool in the garden is nice and clean.

We liked everything.

Staff were very helpful, the place was incredibly clean and comfortable. I was able to order my meals at the hotel or walk to the nearby restaurant. The location wasn't too bad for tuks. I had no issues getting around.

Boutique style accommodation with exceptionally helpful staff, they arranged tuk tuk tours around the city sites and wider jaffna peninsula. Also arranged transportation to our next destination. Would definitely stay here again it was a great base to explore from and a home from home to unwind at the end of a busy day.

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Thambu Ilam is very beautiful colonial house, renovated decorated with style, located near main Jaffna attractions. Rooms are large, well equipped and sparkling clean. Pool is welcome plus helped to beat the heat in the evening. Property does not have own restaurant or bar, but friendly staff and prepare to fulfill all your needs from delicious breakfast, tasteful dinner or drink. Always on your disposal for recommendations.

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The staff were all really helpful and arranged everything for us from pick up to dinner and a fantastic tuk tuke driver Prasath

The building site next door although there were only working on it during our first day . Bathroom fairly basic for the price