The Lake Forest Hotel

The hotel is situated in a beautiful location on the edge of the Thissa Wewa (Lake) with a view of all the main stupas in the sacred city. The quality of care provided by the staff, particularly Suranga and Herath in the restaurant was excellent. We enjoyed some delicious meals, that included a great selection of Sri Lankan and western cuisine.

Some of the bathroom fittings are now starting to show signs of age. Some attention to things like drainage of the sink and operation of shower taps will easily address this. Similarly, the sun lounger cushions needed some careful cleaning. However, these were minor issues and didn’t affect the overall experience of our excellent stay.

View

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Beautiful location, good facilities and nice staff

Very beautiful scenery and very breezy

Wish the breakfast had more options

View, friendliness of staff, dimention of room, service,

Buffet so and so,

The hotel was extremely comfortable and all the facilities were excellent.

Nothing ! Everything and the staff were excellent.

Location and first impression as you come in and mosquito nets over bed (needed!)

Very Tired needs a lick of paint/ breakfast choices were limited but ok. Also high amount of mosquitos in room, could see a number of gaps that they could have come in from.

The hotel is situated bordering the Thissa lake with beautiful views of ancient stupas in the horizon. Rooms were large and comfortable but some amenities inside the room could use a few repairs. Overall positive experience and would recommend.

Top séjour dans un hôtel très sympa dans un cadre très agréable

Enjoyed good food as well as their services

La vue sur le lac, la propreté générale et la piscine.

Le personnel et notamment la réception est indifférente. Nous avons été réveillés par beaucoup de bruit dès 5/6 heures par l’installation du petit déjeuner à l’étage et des aboiements continus de chiens. La literie est très ferme. Cet établissement propose des chambres à prix élevés et n’est pas à la hauteur du standing présumé.

La chambre est vaste,la literie est très confortable mais les buffets au restaurant ne sont pas à la hauteur de l'établissement ni du tarif pratiqué.

Friendly staff

Nothing

Offensichtlich wurde unsere Buchung vergessen (das erste Mal über Expedia gebucht..). Als wir ankamen, dauerte es fast eine Stunde, bis wir unser Zimmer beziehen konnten. Dann war es ein offensichtliches Notzimmer mit zwei metallenen Zustellbetten - nicht das Familienzimmer mit Seeblick, das wir bestellt und bezahlt hatten. Wir wurden dann am ersten Abend mit einen Gratisessen als Ausgleich "abgespeist" - am nächsten Tag konnten wir wechseln - aber auch nur durch massive Nachfrage - von selbst wäre wohl nichts passiert. Das neue Zimmer war dann sehr schön - hätte es gleich geklappt, würde die Bewertung besser ausfallen

Size of the room, beds were large and comfortable and bathroom was well equipped.

Staff weren't very engaging, or interested. Compared to everywhere we else we stayed on our travels, they were the least engaged and helpful. Barely looked up from the desk when we arrived to check in. Didn't help with organising tours/cars as we had asked. We decided to check out a day early. The pool had only a couple of chairs around it and the tiles were leathlly slippy, thankfully our children didn't do any damage on the times they slipped but I came away with a huge bruise on my arm after being very careful but still slipping on my way into the pool. Some warnings about monkey's on the balcony would've been good - we had seen them all over Sri Lanka but they appeared on our third floor balcony, with no warning and tried to open the door. The hotel must know how persistent and local they are so really should have warned us.

Beautiful setting with spectacular views across the lake (Tissa Weva) to 5 Great Stupas of Anuradhapura (Ruwanwelisaeya, Mirisawatiya, Jethavanaramaya, Abhayagiriya and Sandahiru Saeya). The room was spacious and clean with a balcony that took in the views across the lake. Food was delicious and the staff were kind and attentive. The pool was a great place to cool off and relax. All in all a wonderful place to spend a few days in Anuradhapura, within easy reach of the Sacred City.

Nothing we didn’t like. We will definitely be coming back in the future!

Friendly staff, good breakfast, spacious clean rooms

Super friendly staff, gorgeous sunrise and sunset views of the temples, and very peaceful atmosphere.

This is a place with beautiful scenery by the lake and Buddhist stuupa . Highly recommend for wedding shooting Very beautiful place.

The view

Only 4 sunbed at the pool for more than 20 room…

This is the second time we have stayed here. The rooms are clean and the relevant amenities are provided. We requested an iron and an ironing board, which were also given. The food tasted good. The à la carte portions were adequate (See picture). There was a good variety of choices in the breakfast buffet. The view across the lake was excellent (See picture). The waiting staff, security, and bell boys were quite friendly and helpful.

When we were checking in, the lady at the reception told us to pay in full at that time itself. A temporary hold or refundable deposit would have been understandable. But this was a non-refundable full prepayment, with no explanation. When I pointed out that generally it is at the end that the bill should be settled, given that we may incur other expenses such as food costs that would be convenient to settle in one go, she made a face and showed very reluctant acquiescence. Since I did not want to start an argument, I told her to go ahead and charge the full amount as she wanted. Now, I do not know if this has become the practice of this venue for all guests, or if this is a prejudice against local guests, or perhaps I didn’t fit their profile of a ‘preferred’ guest. Whichever one it was, I felt that the interaction was rather inhospitable, which is ironic, given that it is from an entity which ostensibly is part of ... the hospitality industry.

Lovely hotel, mattresses a little hard and the aircon was difficult to adjust. No duvet therefore to cold at night. Nice and attentive staff👍

It was AMAZING! Best place to stay in Anuradhapura. Magic views across the ancient city.

I like everything

Good stay. Beautiful views. Good breakfast. Terrible WiFi.

Stunning views from the hotel overlooking the lake and the temples. The staff from reception to room service are very courteous. Will definitely consider for next trip to Anuradhapura.

Breakfast was amazing! Had so many choices and variety. Food tasted great. The stunning view from the hotel lobby, dinning and my room was definitely the best part of this hotel for me.

The shower was a bit difficult to figure-out. I suggest the a sicker with an arrow be pasted on the hidden latch so that the guest know what to pull. I had to come out of the shower and call the reception for help.

Great location and hotel. Excellent service and friendly staff.

Très bel hôtel bien situé. Superbe chambre avec terrasse. A noter cependant qu'il.n y avait aucun matelas sur les transats. Accueil très moyen. Pas d'information sur les prestations de l'hôtel exemple : possibilité de diner sous forme de buffet.

Superbe hôtel très bien situé au calme au bord du lac. Vue magnifique. Je recommande le lieu. En revanche nous aurions aimé plus d’explications à notre arrivée sur le fonctionnement des repas: soit à la carte , service long, soit forfait buffet que nous avons experimente le 2eme soir: bien. On aurait aussi aimé des matelas qui pouvaient manquer sur les chaises longues. Donc, en synthèse, bel hôtel, accueil moyen, même si nous avons observé du changement le 2 eme jour (séjour de 3 nuits)

The location was breathtaking, with rooms overlooking the lake all the way to 6 stupor of the old town. Beautiful, private balconies. The staff couldn't be more attentive.

There is nothing to dislike about this place.

Brilliant balcony, good meal service, nice staff, and well appointed rooms. We got to witness a wedding in the property whilst there and that should tell you enough in and of itself about the quality of the location.

Great location and view on the water. Huge modern room. Limited continental breakfast options. Bathroom not as clean as could be.

Everything was grest

The view from the hotel over the lake is truly magnificent and rooms are very specious.

We didn’t have a hot water in our room, staff was not attentive, breakfast was very limited, so was a dinner.

Check in was ok. I was disappointed as a Platinum member not to allocated a higher floor with a better view of the lake. Service was very attentive, a little too attentive at times. Front desk were excellent.

The view to the lake is fantastic. Room is comfortable.

Einfacher, schneller Check in. Die Zimmer zum See waren ruhig. Toller Blick über den See. Das Restaurant bietet sehr gute Speisemöglichkeiten an. Schneller Checkout. Moskito Netz war verfügbar. Leider war der Pool ein bisschen kalt und recht schlecht gelegen da direkt an den Sitzbereichen der Lobby. Ich hätte mir auf dem Balkon einen Aschenbecher gewünscht.

Good View

The main hall of the property is great, well maintained with great view. But during my stay I was greeted by a cockroach in the room. Too much noisy, could hear our neighbors and outside noisy dogs barking. Didn’t got proper sleep during our stay, towels were stinky. Buffet dinner and breakfast had many options but it was too cold to eat. Never going neither recommending anyone.

Very nice place and the staff is amazing too

Beautiful location. Service and food was top notch

Internet slow

Extremely helpful staff. Very prompt. The rooms are great. Wifi is a bit slow, but not too bad. Unfortunately, it has been raining (un - seasonal) and thus, couldn't go out exploring much. Otherwise, great.

The pool was beautiful and the view across the lake peaceful. Meals were good and the service professional.

Geen ontbijtbuffet op dag 1 van ons verblijf wegens te weinig gasten. Hiervoor kregen we geen compensatie. Op dag 2 was er een verlovingsfeest waardoor we geen gebruik konden maken van de ligbedden en zwembad. Hiervoor evenmin compensatie. Het zwembad is bijzonder klein en verdient die naam niet. Weids uitzicht op het meer. Het hotel ligt totaal geïsoleerd met werkelijk niets in de buurt.

Very nice location and beautiful room, high ceiling and well designed.

Very nice place directly at the lake with great view to the Stupas. Beautiful pool and garden area. Clean and spacy rooms. Super breakfast and food.

Very good breakfast and amazing views

Lovely view over the “Tank” Reservoir to the illuminated Stupa’s of the 3 monasteries.

AC unit had the default set to reset every 30min to 28 degrees. So was hotter in room than outside. As you can access the admin menu on the ac I found the default setting and removed the 30min reset so the room would stay at the temperature we wanted but that was after a very hot uncomfortable night on first night. Food was a bit average and not up to the standard the rest of the hotel offered.

The views! Marvellous! And the room size, so big and confortable.

Nothing

Location is awesome Food is good

One of room has issues with electricity..it kept on tripping but nothing was done

The hotel provided a free room and food to our guide/driver. He felt very well taken care of.

During two afternoons of our three-day stay at Lake Forest Hotel (August 14-17), the entire premises boomed with dance music from weddings on the third floor and roof. When we wanted to relax in the touted tranquility and air conditioning of our room, instead the room pounded with the base of the dance party happening literally on the other side the wall. We complained to the hotel and received the response, “But the music ends by 4:00 PM.” Apparently, the hotel’s “safe haven” status only applies in the evenings. When our driver intervened, the hotel offered to move our room, but it wouldn’t make a difference. The rooms, elevator, garden, and entire property (including the drivers’ rooms in the building across the parking lot) pulsed like a nightclub. Lake Forest can be a pricey luxury hotel for reconnecting with nature, or it can be a booming dance hall for loud and large Sri Lankan weddings. It cannot be both.

Beautiful hotel by the lake with a view of Anuradhapura in the distance. Well maintained, comfortable rooms. Great service including the restaurant with full buffet.

Nice place and friendly staff

Gorgeous vista

Breakfast was good but dinner was not so good

First time staying at this hotel. Our stay was incredible and the service is beyond this world. A special shout out to Herath and Suranga. They went out of the way to make sure we had a comfortable stay. We traveled with kids and it was a very kid friendly environment. Rooms were spacious and modern. Food was excellent as well. All in all a 7 star stay!

We stayed one night at the Lake Forest Hotel. We were checked in promptly on arrival and we told that we received an upgrade to the room we had booked. We booked the Family Suite and we stayed in a Family Suite Room!! No upgrade but we were still very happy with the room. With 2 x Queen Beds and large bathroom and balconies the Family Suite was more than adequate for our one night stay. Beds were really comfortable and the views over Tissa Lake toward the temples were amazing. Only downvote for the hotel was the food. Not that it wasnt ok. It was nice, but food temperatures were a little low which made eating feel a little like the food had been sitting for a while. Hoppers were great as usual. We ate Sri Lankan choices at the buffet but there was a selection of Western food as well. A nice, comfortable hotel in a great location.

The hotel is located at a beautiful place next to the lake with a view of all the stupas. Rooms were nice and the staff was excellent. Herath at the restaurant was very friendly, courteous and helpful. Thank you!

Beautiful and accessible location. Lovely rooms. Staff (young man) at breakfast particularly helpful and courteous. Thank you.

Big rooms with nice view of the lake and stupas.

Felt a little remote. Quite far away for any town centre. The restaurant was a bit hit or miss. On the 1st night the buffet was great, but on 2nd night there was a very uninspiring set menu and the ala carte menu had most things unavailable.

Very pretty location, lovely view of lake and stupas. Attractive property and nice furnishings. There is one restaurant you can walk to, but it is too far to walk to the town; however taxis are always available.

I thought it was a good selection.

Excellent location. Very good Restaurant.

None

The view day and night

Fabulous location. Great room. Wonderful staff. Good food.

From the moment we arrive at the reception until the conclusion of their trip, the hotel's team demonstrates exceptional training in providing top-notch service to us. The cuisine is exceptionally delicious and of high quality. Additionally, the hotel room and overall architecture are strikingly beautiful.

The moment you enter the hotel you are blown away by the view of the lake. The lake view rooms are really nice with balconies where one can sit and enjoy the gorgeous views. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and the hotel staff is very friendly and helpful.

The buffet spreads need to be better and have more variety.

We liked the large room overlooking the lake. The food and service was exceptional with an excellent range of food. Staff are excellent and very helpful, Enjoyed our stay in this quiet hotel by the side of the lake with magnificent views

None

Beautiful site, clean; nice breakfast

This hotel is set in beautiful surroundings with magnificent views overlooking a lake where there is an abundance of wild birdlife. The area is tranquil and away from main roads, yet within easy reach of attractions such as temples. The room and facilities were very comfortable. There is a nice pool. We received a refreshing welcome drink. The restaurant overlooking the lagoon is lovely (romantic setting). Food for dinner and breakfast was buffet service and there was an array of options, especially for Sri-Lankan style food. The dinner dishes were particularly tasty.

The coffee. There are mosquitos around but the bed does have a net.

Lovely location and accommodation. Good restaurant. Some issues with leaks in bathroom but total experience was great.

Breakfast Buffet was lovely with a good variety. Views over the lake were beautiful. Bedrooms were spacious and comfortable.

Nice big room with nice big balcony with loungers. Comfortable beds. Lovely staff. Beautiful view.

It was very expensive compared to similar places we stayed at in Sri Lanka. Pool location was bizarre. It was half inside the restaurant which made you feel very exposed. Pool was in the shade at the logical time you wanted to use it and hence quite cold.

The hotel is in an amazing location- right next to a massive lake! We just stayed for one night, but very soon felt that we should have stayed longer to really enjoy the hotel! The only glitch was that the water pressure in the bathroom was low, and the washbasin drained rather slowly.

Et virkelig dejligt og hyggeligt hotel i et fantastisk flot naturområde. Venligt personale og rengjort og smagfuldt indrettet. Smuk udsigt over sø og templer i baggrunden.

We very much enjoyed the surrounding of the property Beautiful view Staff are very helpful

Liked everything but more varieties for the breakfast buffet would be good

Very nice, obliging staff. My room could have done with a refreshing, but it had a spacious terrace with lovely lake view. On balance, a nice place to stay.

location, swimming pool

variety of the buffet

Breakfast was passable. Friendly staff.