The Rook House in Hiriketiya

The caretaker, Ajith, is wonderful—highly attentive, friendly, and helpful. The location is excellent, situated just a short walk from the beach and local restaurants. The villa sits in a nice, private garden with a clean swimming pool, though the pool's shower head is broken, leaving only a tap over the grass.

The property is currently neglected and needs significant maintenance to justify its price. By the fourth night, we realized both of our children were covered in bites. Upon inspecting the beds, we found significant black dirt buildup along the mattress seams and caught two fleas. For safety, we all had to crowd into the master bed for our final night. Furthermore, the physical property deviates heavily from its Booking.com listing: The floors are basic concrete, not the advertised tile or marble. There are only three bathrooms, not four. Crucially, only one has hot water, meaning there is only one functional shower for a family of four. The kitchen lacks cupboards, and the open shelves were covered in grime. The kitchen sponge provided was filthy. Additionally, the fridge was rusty and the temperature gauge is broken and froze all contents, which was a major issue as my wife needed it to store her medication. The listed washing machine did not work at all, which was a primary reason we booked this villa after six weeks of travel. It clearly had been broken for some time. There is no indoor dining table anywhere in the villa. The wardrobes were only half-accessible, with one side locked up to store the owner's personal items. The open halves were cluttered with old, unlocked junk (such as sea boots, a broken picture frame, and a grubby bed throw and pillow) rather than being cleared for guest use. Additionally, the ensuite bidet hose burst open in the middle of the night, flooding the bathroom. Bedroom lamps were broken, and a bedroom desk was unusable because it lacked a chair and was holding a broken computer monitor. Cash payment was required upfront which is unusual and caused logistical difficulties of local ATM withdrawal limits. We have stayed in multiple properties around Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia and sadly this property is currently overpriced and needs a revamp.

Wat een fijn huis in Hiriketiya. Personeel heel vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Super rustige plek op loop afstand van het centrum.

Beste verblijf van onze trip in Sri Lanka! Schone kamers, heeerlijk zwembad, lekkere ligbedjes/stoelen en een super vriendelijke host. De locatie wordt als minpunt vaak benoemd. Het klopt dat de weg erna toe hobbelig is maar wij waren met de tuktuk waardoor dit goed te doen is. Ook heeft dit positieve punten waardoor het huis heel rustig ligt, weinig buren/ geen last van de buren en paar keer per dag komen er gezellig apen langs lopen die op een veilige afstand blijven en die je vanuit het zwembad goed kan bekijken. Voor ons was de locatie dus juist een plus punt.

The house was excellent, very welcoming and helpful. He was responsive by message and made she we had everything we needed :)

The property was about a 15 minute walk to the beach, but we still loved it!

Cozy villa. Had all the kitchen utensils we needed

The garden wasn’t clean as we expected.

A peaceful little bungalow with lots of space. We had two kids who enjoyed running around in the large garden and seeing a few monkeys and peahens and being close to nature. The kitchen was well equipped. We bought our own spices and rations so we were able to cook a few of our own meals. The bathrooms are spacious and well maintained. The rooms are a great size too. The living room is great to hang out and has a variety of books and games to choose from. Communication with the owner was seamless. The caretaker was efficient and very courteous.

Nothing to dislike. Just a few notes. Only one room has A/C. Although it doesn't feel too hot as all areas have fans, the humidity during dry weather can make it feel slightly warm. Location wise - advisable to have your own vehicle because it's slightly interior or rent a scooter to make the commute easier or speak to the caretaker and arrange a tuk tuk for pick ups.

Very clean! Kitchen is fully equipped and great for long stay.

Access road is difficult for small car. Better to come in SUV type vehicle. Air conditioning is available only in one room. Better to have in all rooms.