Galle Face Hotel

Like the professionalism of staff

Every thing was good

The location and the breakfast was great.

I booked a room with a double bed and a single and ended up getting 2 large single beds.

Upon checking we were upgraded to a ‘better’ room for our last night of 19 in SL. Thanks to Humaith, Chathuranga and Shanini. Large corner room with a lovely bathroom, great choice of restaurants and very substantial choices for breakfast make this a worthwhile hotel. Its history, decor and surrounds are superb.

The room was loud by the ocean and unfortunately with a nearby party was loud with music from 10pm until all hours. The bed was far too firm for my liking.

We ended up in a balcony room which was very roomy with a great view and lots of space for our small family. The buffet was very nice as were the bars and staff.

At night the music from the beach club can be quite loud.

Beautiful hotel located by the ocean. We were greeted by lovely Melissa who was very helpful throughout our stay. Very comfortable large room and stunning bathroom with bath. Delicious breakfast and very good dinner in 1864.

The location is great and the hotel is iconic. And the room was comfortable.

We were given a terrible room when we checked in with no aspect despite being told we would have one. Upon complaining, we were moved across the corridor to a room with a sea view which was more comfortable. But were in the unrenovated part of the hotel. Also did not like all the taxes added onto everything, so you think you are paying X but its always X++

The ambience, history, service, location, pool, dining options were all first class.

The mattress was a bit hard for our liking

A place like few others. It has real old-world charm, yet offers modern comforts. Much more charming and enjoyable than the modern high-rises. The view of the sea and Galle Face Green is fantastic. The bar is lovely and the restaurant is good. The staff is very helpful!

Nothing

Old world atmosphere

Nothing much

The character and the history of the building as well as its location. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. Happy hour with free cocktails for booking through Booking.com was also a nice bonus.

It was starting to show a bit of wear, could probably due with a touch of paint.

The staff attention to detail and hosting. The old worldly feel. Quality of the building and services given how old it is!

NA

Variety variety of food select

Spacious and very clean rooms, friendly and helpful staff, excellent breakfast. Exceptional service from the staff from the front desk, room service and dining; the best in our 16 day stay in Sri Lanka. A special mention to Dimasha who was extremely helpful.

Great location near to Edgware Rd station . Easy to find . Good communication . Spacious apartment with two bedrooms - each had a double and a single in the basement. Living room on the ground floor . Comfortable and good size for our group of 5 . Bathrooms were fine ( wet rooms ) one smelt quite damp . Tea and coffee was available which helped and shops and restaurants nearby.

Would benefit from good Venetian blinds fitted in the living room which has wrap around windows on the street . Didn’t feel comfortable to open curtains . Smelt a bit damp downstairs .

The property was stunning! Beautiful and full of history we loved staying at this hotel. The staff were welcoming, friendly and helped us with everything we needed. Despite being old, the property was constantly being maintained but not in a way that disturbed our stay, it was great to see. Breakfast was truly some of the best we had in 3 weeks travelling Sri Lanka. Can’t recommend highly enough!

Nothing

the room upgrade and they looked after me really well when I became sick

The staff were all very welcoming. The food was excellent, and we loved the evening cocktails. The location was excellent and we were lucky to be staying during the amazingly colourful and vibrant kite festival, outside the hotel on the green.

No complaints at all.

location was amazing as was the atmosphere pool superb by the sea food good too

its a wee bit tired in places but it is amazing value for what you get

I love this hotel. I will always stay here in Colombo.

Location is great. Loved the history of the building. Breakfast is fantastic. Good variety of restaurants and sunset drinks.

It is a little hard to navigate but that is part of the fun of an old building

This is like stepping back in time - a really beautiful old building steeped in history. The facilities and breakfast were wonderful, the saltwater pool a highlight. Every floor has beautiful carvings and art. A total treat.

Staff are very attentive but it’s a bit overwhelming - all porters and hospitality are quite pushy at times with trying to get you to book a driver etc. we also found that given the prices charged, the service at the restaurants was very slow - we often had to ask several times before drinks arrived etc.

What an incredible place to stay! We absolutely loved every moment of our stay here. If you’re looking for old-world charm, timeless elegance, and truly exceptional customer service, this is the place to stay. Every detail made our experience feel special, and the warm, attentive service was second to none. We couldn’t recommend it highly enough!

Uns hat sehr gut die tolle Führung durch das sehr besondere und geschichtsträchtige Hotel gefallen, welches von Shaini geführt wurde. Das Hotel ist eine Sehenswürdigkeit an sich und lohnt sich auf jeden Fall bei einem Trip nach Colombo. Sehr gutes und reichhaltiges Frühstücksbuffet.

Etwas höhere Preise für für Essen und Getränke im Restaurant, die jedoch durch den kolonialen Charme des Hotels gerechtfertigt sind.

I especially loved the hotel’s colonial lounge—elegant, atmospheric and aesthetically stunning, with timeless old-world charm. A truly memorable sanctuary combining heritage, beauty, exceptional hospitality and complete relaxation.

Hotel molto affascinante, con una vista splendida sull'oceano. Personale molto gentile e attento a soddisfare ogni esigenza. Piscina molto bella, con vista mare. Abbiamo anche cenato e ci siamo trovati molto bene. Camera molto ampia. Posizione comoda.

La camera poteva essere più pulita: i vetri della finestra,ad esempio, erano molto macchiati per l'umidità. Il phon in camera era poco potente e un po' vecchio. In un hotel di questo livello mi aspetterei una maggiore cura per questi dettagli.

The setting, morning laps in pool, buffet breakfast amazing. Friendly staff. The history. Had stayed here 25 years ago. Just as good as I remembered.

Nothing

Enjoyed our stay at Galle Face Hotel. Beautiful beach views, delicious breakfast and friendly staff.

I loved the hotel’s colonial architecture —elegant, atmospheric and aesthetically stunning, with timeless old-world charm. A truly memorable sanctuary combining heritage, beauty, exceptional hospitality and complete relaxation.

Good location with great ocean views. Spacious old colonial style hotel with very friendly and helpful staff.

Det ligger på helt rätt ställe.

Restaurangen är öppen ute. Ingen A/C här inte. När man åt middag/lunch eller frukost så fyllde de på dåligt så flera saker saknades. Dålig ventilation på toan så väggar och golv var alltid blöta eller fuktiga.

Fabulous heritage hotel, full of interesting paintings and information, lovely staff especially Sharni who took us on a tour of the hotel and their museum. Gayan at front of house staff was very helpful during our stay, thank you. Excellent lounges and breakfast. Beautiful hotel, highly recommend for a relaxed low key environment.

Nothing, all good

Everything.

Nothing.

L’histoire de ce magnifique hôtel, la vue mer, l’immense piscine, les bars et restaurants et les massages

Rien

Meraviglioso hotel coloniale di colombo. Abbiamo prenotato con colazione e cena. Tutto a buffet. Tutto ottimo con moltissima varietà. Per chi voglia assaporare il fascino coloniale è il top dell’isola. Un pezzo di storia. Rispetto al fascino, anche il rapporto qualità prezzo è decisamente buono

Non dovrebbe accettare gli eventi chiassosi che rovinano l’atmosfera serale. Con due violinisti sarebbe incantevole.

It’s very nice hotel with high quality service. We love pool with salted water. So you cannot swim in the see but salted water in the pool was great satisfaction. Breakfast and dinner were astonished.

Everything was perfect, clean and organized.

The history and the location. Staff were amazing.

Nothing

Such a historic hotel that is integral to Sri Lankan history, a real Grand old dame of hotels. A great place to start off any trip to the country as is such a reference point, features in many of the books we were reading and so many famous people have stayed there. Beautiful old building. Some areas a little tired but authentic and staff were all so lovely and friendly. Great selection of food and drink.

Some of the rooms/spaces felt a little dated but I think they are addressing these over time. Worth noting that in late July when we were there, the sea is very rough and the humidity meant that everything felt rather damp.....sheets, our clothes etc....so that's just how it is. Our only gripe was that any refreshments from the poolside bar took a VERY long time to arrive. We were wondering if they had forgotten entirely about an order just for water! It may have been due to staff changing shifts but we did wonder how it was possible to take that long.

Great location and an iconic building in Colombo

It’s one of my favourite hotels so pretty much I like everything

El desayuno Buffet era súper completo. La habitación muy amplia.

Hay algunas zonas que se nota que son antiguas y necesitan un poco de renovación.

Character hotel. Excellent services and pool. One hotel I hope to come back to some day and spend days instead of just a night and enjoy it as a resort on its own. View of ocean was magnificent. Closest hotel to the water I have ever seen.

Bit wonky on the floors. Floor boards need a bit of maintenance in Room 2001.

Always a very hospitable welcome awaits at the GFH. Special thanks for Emmanuel for very helpful concierge assistance.

The hotel has a lot of charm, and the staff are wonderful. However, there was a party that was quite noisy, and the restaurant outside was closed, so we couldn’t enjoy the sunset outdoors.

Loved everything about this hotel. The history, the grand entrance, the dining areas serving great food, the welcoming staff, our lovely sea view room, and the location. A very unique and special hotel.

Nothing. It was the best place to end our time in Sri Lanka.

Très bon rapport qualité prix de cet hôtel. L’emplacement et les services sont top. Certains aspect anciens peuvent sembler un peu désuet mais cela fait son charme (échangeur de douche, porte, etc)

Fantastisch iconisch hotel! Alle verwachtingen overtroffen!

Niets!

This Colombo's legend does not disappoint. Beautiful, well-preserved building and grounds, plus a big swimming pool, gym, and restaurants and bars with great food and interesting drinks. People who work there made my stay fantastic. Thank you Sazni, Belinda and Melissa!

Everything was perfect.

Old and grand, a proper old style hotel which is rare to find

A little worn in some places and they did not clean our room.

Tout ! Le personnel aux petits soins, leurs différents restaurants et leurs buffets ultra généreux et délicieux dans un écran bord d’océan magnifique !

I loved the stylish old world charm and elegance of the hotel, the magnificent big verandah restaurant with the sea views and breeze, the fabulous swimming pool and adjacent loungers overlooking the rolling waves of the Indian Ocean. Fabulous. Also the staff were all so helpful, obliging and thoughtful.

Nothing.

Traditionsreiches Hotel mit außergewöhnlichem Ambiente, tolle Lage direkt am Meer, hervorragender Service

Teilweise etwas „abgewohnt“

Beautiful well maintained colonial rooms, super helpful staff, excellent food

None, exceeded expectations

The location

The room advertised on booking.com differs from the room provided by the hotel. On Booking.com it was advertised as one double bed AND one single bed. The hotel does not have such a room at all. An extra bed was provided. The condition of the extra bed was bad. The shower water was not draining properly, causing the bathroom to flood. The water accumulated like a swimming pool and eventually overflowed from the bathroom into the bedroom. Once that was sorted, the shower control knob had issues. Not at all a pleasant stay

Les repas et les petits déjeuner sont vraiment top

Tout

Good

Spacious

Dated, in need of renovation. Rooms were not made up properly, just towels were changed and bed done, not a lot of tidying up.

Wow! What an experience!!! Mum and I were recommended to stay here while in Sri Lanka. My preference are the Beautiful local family guest houses throughout Sri Lanka... but this was a little special and a surprise for my mum. Instantly we were greeted with the Beautiful Dinushi 🥰😍 and her warm, welcoming, caring, kind, smile and help was so special to me and mum. You also took care of some extra special extras for my mummas Birthday!! Mummma was ecstatic!!!! It was really a pleasure to be helped by your staff and looked after like family and an extra special moments with Dinushi 💜 Thank you, Hayley Valentine. I am so sad to now leave your Beautiful country and beautiful people 💜

Venerable old colonial hotel located beside the sea at the southern end of Galle Face Green with a small army of welcoming and helpful staff.  There's a lovely, long salt water outdoor swimming pool, three different places to eat and a lavish breakfast buffet, all looking out onto the crashing waves.  Rooms are generally well maintained and it's part of the old world charm of the place that things are a little old fashioned.  Like breakfast,  the buffet lunch was great value and great quality. The location is perfect for easy walks to the Fort and Slave Island areas, and the nearby shopping mall.

On arrival there appeared to be some confusion with locating our Booking.com booking and a room with the correct number of beds for our family group, but this was resolved fairly swiftly.

The staff were the best! Harisha is amazing made it the best for us and an 18 year old staff member working at the beach bar, he was amazing and quick, best hospitality ever, same with chanaka, I would go back.for these people and how they made it so great for myself and my family.

The city view when I told them I didn't want this view and in advance and in person, I repeatedly said I didn't want it and this was an upgrade, the view was horrendous from the city view bedroom, that only ruined our stay and my dad's birthday.

Frokosten var veldig bra

Rommene bærer preg av at det er veldig gammelt.

Nice old hotel with charm Very nice staff The room with the sea view balcony was awesome

The service at the restaurant requires a bit more work. For an hotel of this category and price, I was expecting a more professional service.

Fantastic place, great facilities

Service in bars and restaurants could have been better.

Świetne miejsce w kolonialnym stylu nad samym Oceanem i z nowoczesnymi udogodnieniami. Super personel i jedzenie.

Główną wadą hotelu jest to, że nie chce się zniego wychodzić. I można przez to przegapić zwiedzanie miasta i kraju.

Beautiful building but in need of some loving care. Paint peeling of etc.

Lots of staff on hand, but for me too much.

The location and history. A colonial hotel with warmth and charm.

It is in need of some upgrades and external restoration.

I was very satisfied,and enjoyed the ambience of days gone by..

I just loved the majesty of this colonial building and its beautiful rooms. The staff were wonderful and very attentive.

The location - the staff & the beautiful decor & history

The Cuban bar .. staff & pricing

- très bel hôtel de charme, surplombant la mer - grande chambre et salle de bain, propre - staff à la réception et bagagerie très aimable - très bon petit déjeuner

- mariage le samedi soir dans une tente devant l’hôtel : bruit extrêmement fort pour dîner. Quasiment impossible de dîner dehors. Et difficile de dormir avec le bruit. Très déçue que cela puisse être acceptée. Nous ne venons pas dans un hôtel pour avoir des bruits sourds de 15h à 1h du matin !

Old world charm

Nothing I can think of

Very good

Location & staff