Find 5-Star Hotels in Colombo

"This hotel is truly unique, steeped in history, and they do a wonderful job of preserving its century-old heritage while still embracing the 21st century. Everything is excellent, the staff are friendly and respectful, really valuing old-school service traditions. There's even a museum showcasing famous past guests like Anton Chekhov and Yuri Gagarin. The 20-meter saltwater pool, right on the Indian Ocean, is simply fantastic for relaxing when the sea is rough. As I mentioned, the rooms are styled from the 1960s-70s, and you even get the charming creak of the floors and stairs. The hotel team clearly puts a lot of effort into maintaining the property against the forces of time and the ocean's weather. The dining experience for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a story in itself. You can explore not just local cuisine, but dishes from across South Asia. The chefs and restaurant staff really strive to make your stay here an enriching culinary journey into local culture and traditions. If it's your first time in Sri Lanka, I highly recommend this hotel for your initial introduction to the country. Despite the cost, it offers great value, especially considering its convenient location near Colombo's main attractions."

"The hotel is located in the mega-building City of Dreams. It feels more personal because it doesn't have many rooms. It's a bit pretentious, and the breakfast is more showy than practical. The pool area is rather uninviting, but you can use the Cinnamon Life facilities."

"I had a fantastic stay at the Marino Beach Colombo Hotel, and I’d happily recommend it to anyone visiting Colombo. The energy of the hotel matches the city in the best way—there’s a lively, enjoyable atmosphere that makes the whole experience feel fun and memorable. One highlight for me was the great view from the hotel. It really adds to the overall vibe and makes it feel special, even when you’re just stepping out to take a moment. I’d highly recommend booking a room with a balcony. As a mature solo traveller, that private outdoor space made a big difference—especially in a city that can be hot and busy. Even when the day is energetic, the balcony offers that easy, tranquil respite you need to recharge. And the rooftop infinity pool? Absolutely wonderful—great views, a fantastic atmosphere, and a calm break from the city buzz. I also need to make special mention to Upendra. The entire reception/concierge service was brilliant, but Upendra’s attention to detail truly stood out. He supported me with my eSIM and helped with my transport needs, and I genuinely felt valued and cared for—like I was a beloved auntie. It’s exactly what I appreciate from young, enthusiastic staff. Finally, I have to mention the beach club. It was a great experience—and thanks to the life guard, I even got to enjoy a “tethered” swim in the sea. (And yes—at almost 6 feet tall, tethering this Viking shield Maiden really isn’t as fun as it sounds 😄😂) Thank you again, Upendra—and thank you to the Marino Beach Colombo Hotel team."

"The air conditioning was incredibly loud, severely impacting my sleep quality. I had no choice but to turn it off every night. The bedding and towels were disgustingly dirty, covered in old stains – truly nauseating. The bathroom door design was impractical; it blocked the toilet when opened, forcing you to squeeze past or detour through the shower. This is probably why there's no door for the shower, which resulted in the entire bathroom flooding after every shower. I had to throw all the towels on the floor to soak up the water, and I assume others did the same. It felt really off-putting then using new towels to dry myself. The soundproofing was terrible. The windows and room door already offered poor insulation, and to top it off, I was assigned a connecting room. Over 5 nights, there were at least three different sets of guests next door. The last family (who were also my compatriots) were incredibly loud at 2 or 3 AM, talking loudly, video calling, and even singing. I called room service to ask them to intervene, but it only stayed quiet for about 5 minutes before they started again. I just had to endure it, waiting until I was utterly exhausted before I could finally fall asleep. Aside from the decent service, and the cheap price, there's nothing good about this place."

"Mixed feelings We had quite a mixed impression of the hotel. There are definitely some very good things about it, but unfortunately, we experienced several issues that we did not expect from a hotel of this level. Strong points: 🌊 Relaxing ocean view. If you stay here, I would definitely recommend booking a room with a sea view - it is one of the best features of the hotel. 🛏 Extremely comfortable bed. After five months of travelling around Asia, this was one of the most comfortable beds we have slept in. The mattress and pillows were excellent. 👧 Very attentive reception service. Even though we arrived late at night, the reception team quickly arranged an extra bed for our daughter. We really appreciated how quickly and thoughtfully they handled this after our late arrival. 😊 Friendly and caring staff. I especially want to mention the lovely lady who asked for our feedback at checkout. She was very attentive, kind, and genuinely apologetic about the issues we experienced. Because of her attitude and the way she handled our feedback, I’m adding one extra star to my rating. Weak points: We checked in late at night after an 8-hour flight and found a small insect in the bed. It was particularly unpleasant after such a long journey, we had to change rooms. Our main concerns were related to the housekeeping service on the 11th floor. We stayed in room 1107, and unfortunately, there were several things that could have been handled better. Unfortunately, around midnight, we were woken up by loud conversations outside our door, apparently by members of the staff. Shortly afterwards, the housekeeping staff started vacuuming the room next door and moving furniture around - at night. After a long flight, we simply wanted to sleep peacefully, especially as we were only staying for two nights. This was quite unpleasant and, in our opinion, could easily have been avoided. There were no slippers in our room, which was surprising. We did notice slippers in the housekeeping area, so perhaps they were simply forgotten. There were no hand or face towels in the bathroom - only large bath towels. This seemed quite unusual for a hotel of this standard, and it is not particularly comfortable to use the same towel for your face and feet. The bathroom lighting was also very dim, making it difficult to get ready properly and do my makeup."

"The hotel facilities are great, but the atmosphere was a bit tense. Overall, the hotel itself is good; the rooms and service are all up to par. However, this experience felt a bit strange. We arrived in the middle of the night, and as soon as we entered the hotel, there were two layers of security checks: first, military personnel with sniffer dogs, and then the hotel's own security. Honestly, this kind of setup made me feel a bit tense and unable to relax. I was looking forward to the sea view when I woke up, but the weather wasn't great that day; neither the sky nor the sea were very blue. The advantage of the large floor-to-ceiling windows wasn't really utilized, which was a bit disappointing. After leaving the hotel, the street outside was full of tuk-tuks, emitting a strong diesel smell. It instantly pulled me from the vacation vibe back to reality. 😑"

"Location is great, just beside One Galle Face Mall. Plenty of restaurants and cafes around. Beautiful sunset views (from the bar, pool, restaurant, lobby) and Galle Face opposite the road. Rooms are gorgeous and spacious. Checked in Dec 30-Jan 2 peak season. Hotel was fully booked. Waited in the lobby for my room to be ready upon check-in. Front desk said they will find me to let me know. Waited for more than an hour before I asked them again and told me that my room has been ready. Ordered some room service which took more than an hour to be delivered. Granted they told me that it may take about 50 minutes because it was peak hours. Upon delivery they told me it was comped because of the long wait. Pool, restaurant, and bar staff are all great. Very personable and accommodating. Loved the sky pool on the 31st floor. No bar but not as crowded as the main pool. Breakfast was great. A lot of choices. Asian selection is great. Pastries not so much, some didn’t seem fresh. Heard from some staff that it gets super busy from around 9 but didn’t experience any long wait. Plenty of tables to accommodate people. Overall a great experience and will definitely stay here again if I’m in Colombo."

"We had a wonderful stay at Cinnamon Lakeside. The hospitality was outstanding from the moment we arrived, with the staff being warm, professional, and always ready to help. They made us feel genuinely welcome throughout our stay. The hotel is well-maintained, the atmosphere is relaxing, and the service exceeded our expectations. Thank you to the entire team for making our visit enjoyable. We would be happy to stay here again and highly recommend Cinnamon Lakeside to anyone looking for excellent hospitality."

"According to my booking, I was supposed to receive a king-size bed, but upon check-in, I was given two very small, separate beds instead. The hotel authorities failed to keep the commitment made at the time of booking. Staying and sleeping in these small beds was extremely difficult and uncomfortable for us. This kind of poor service and irresponsibility is completely unacceptable from a reputable hotel. In terms of customer service and maintaining commitments, this has been a thoroughly disappointing experience. I have no intention of ever staying at this hotel again in the future."

"Manipati Hotel in Colombo, an old house built in 1906, was once the private residence of the Correa family. Stepping into the hotel, it feels like traveling through time and space, and deeply appreciates the texture polished by time. The hotel cleverly retains the original colonial architectural details and historical and cultural atmosphere. The hotel has only a few rooms, and my room was unexpectedly upgraded with a small garden. A chair and a small coffee table in the corner became a good place for me to read. In the morning, squirrels jumped between the trees, green parrots played on the white walls, and I enjoyed a quiet time in the swimming pool in front of the door. Thank you!"