"Where do I start .. we were allocated this hotel by our driver we had booked a private trip with. When we arrived we were placed in the nearest room to the reception so not too far to walk to anything. Our lock on the actual door was loose and not very secure but obviously only noticed it when we went to lock it to go to dinner. The safe / locker was broken and they brought us a new one within 5 minutes ok but if someone wanted to take it ?? Just carry it out again not secured to anything. So we decided to shower for evening meal and didn't realise that the shutters were actually see through if you wanted to look in and considering we were the first room we had about 8 rooms passing us. The room was dark dingy and dirty, broken furniture on the balcony dirty walls and damp showing In the bathroom Bare wires hanging randomly from the walls and drips stained walls from the air con. No spoon provided to make your cup of tea I had to use a pen from my bag. Shower was very shy of a good scrubbing and the cupboard door was thick with dust . Food was cold or tepid not hot and everyone followed in a queue like a wedding buffet. We was told there was a bar in the dining area there was a fridge with beer in it and closed when dining was over at 9.30pm there is nowhere to walk as it was so compact in and nothing outside. We resorted to an early night with a couple of cocktails from a very enthusiastic Vihahga. His talents are wasted here as everyone just wondered to their room from their meal as there was nothing other to do than watch TV that then brings me to another problem the tv was snowing and off channel not just one all channels so it was difficult to watch. So early night it was to be woken at midnight by rowdy young lads on our floor banging and trying to get in our room remember we didn't have a secure lock on our door. So didn't sleep very well worried it would happen again. 5 am arrives and guess what a bunch of the same lads all singing laughing whistling and banging doors like it was mid afternoon all heading for reception which was a spit from our room so my husband gets dressed to speak to reception and no there are no staff on over night they start at 6am. I always review positives rarely negatives but I have no idea in my head how this is a 5 star hotel it's dirty damaged and has no facilities to warrant a 5star the dining room manager couldn't apologise enough it's not his place to have to apologise its the overall manager but he didn't understand enough english to apologise and I had socks older than him. We were suposed to check out and have a 2nd day of trips but we decided to go straight back to the comfort of our hotel and the cleanliness of our room there. The sad thing is if we had known this is where we would have spent the night we would be looking at the beautiful pictures on trip advisor thinking how gorgeous and clean it looks but don't be fooled these pictures are years old and struggling to wonder why the reviews are not"

"Out of the 5 days I spent in Sri Lanka, this hotel was by far my favorite and the most satisfying! It's located right next to Yala National Park, sharing the same grounds as the Hilton resort, so you'll spot various animals quite often. We stayed in a jungle chalet, and it was incredibly clean! Both the AC and fan were very quiet. Every staff member was so nice and friendly. We were able to pre-order breakfast boxes for our early morning safari, and on our departure day, since we were leaving too early for lunch (we had booked a full-board package), they even prepared lunch boxes for us to take on the road. The service was absolutely excellent! And the value for money is fantastic!! Highly, highly recommended!"

"Best hotel in Yala. Quiet and peaceful. Food is made to perfection. Staff will bend over backwards to make sure you're comfortable. Truely the best experience. We were there from 27 - 29 Dec and wish we stayed longer! Thank you, staff at Saffron Lake (Janaka, Umesh and everyone) for everything!"

"Environmental services are good, not far away from the lake"

"Out of all the places we stayed during our Sri Lanka trip, this hotel’s environment truly blew me away. ✨ **[Impeccable Eco-Environment: Living in a Natural Grand Park]** The hotel's core highlight is its unparalleled natural setting. The entire property feels like a meticulously maintained natural park, where the landscaping seamlessly blends with the surrounding lake. The scenery, with the water and sky mirroring each other, is incredibly therapeutic. Walking around the grounds, you’ll see egrets gracefully strolling on the lawns or flying low overhead, and various small animals everywhere. Even lizards, which are “standard Southeast Asian fare,” add to the ecological feel – it truly feels like living in a wildlife park. The hotel's outdoor pool is large and expansive, offering direct lake views, perfect for photos and relaxation. There’s also a dedicated boardwalk by the lake, ideal for cycling or a stroll in the evening, enjoying the lake breeze and watching the sunset – it's so comfortable you won’t want to leave. 🏊‍♂️ **[Facilities and Rooms: Basic but Solid, Bathroom a Huge Plus]** The room generally boasts Hilton's standard configuration – clean and spacious. The bathroom, in particular, is very large, making it comfortable to use. Given that it's an eco-park in Sri Lanka, occasionally you might find small mosquitoes near the toilet, which is normal for Southeast Asian hotels and perfectly acceptable. The hotel has two restaurants, offering both à la carte and buffet options. The food quality is decent, and they support Alipay and WeChat Pay, which is much more cost-effective than using local currency directly. 🍽️ **[Dining Experience: Lacking Highlights, Buffet Rather Ordinary]** Due to an upset stomach, we didn’t try the buffet and ordered à la carte, which tasted pretty good. The breakfast buffet looked like it had many options and was quite crowded, but in reality, there weren't many choices that suited our taste. Also, because there are many Indian guests staying, both breakfast and dinner had dedicated Indian food sections. For tourists not used to strong flavors, this further limited the options. Compared to a five-star hotel's positioning, the breakfast as a whole was only average, which is a common issue with most hotels in Sri Lanka. 📍 **[Location and Travel: An Excellent Base for Safari]** The hotel is not far from Yala National Park's Safari area, making it very convenient whether you’re driving yourself or using a private car. We personally found that there’s no need to rush for an early morning safari; an afternoon departure offered a much better experience. We saw a leopard as soon as we entered the park and also spotted most of the iconic animals mentioned in guidebooks. There's no need to get up early and rush, and you can return to the hotel to relax right after – the pace was incredibly comfortable. Always prioritize using Alipay/WeChat for payments, as the exchange rate is much better than using local currency directly. Overall, this hotel is absolutely worth staying at, thanks to its stunning ecological environment and excellent location! If you're coming for the safari and natural scenery, this place will definitely be a highlight of your trip. The only minor regret is that the dining didn't quite match the overall quality."

"Best accommodation for familles. Staff were very accomodating. A lot of activities to do for kids"

"Nice place for relaxing for couple days. It has big and nice pool. The pool guard (Dilash) is just amazing. He is always there to help you with everything. I hope the hotell will upgrade him. The woman in reception is aweful, she seems to be always tierd, and she never smiled, The hotel should change receptionist. We drove with our tuktuk to The hotel wich was very difficult, so dont do that!! Breakfast was ok but nothing more. There is a nice bar with a god service. Hotel rooms are little bit old."

"We were at Tree Top Yala last week and what a fantastic place was it. The home made food was delicious and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The staff were attentive and went out of their way to ensure that we were comfortable. Their guest service is second to none."

"Lankavatara is a small structure (17 rooms) nestled on the edge of the Indian Ocean, very isolated from any town: the beach is endless, completely wild and lined with coconut palms and exotic trees of all kinds. The hotel is magnificent, exotic chic decorative architecture, large swimming pool and beautifully and carefully maintained gardens, all the staff are friendly and welcoming with a smile and great care for the guests. The bedding and sanitary facilities are perfect and the restaurant offers real quality cuisine at very reasonable prices. The breakfast (your choice) is very careful and delicious. In short, you will have understood: staying in this hotel is a real pleasure, give yourself this gift! PS several small restaurants nearby also allow you to have a pleasant change of table if you are staying several days... we particularly recommend endless blue and its Ill mare restaurant (the closest neighbor) for extraordinary seafood!"