Nestled in paradise, the stunning views, impeccable service, and exquisite amenities create an unforgettable experience. A true gem where every moment feels like a cherished memory. Pure indulgence in paradise! Though still a trainee,  we would love to make a special mention of Maleesha, who provided us with personalized service that exceeded our expectations together with her executive partner Lakmi...Maleesha's attentiveness and care made our stay even more memorable.  The staff was incredibly friendly, and their genuine care and attention to detail truly enhanced the overall experience of our entire family of six members.The food at the hotel was amazing, offering a wide variety of options that catered to every palate, and Rasika at the restaurant was always there to go that extra mile to make us feel comfortable and happy. We also want to appreciate the attentiveness of Jithendra, the night manager on duty.  Overall, a pure indulgence in paradise! Highly recommend.

the staff in the kitchen and restaurant was exceptionally good the food extraordinary the "dine in a cave" experience superb Chef Dinesh went out of his way to organise a live cooking under the rock! we will not forget this

reception was as bad as it gets: unfriendly and treatment like thieves: pay first, than enter

Everything! One of the best hotels in Sri Lanka. Ecologically conscious, great staff, a lot of activities nearby, and architectural gem. We hired a jeep through hotel and had the best experience with driver Bandara. Do ask for him if you need a guide with immense local knowledge and connections. Naturalist Navindu also provides great knowledge on surrounding area and can help organise fantastic outdoor experiences

Great location and fantastic views over the lake and Sigiriya in the background. We first came here when we were living in Colombo 18 years ago - was our favourite then and good to see it still is one of our family favourite hotels in Sri Lanka. Liked how the hotel has integrated with the natural surroundings and maximising its position with great views - we were fortunate to even see some wild elephants while having breakfast!

In the evenings the infinity pool bar is very busy and I suggest have a couple more extra bar staff there to assist and get more $$ from us tourists as waiting for over 20 minutes for a drink takes away the enjoyment of the spectacular views and tranquil surroundings. A little more urgency wouldn’t go astray. However, Staff attentiveness at the buffet restaurant was fantastic!

The views and sceneries were breathtaking. Local wildlife ensures entertainment. Dinner buffet was very good. Opening hours of the buffet. The staff is very attentive. Balinese massage was excellent. Gym was well equipped.

Only a view chairs available at the pools, making it a race of the quickest to get them. No evening activities or vibes. Only a few plugs available in the room. No entertainment for children. Live music and lounge area not utilized enough. The hotel is so big and so wide, yet it seems they just did not know what to do with all the space they have which all have amazing views. For example a supermarket, a souvenir shop, a Kids Playing area, more bars, you name it... but it felt all underused and unused. And lastly, high prices for rooms (we had a Junior Suite) for a hotel which does not offer much besides food. Other than that the hotel was great in general.

We visited Kandalama about 15 years ago when it was more of a business hotel. Now it seems to cater for mass coach groups, primarily Chinese groups who seem to be coming for one day stays. I was surprised to hear a Sri Lankan singing songs in Chinese to welcome a group! As previous comments, the buffet was like "feeding time at the zoo" with badly behaved people pushing in as if they have never seen food before! The staff seemed overwhelmed. The rooms are a little dated and electrical sockets for charging anything are non-existent and you have to unplug something like a lamp to use the socket, which is inconvenient. The views are spectacular and our lake trip was amazing with a sighting of an elephant. The staff at reception and the naturalist were really poor. We asked several times about the various activities on offer, but all the staff told us that the naturalist deals with the activities and that he was on holiday and will be back tomorrow. We were told this everyday of our for day stay and no staff member had a clue bput the activities other than the costs,which is really poor. The assistant naturalist was terrible and it looked as if they had a stuck a safari hat on someone's head and said he was the assistant naturalist! His English was poor and the boatman who were rowing were telling him which species of bird and where the birds were. It was independence day when we visited and they put Sri Lankanflags on all the breakfast tables and that's it. No explanation, no celebration no nothing! All rather lack lustre!

Quite a bit as mentioned in my comments.

Staying at Heritance Kandalama was an unforgettable experience. The service was impeccable—truly, I’ve never felt so pampered. The location is straight out of a postcard, nestled near Sigiriya Rock and surrounded by lush jungle and the serene Kandalama Lake. As for the wildlife, let’s just say the monkeys and birds kept us entertained, practically dropping by for afternoon tea! But the highlight? Watching elephants wander by from the balcony of our room—it was absolutely breathtaking. A perfect blend of luxury, nature, and just the right amount of wild charm.

vegan friendly and greatFood , great location , very polite and gracious staff, clean and spacious bathrooms , swimming pool the sport swimming pool is very nice. The view is superb. So many things to do. Great place, great food. Recommended for vegans as the staff is well aware of it and prepared to serve vegan guests.

Towels were not there in the room when we checked in even after 3 pm. Had ask many times from the reception and no response. Then had to go find the cleaning staff and ask to get towels. They immediately brought them in. But we Had waited another one hour or so to take a wash after travelling all the way from Colombo.

By far the most beautiful and unique building we have ever seen. We spent almost the entire day walking around and exploring the hotel, so it felt more like an experience or a day trip rather than just an overnight stay. The various pools and the spa are also excellent. We would definitely recommend staying here for a truly special experience!

It's quite a large and busy hotel, so it feels a bit less authentic and personal compared to other places we have visited. We chose to have dinner at the restaurant, and unfortunately, it wasn’t very good. Too bad, because the breakfast buffet the next morning was absolutely amazing, so we should have had dinner there instead.

Everything!! The ambience of the hotel, the natural environment, the variety of food options, live music, scenic view, the infinity pool, the multiple sitting areas to enjoy nature are our favourites. We did the bird watching tour too. Had a very knowledgeable and keen guide who showed us a variety of birds. There is not one thing not to like this place!

The toothpaste tubes placed in the room is small, made per one single use. So that’s one tube per use per person for a room of 3 people. That’s a lot of plastic waste. I suggest using a medium sized one tube of paste per room instead.