I was only in Kandy for one night which was basically a rest stop for me as I drove down from Dambulla. I was basically trying to find a place to recharge my batteries after a lengthy drive as well as check out the town while there.
The Earl’s Regent Kandy hotel is a great place to stay if you’re looking for a quiet place that’s located a bit outside of the town center. Although it isn’t within walking distance of town, it’s a cheap, 15 minute tuk tuk ride into town.
Location
The Earl’s Regent Kandy is located about 15 minutes from the town center. It’s located in the hills of Kandy and is a nice quiet oasis to unwind and relax. However, it basically personifies what the hilly roads of Sri Lanka feel like driving.
To say the road there is narrow and winding is pretty accurate. However, at the very least, it is a paved road. If you’re using Google Maps, you’ll want to make sure you follow the directions exactly because I felt like there were a few turns my phone was telling me to make that I didn’t think made much sense.
Lobby and Check In
The lobby is spacious and nice. There is a small parking lot just next to the lobby (maybe enough for about 10 cars) and the staff was nice enough to valet the car for me. As you walk in, the check in counter is in the room to your right.
Check in was quick and efficient and they were able to check me in early even though I was there a couple hours early. I was escorted up to my room and he pointed out all the features of the hotel as we walked.
Room
My room was on the third floor and it was a decent size with a small bathroom, bed, desk, sitting area, and a balcony overlooking the pool. The room itself was decent in size but unfortunately it lacked enough outlets for my liking. I think everyone nowadays has so many things that need to be charged that it makes for a bit of a shock when there aren’t enough outlets. It’s either that or I have a lot of electronics that need to be charged but I don’t think I have any more than the average person.
The one thing I did find really odd was the size of the bathroom. It had everything you need (toilet, shower, sink) but the location of the toilet and the shower was really odd. You had to open the doors in a certain way to get them open or else they would hit the toilet. I don’t know if that’s the design of all the rooms or if I just got stuck with the odd room but I wasn’t a fan. It also mean if you needed to use the toilet, you had to stand or sit to the side since the shower was there.
A nice touch to all this was the balcony that overlooked the pool. I could see it being a nice place to have coffee or drinks at night. Unfortunately I really didn’t have to much time in Kandy to take full advantage of it but I thought it was nice. One thing to note is that you do want to make sure you keep the door shut since there are monkeys in the trees and they will cause havoc if given the opportunity.
Amenities
The hotel has a pool, bar, and a restaurant that serves a buffet dinner. Since the hotel isn’t really close to anything, your only choice is going to be the buffet or room service. I wasn’t too hungry but since I had an early start the next day and knew I wouldn’t have time to stop for breakfast, I ate at the restaurant and thought it was pretty good.
What I thought was really cool was that there is a jewelry shop located on the first floor. For those who don’t know, Sri Lanka is home to a myriad of precious stones and is a great place if you’re searching for a gift for someone back home (or traveling companion). Although it isn’t cheap (depending on the stone), you can certainly get some good pieces for good prices.
General Notes
The hotel has a tuk tuk that will take you to the town center (or anywhere you want) for a flat rate of 500 (about $2.75 USD) rupees. When I was coming back to the hotel, I negotiated a price with a tuk tuk driver of 400 (about $2.25 USD) rupees so I really didn’t think the hotel price was really out of line. Consider that you’d never be able to flag a tuk tuk down in front of the hotel and walking into town would probably take a good 30 mins, I thought it was a good/fair deal.
Unrelated to the property but good to know. If you want to visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, men will need to wear long pants. If you’re wearing shorts, you won’t be allowed in so you’ll either have to purchase a sarong or pants at a nearby store or just skip it all together. I unfortunately had shorts on and wasn’t able to go in but I wasn’t that excited about going so I wasn’t too disappointed.
I think overall the hotel has a lot of offer and is a great place to stay if you want to be just outside of the city and enjoy some peace and quiet. If your hope is to walk around everywhere into town, this isn’t really going to work for you. However, with a tuk tuk price so cheap, I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. Overall, I’d recommend staying here.
A Single Wanderer 