Panoramic Living At Amari Galle, Sri Lanka

This was my third trip to Sri Lanka, the second time to Galle but the first time that I would stay there. Amari has recently opened a seaside property in the heritage fort town of Galle on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. IndiTales collaborated with Amari Galle to explore the things to do in and around the lovely new property on the Sri Lankan Shores.

I landed in Colombo around 2 PM. A chauffeur was waiting for me with a placard. I sat in a comfortable car and slept off only to wake up two and a half hours later when we reached Galle.

Amari Galle Experience

As I stepped into the lobby, my eyes naturally turned toward the coastline across the lobby. Everything else faded and the blue waters playing with the narrow strip of sand was all I could see. Well, it lasted for a few seconds until I was handed over a Papaya based welcome drink.

Public Spaces at Amari Galle

This beachside property with a lovely panoramic view of the Indian Ocean is oriented in such a way that wherever you are in the property, you are never away from the sea. The lobby overlooks the pool area that is separated from the sea by a narrow piece of sand.

A bay has been created with the water flowing in through the artificial stone wall, with a solo coconut tree.

The Spa rooms overlook the sea but being at the ground level you cannot really leave the curtains open while you are taking a spa treatment.

The best view is from the Voyager’s Lounge. It is a lovely lounge – perfect for tea-time conversations as you see the sea waves hitting the shore. I would later discover that this lounge is an Innovation by the hotel. This space is for guests who arrive early or who need a late checkout. Cool! Early check-ins and late check-outs have always been hoteliers Achily Hill. A lovely lounge that lets people keep their luggage and relax in the comforts of the hotel will definitely earn them a lot of brownie points with frequent travelers like me.

For the night views – Bommu – the hotel’s rooftop bar is the best place. A lounge-like setting overlooking the big blue swimming pool is the best place.

Rooms @ Amari Galle

A walk-in wardrobe coupled with a bathroom space is the best feature of the rooms at the hotel. You can spoil this area by dumping your stuff and your room stays clean.

Every room has a fantastic view of the Indian Ocean. Yes, all 172 rooms have a fantastic view of the sea. The best view is from the suites that are located on the edges. Here you can have an uninterrupted view of nothing between you and the ocean.

In fact, from your bed, you can sit and watch the ocean in peace. Else, you look at a two-wing wooden fan, that looks like a piece of art.

An Aqua-colored theme continues from the inner walls of the rooms to the outer walls of the rest of the rooms around you. A fisherman on stilts never lets you forget you are in Sri Lanka and that too on its coast.

Food options

Aahara Gourmet Gallery – Ahara is a Sanskrit word for nutrition. This market-style restaurant is the primary food place at the hotel. With huge open kitchens serving Indian, Sri Lankan, Asian and Continental cuisines, you have ample food options to choose from. This is the default place for breakfast and Buffet lunches and dinners. I tried their hoppers and string hoppers for breakfast – my default choice in Sri Lanka. We had one Indian dinner and a buffet dinner here. I would not say the food is great but the choice is vast.

Shoreline Beach Club – closer to the shoreline is a small outlet serving drinks and light snacks. It is a great place to dine under the stars unless the rain plans to play the spoilsport like it did the evening we decided to sit out and eat.

Bommu Rooftop Bar – It is the most beautiful place to sit and watch the sunset. Post sunset, the views are limited to the lit-up area of the hotel. I missed dinner at Bommu due to bad health.

Remember alcohol is not served on full moon days and some other official days like Sri Lankan independence day.

Activities at the hotel

Swimming hands down is the most favorite activity at the hotel swimming pool. You would find the huge swimming pool full of guests almost around the clock. I really liked their sit-out in the middle of the pool, though for some reason no one was seen using it for all 3 days that I was there.

Visit the Galle Fort which is just a few km from the hotel.

On this trip, I again visited Galle Fort and thankfully it was not raining this time. We also visited Jungle Beach, Peace Pagoda at Rumassala Forest, and Marissa Beach. Unawatuna Beach – another very popular beach is also located close to the hotel.

You can treat yourself to mood-based therapy at Breeze Spa. It is a kind of contemporary Spa – fit for general rejuvenation and relaxation.

My Experience

My personal experience at the hotel happened when I fell sick on the second day. Ama – a young Amari host took care of me personally. She ordered the food I needed and made sure I took the medicine even the next day when I was fine. She would even make sure I had food on my return journey. Thank you, Ama so much for what you did for me.

Tania – another Amari host took us around the Galle fort where my fellow travelers went around the fort on cycles and I walked around on my two feet.

I like the concept of a host who can show you around the place and also be your personal contact at the property.

Overall, it was a nice 3 nights stay at a popular hotel. Do check out their website for more details. For the latest rates, you can try this link.

Thank you, team Amari Galle, for being lovely hosts. Wish you loads of fun and success as you create the new landmark of Galle City.