Ruvisha Beach Hotel

At face value, this hotel seems good. It was booked as part of a tour I had joined, so I had no say in where to stay. All started well, I arrived early in the morning, was given a welcome drink as is often the case in Sri Lanka and my luggage was taken off me to be delivered to my room. Check in time is officially 2pm. I arrived just before 10am so wasn't expecting to be able to get into my room. However, the reception staff told me it was ready and I could head up there straight away. After a long flight I was glad of the chance to freshen up and have a quick nap. I got up to the room and just as I was about to step into the shower, the phone rang. I didn't get to it in time so carried on with my shower. (As a few people have mentioned, it was COLD and not at all pleasant). Finally climbed into bed and was just dozing off when the phone rang again. Nobody there for the second time. I fell asleep and about 20 minutes later, it rang for the third time. This time there was someone on the other end, telling me because I'd checked in early, I needed to pay a $15 fee! There was absolutely no mention of this upon check-in, had I been given the option that would have been a different issue. But to be told after I'd already been in the room almost an hour and decamped all my stuff wasn't on at all. In short, I refused to pay it. But be warned that if you check in early, this could happen to you. I'm not sure if they seriously expected me to pack up my stuff and go back to the same room at 2pm.... Other points ... As mentioned, the shower is cold. Apparently you need to leave it running for about 10 minutes to get anything that resembles warm water from it. What a waste! Questionable cleanliness in the room, lots of dust. It's best not to look! Breakfast was good and served on the rooftop with great views over the beach.

The hotel is in a good location with great views from the rooftop and walking distance to some great eateries. I was in a street facing room, rooms are not sound proof soo it was a noisy night. Decor is dated in room and fittings in bathroom, and shower took 5+ minutes to get warm. No fridge or minibar. Room was spacious and clean, bed was clean and comfortable. Management were friendly and fantastically helpful providing tour arrangements on the day and sourcing an adaptor for me. Other personnel not as friendly. Breakfast buffet was okay, I went out for lunch and dinner. No drinks available and no room service menu provided. House rules stated no food or drinks from outside hotel permitted. Pool looked clean however I didn’t use it, not a lot of room around the outside. Could do with an overall freshen up, probably wouldn’t stay more than one night again. (Was selected by tour company).

great comfy bed,lokacion is great,breakfast was very tastie,the staff are fantastic,the hotel in genral is ok,in parts yes it needs a tidy up,new cushions on sunbeds,rooms are very clean bathrooms super clean..

Clean, spacious and comfortable bedrooms, with good air conditioning. Breakfast was ok, nothing special, but it was sufficient. The restaurant was extremely warm, and they only switched on the air conditioning after we asked them several times. Location wise; Ruvisha Beach Hotel was ok for just one night. But if I’d been in Negombo for longer I would definitely have preferred a more central location, and a hotel with a pool that wasn’t right next to the car park and main road. Staff were a bit of a mixed bag - some were super helpful, whilst others just couldn’t be bothered. I wanted to exchange some cash, and the two reception staff looked none too pleased that I’d asked them. After a few minutes they tried to convince me not to exchange as the rate was so low (but it was getting lower by the day, so it made no difference either way) then they told me they couldn’t get hold of whoever had the keys for the cash… Quite frankly, they just didn’t want to do it. If you’re after somewhere clean and comfortable to spend the night after arriving in Sri Lanka, then this hotel is perfectly adequate. But if I ever return to Negombo, I’ll be looking for a hotel that appreciates my custom a little more.

I stayed here for a couple of nights in January. The room was lovely, clean, and comfortable. The location is excellent. The town is very walkable, and just up the road are some excellent restaurants in all price categories. Don't miss the Dutch Canal and the Negombo Lagoon. Also, the sunset views from the hotel balcony are stunning. The pool is also a nice bonus. I would stay there again.

This was my first hotel In Sri Lanka .. situated on the beach with lovely views … Food was buffet style and could have been abit hotter as most of the food was cold Rooms were very nice with great views . Needed to take a tuc tuc to get anywhere as it was quite a hike to shops

We stayed here for one week for our honeymoon and had a wonderful time. Very friendly and professional staff and very clean and cozy rooms. We booked bed and breakfast and the food was very good, too. For breakfast there was enough choice ranging from Sri Lankan to European food. The team also quickly adapted and remembered any changes we had to make due to food allergies. The receptionists were also very friendly, professional and efficient. The view from the room or the roof top is also top notch! We enjoyed our stay and got to relax while having a good view of the street and beach.

I had a very nice stay at Ruvisha. Check in at midnight was quick and easy. My room was spacious and comfortable, with a comfy bed and good sized bathroom. Loads of storage space and a little balcony overlooking the pool. Air conditioning is excellent, the pool is lovely (although no shade - best in the afternoon). You may need to ask for tea, coffee and sugar for your room, but the kettle works well. The wifi is fantastic. The fridges in the rooms don’t work, and the hot water does tend to run out towards the evening. The restaurant is a bit overpriced, and I didn’t try the buffet breakfast as there were plenty of other options locally. The power outages can be a bit unexpected, but they didn’t bother me. Nice and central to everything you’d want to see in Negombo, I really enjoyed staying here.

Staff was always “on” and attentive. Food and beverages were great. Went above and beyond by helping us mail a package back to the States.