Hotel berhampiran Seetharamaya Temple, Hambantota

Wonderful in every way. The location is amazing, the beach and pool are beautiful, the food is good and because they do not have the mandatory buffet like all the other hotels and resort seem to offer, you can actually order what you want and even save money. Like the other reviews mention, this hotel is a real gem - you'll spend a little more than you might for some other hotels in this area, but you will not be disappointed in the rooms, the wonderful staff, the cleanliness, the pool, etc. We'd love to come back and have recommended this place as a must-stay for people traveling around Sri Lanka.

My original plan of a 1-night stay turned into 3 nights purely based on the property and the team. The rooms are spacious and well appointed, with clean linen and towels. The wooden floors are a nice look and feel. The air-conditioning works very well. An unbelievable amount of space for work / lounging. The room itself has a work desk which is perfect for remote work. The balcony is small but functional, and overlooks the majestic Tissa Lake. Spacious terraces on the 1st and 2nd levels as well as a rooftop with spectacular views of the surrounding fields and the lake. I got plenty of work done and attended web-based meetings in peace, against an amazing backdrop. At the end of the day it is the people that make a difference, and this is where Yasith and his team were exemplary. From his kind, attentive service to the care he displays to guests and the property (and of course by the way he treats Kalu, the adorable orphaned puppy), Yasith leads from the front. I noted among other things his meticulous bookkeeping skills, which is a rare find for any property. Suffice to say I have found my stay whenever I return to Tissa. What better place for a morning/evening stroll than the bank of Tissa lake. For any reasonable person willing to stay at a 3-star hotel and not expect 5-star amenities, Serene Park Hotel by Ark has all the right things in place. Full disclosure, I did not have any meals at the premises; as I am very familiar with Tissa I enjoy the many local options available nearby.

Spacious room overlooking the large swimming pool. Dinner buffet was splendid and the chicken and macaroni to die for. We can highly recommend a stay when heading for Yala leopard safari. Staff very helpful and we enjoyed every minute of our short stay.

Breakfast was great, was able to bring along prepacked breakfasts for my safari & check out. However, could be more efficient with housekeeping (i came back from my safari to a room that wasnt cleaned yet, which was disappointing). But the people are nice. Just be more efficient.

A truly unique holiday experience deep in the forest. I was so glad to share it with my 8 year old daughter although she was probably too young to fully appreciate. I know one day she will remember jungle walks looking for elephants ( unfortunately (?) we didn’t stumble on any although they were all around. Kamal is a knowledgeable and thoughtful host the locally sourced vegetarian jungle food was incredible. This is a rare and authentic sustainable tourism experience in Sri Lanka. Twitchers and conservationists will love but don’t come expecting lattes and internet. If you want a swim head to Jetwings at Wellawaya for a day trip.

We stayed two nights at Allure Yala in the suite with a private pool. The room was a great size - extra large and comfy bed, couch and TV, dining table, verandah with outdoor seating, and a separate bathroom with a large shower and tub. We loved sitting in the pool with the louvers open to look out to the lake. When we first arrived there was a large herd of water buffalo hanging out in the cool water next the hotel. The service we received was also impeccable. Nothing was a bother and the staff were always available and willing to go out of their way to help. We had some fantastic food during our stay too - extensive picnic packs for our morning safari, lunch on our return, afternoon tea, breakfast the next morning on the deck and two delicious dinners. The food was delicious and great portion sizes. A special thank you to the management team who kindly upgraded our stay to include our dinners and also assisted us with having our laundry done before our departure. Overall, a lovely visit!

Bed, room, shower, good ac, breakfast, balcony/terrace. Everything about the room is very good. It is new and in perfect condition. Even better are the hosts and their service. You get a great and daily changing breakfast, nice dinner if you like, and help to plan your activities in Tissa. The place might be a little out of the town, but that is not a bad thing! The town does not offer much. To get around, to town or to the next beach, you can rent a scooter there and directly behind the property is the Yoda lake. It is perfect for walks in the morning, or for sunset. The sun sets over the lake. It's very quiet and you can see a couple or nice animals there. The 2 times we went there, we saw Grey langur monkeys. Also you can see the buffalos around and in the lake, with just their heads looking out and many different kinds of birds.

The hotel is not that simple to get to. Once you leave a nice hard top road, you have to drive down a long dirt road for about 10 mins to get to the hotel itself. That road can become a bit flooded if it rains hard - as it did on one day we were there - and that can prevent some guests getting in and out of the hotel. We’d had a lovely quiet evening meal one night and only found out afterwards that there had been a large group due in but couldn’t get down the road. Generally, it’s ‘normal’ vehicles and buses that bring people but, on occasion, a 4x4 would be better. On the days we arrived and left the roads were passable but you could see how they become easily impassable with rivulets running across it. The hotel though is lovely. The old one was washed away in the tsunami but the replacement looks strongly built, with its exposed concrete and stone construction there for all to see. That doesn’t make it cold and like a factory though. Far from it. It feels like it belongs where it is and its appropriate for a climate that varied between sun, wind and heavy rain whilst we were there. Whilst there are bedrooms on the ground floor (plus the gym and spa), most of the hotel’s common spaces are on the top floor, where reception, the bar and a la carte restaurant are. The main restaurant is one floor down, which has a nice view from the verandas around the outside. We had drinks in the bar on a couple of evenings, choosing to sit on the covered balcony as the indoor space - complete with pool table - whilst lovely was rather cold. The cocktails we had were really well made and come with our recommendation. We didn’t try the a la carte restaurant. Frankly, there was no need to from a food perspective. It was excellent all the time in the main one. The hotel tends to get large groups stay, who like to sit together (and create quite a noise), so the main restaurant can get quite noisy. The a la carte would offer a break from that as it’s in its own, quiet space. We genuinely couldn’t fault the food at the hotel. Breakfast always had a large choice ranging from cold offerings, cereal and salad, through to traditional Sri Lankan and hot western options. Tea and coffee was to order whilst you helped yourself to juice. The story was similar for evening meals too. If anything, evening meals catered less for western palettes and more for the Chinese guests that frequent the hotel. There were always lots of local Sri Lankan dishes too, which were simply delicious. All the hot food was outside the main restaurant space, under cover, with much of it being cooked in front of you. The cold starters and desserts were indoors. I have to say, one odd highlight was the soups. Every night there were 2 soups on offer and they were really good. I did have a tiny bug bear sometimes, which correlated with the busiest nights. That was the staff were a little too keen to clear plates. On occasion, you’d literally be chewing still and hadn’t quite put your cutlery dow