Buckingham Place

If you’re reading this you’re considering a stay in Buckingham Place. Don’t waste your time with these reviews - book it now, book if for sooner than you planned, book it for longer and let yourself be blown away by the level of service and stunning surroundings. This is a 5* hotel with all the charm of a luxury boutique hotel whilst being warm, welcoming and unpretentious. We stayed for our honeymoon and ended up extending our stay as we loved it so much. Never been much of a beach dweller but Buckingham place allows you to truly switch off. Waking up to the lagoon and lying on the Indian Ocean through the day. The place is a menagerie with peacocks, monkeys and mongooses trotting around the property - amazing to watch their routine from the terraces. The team led by Madu, Kalpa and Chamindu couldn’t do enough for you, whilst not being overbearing but preempting your every need with minimal fuss. Just heaven. The owner Nick and his lovely dogs Bella and Gracie gave the place a homely feel and their love of Sri Lanka was infectious. The food was excellent and a great balance of local and European food and the team were so accommodating of any dietary preferences. Especially enjoyed my spa treatments- definitely factor this in to your stay.

Buckingham Place is a wonderful boutique hotel with views of the sea and the lagoon. It’s tranquil, calm and colourful ! The rooms are spacious and cool , the grounds are immaculate and the staff are wonderful. From the moment you check in you feel nurtured and cared for in every possible way and nothing is too much trouble ! I encourage you to book , we’d come back in a heartbeat !

This was our 4th visit to the incomparable Mr Nick's (😉) amazing hotel, each time we have stayed for longer, this time for 2 solid weeks. As soon as we recognised the familiar surroundings we were back in our happy place. Familiar faces amongst the amazing team were warmly greeted and we settled in. The food choices, quality and service were, as ever, excellent. The dinner menu has changed since our last visit, giving more options for those staying for longer than the 5 day menu rotation. We have our menu favourites and to be able to choose these on multiple occasions made us happy. As always all food is fresh, well cooked and presented, having pre-dinner nibbles and drinks in the bar talking to other guests was nice. Both pools are immaculate, bed chairs and towels are clean and comfortable. The evening frog and toad journey through the pool, restaurant and bar kept me entertained. The rooms, we stayed in 2 due to availability, were cleaned daily, large and perfectly adequate, if you need anything just ask! There are plenty of places to walk to see the wonderful wildlife that Sri Lanka has to offer, do ask Kalpa to arrange a visit to the Rekawa Turtle Sanctuary next door, or Kalamatiya bird sanctuary both are great value. There's a reason that people return, we met several that have whilst we were there, and it's the familiarity and comfortable atmosphere that Nick has created. It's our happy place...make it yours!