The Fortress Resort & Spa

This is an exceptional hotel. Well designed , perfectly located . The staff are amazingly attentive . Having travelled the world and stayed in the best hotels this hotel sits amongst the best internationally Food is creative and throughout is super clean, with fantastic rooms

We had 15 nights in The Fortress and Spa for Christmas 24 and into New Year 25. The most wonderful time at the most wonderful time of year. The views as you walk through the enormous wooden gates are fantastic. Beautiful hotel, fabulous food, amazing staff, brilliant atmosphere, the superlatives dont even come close to describing reality. We stayed in an Ocean Loft Suite - a treat to ourselves as it had a few extras and we had a patio as well as a balcony, but all the rooms were amazing. Our bed was the most comfortable we had ever had in a hotel - and I mean that !!! Each night our bed was turned down but I insisted on opening the blinds - if I woke up I could still see and hear the sea from our bed. We stayed on an all inclusive package - we had everything we could possibly wish for. Each day breakfast was a mix of English, continental, fresh fruit, traditional Sri Lankan, delicious local breads, with hot stations serving waffles (if thats your thing), eggs cooked to order, but my favourite, Hoppers and Egg Hoppers. The infinity pool was brilliant, never too busy, and with views out into the waves. The staff around the pool were amazing - nothing was too much trouble and we always enjoyed sharing family stories with the team. We rarely had lunch (breakfast was too amazing). Evenings started with a cocktail followed by the most amazing dinner fare. Sri Lankan, soup, salads, sushi, anti pasti, seafood cocktails and a grill station with the most mazing seafood. Wonderful wines - the list goes on. Outside the hotel, the traffic had a beautiful chaos about it - pedestrians and cyclists alongside Tuk-Tuks, cars, trucks and buses - oh the buses challenging tuk tuks to that space ahead but with respect from both sides - we should adopt that attitude in the UK. We had a list of experiences before we arrived and the hotel staff helped us achieve everything we had wished for - and a whole lot more. Our sincere thanks to our drivers Subash and Ashintha. Udawalewe National Park with our friend Subash. A fantastic day with elephants. On Christmas Eve we had a walk around Galle Fort, Lion Beer in The Ivy, then back at the hotel we saw Santa who presented gifts to all the children before an amazing gala dinner. Our Christmas Day was wonderful - after breakfast we walked along the amazing beach from the hotel - almost nobody on the beach. We visited the turtle sanctuary - baby turtles seem so helpless..... Boxing Day was the 20th anniversary of the devastating tsunami and we were humbled to visit the tsunami memorial and statue at Hikkaduwa with our driver Ashintha. We shed many tears for the people of Sri Lanka. The next day was an early start with Subash as we went to Ella via 9 arch bridge. Then a train ride from Ella to Bandarawela in an open carriage, then onto Liptons seat and ending the day hiking to and swimming in the pools at Upper Diyaluma Falls - an absolutely wonderful day. Our next adventure was whale watching - wow. A speed boat out to the whales, we saw a Blue whale and mum and baby Fin whales. After we fished from the boat and caught a tuna!! We walked from Mirissa harbour along the beach towards Coconut Hill - the perfect end to a perfect day. Next adventure was a boat trip on Kogalla lake - what a fantastic experience. We saw crocodiles, beautiful birds, the biggest monitor lizard we have ever seen and we fed fruit to monkeys. New Years Eve was a wonderful gala with amazing food, a band and superb fireworks on the beach and on New Years Day we were honoured to take part in the Buddhist New Year blessing - THANK YOU. Our last trip was to Sigiriya - an amazing place with amazing views. Our most humble thanks to Subash, Ashintha and all the staff at The Fortress Hotel and Spa. Too many to name individually but you gave us so much pleasure and fun - you know who you are. My special thanks to the Bar Team - I hope I brought some fun to evenings. Above all else our special thanks to a wonderful lady - Chamindi, you made our stay so perfect - thank you so so much to you. THANK YOU - we hope we can visit again in the future and to anyone reading this review - Sri Lanka is beautiful, the people of Sri Lanka are beautiful - need I say more. Love to everyone at the Fortress Hotel and Spa Carl & Emma

I have come here with my family and am struck by this breathtaking hotel. It is a beautiful hotel, quaint yet grand. The rooms are spacious, comfortable and clean, the pool so inviting and the beach boasts of crystal clear waters with rich marine life teeming! The food is delicious and the service is impeccable. There was a slight issue we had with the renovation works. The hotel took cognisance of our concerns and extended the best possible help to us for which we are thankful. My brother in law celebrated his anniversary here and we couldn’t have asked for better! A shout out to Mr Jinendra, Mr Tihillan, Mr Samantha, Masha, Amasha, Kavisha, Ms Gayani, Mr Lakshsiri the lifeguard, Ms Chamindi and the chefs and staff of the hotel. Menal for a lovely spa treatment and the lovely housekeeping staff! Hope to visit soon again! Thank you Forest Resort & Spa!

5* all the way! One of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and so it is. What an amazing hotel! Once those huge doors of the hotel open and you enter the grounds the first thing you see is the view of the ocean and beautifully Dutch inspired architecture. Greeted with a smile, welcome drink on arrival, smooth check-in. Absolutely stunning property with well appointed rooms. All rooms except The Fortress rooms overlook the ocean. We had the Ocean room and Beach room. Bathrooms well lit and plenty of space. His and her sinks, large shower and jacuzzi bath tub. Choice of pillows options too.. sheer luxury! Food is of top quality. Chef Asela made sure of that and that our dietary requirements were met… vegan, veg and non veg.All the dishes were excellent and tasty. Breakfast catered for all palates. A good selection to choose from. There was variety of fruit juices ,curries, Continental food,breads, pastries,omelettes, Hoppers, Sri Lankan dishes …very spoilt for choice. Management, especially Nadeesha made our stay so comfortable. Always greeted us with a huge welcoming smile.Nothing was too much for her.All our concerns were addressed. The property itself is very well maintained. Pool is beautiful as are the grounds. During our stay we made such good friends with everyone that it felt like they were part of our family…it was sad to leave. In fact we liked it so much that my daughter and her Fiancée have decided to get married there this year! A huge thank you to you all for making our stay very memorable and we’re looking forward to seeing you all again this year and making more wedding memories.

A fabulous resort! Our family (two adults, two teens) spent three nights at the Fortress and loved every minute! The rooms are spacious and very clean, and the jacuzzi tub was a wonderful treat. The enormous pool at this hotel is the star of the show. We had a relaxing time swimming and lounging at the pool and going for walks on the beach. We loved our stay and can't wait to return!