Find Hotels in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

I stayed here with my friend as we were back packing around sri lanka, we found a late deal on agoda that saved us a lot of money! The room was fantastic, with a view over the lake. The lake had water buffalo grazing around it and other cows! The swimming pool was lovely and you could sit out next to it after a long day of sight seeing. The hotel staff were very helpful and can help you arrange things like jeep safaris. They also have local knowledge of how to get to the different sites on public transport. The only thing that let this place down was the restaurant, on the first night we were there it took an hour to get food! After that it was slightly quicker but not acceptable really, we ended up taking cards to dinner to pass the time! We always seemed to have a different menu to the other people staying there which was very confusing. The menu was limited and portion sizes quite small considering we had been out sightseeing all day! It would have been nice also if the wifi had extended to the bedrooms. Overall it was a lovely place to stay as a base to get to sigiryia, polonnaruwa, and kaudulla national park.

Polonnaruwa is just far enough away and is on such a scale that one should actually stay in the area to take in the glories of Polonnaruwa as opposed to day tripping it. Sudu Araliya was recommended to me by a friend so I took her advice and booked there. To my pleasant surprize it is very proximate to the ruins (literally a 5 minute drive if that) and seems to be relatively new construction. The staff are very welcoming and given how hot it is in this area a blissfully cool lobby. Check in is quick and easy and the rooms are adequate. Can’t say what theme the rooms are decorated with - but it all functions well. Most of rooms are lakefront and if you are lucky you may see an elephant swim by. I did the monkey test a left a glass of water on the balcony and went down to dinner. Sure enough it was knocked over when I got back so don’t leave any shades or lighters on the balcony or they will disappear. Also, do not leave the balcony door open - this is tropical area and subsequently

We had two very pleasant days and nights here when we visited Polonnaruwa. It is a small hotel that has very nicely appointed rooms and is in a lovely setting next to the lakefront with views across to the National Park on the other side of the lake. Elephants were grazing on the shores opposite each day we were there. The museum and ruins of the second kingdom are adjacent, and the hotel organised bikes for us to spend a lovely day riding about looking at them. Magical. The service is very good and the chef is excellent. Definitely our best breakfast in three weeks in Sri Lanka, and very good dinners. A solid five stars, and highly recommended!

Convenient for the sights of Polonnaruwa, but down a narrow bumpy 1km unpaved road. Scenic location in pleasant gardens with excellent pool (very clean). Open air dining area with thatched roof and concrete/ wooden outdoor furniture in garden. Excellent drinks. Rooms basic, but very clean, modern bathroom with screened off shower, very clean. Very friendly staff. Rooms that look onto the pool and lake beyond are best. Good breakfast, (fresh fruit, fresh juice, toast, jam, Sri Lankan breakfast if you wish). Our 1 dinner here was disappointing. Excellent value for money given the location and standard of accommodation.

On the day we were visit to spend our meaningful holidays. We were welcomed warmly with the the staff. The staffs are great and very friendlier with a big smile on their face. Room was very clean with a teapot and a fridge. Fridge was very reasonable price. Variety of breakfast was amazing. Last minutes my goodness i had a Carlsberg missed on my bag to treat the service boy nevertheless credit card. They are willing to help your any request. Awesome service and we will recommend this hotel to everyone.. Memorable things: Response of Service person. Smile of Receptionist..

Watching monkeys playing around the pool showcased Sri Lanka at its best! A perfect place to travel to the national park-treated to 60 plus elephants roaming freely and happily within meters of our truck will remain a treasured highlight. Don't forget to hire bikes to tour the ruins - the only prerequisite is a lonely planet guide in your basket!

The hospitality at Living Inn is some of the best we have encountered. Ever. This is an absolutely stunning location: you feel as though you've escaped into the jungle. The food is unbelievable - be sure to have the hoppers at breakfast! The location was perfect for our bike tour around the ancient city, and the loaner bikes from the guesthouse were an added bonus! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and wouldn't hesitate to return.

There are three rooms in this sweet little quiet courtyard. I had a new bathroom, and a nicely appointed and a spacious bedroom. The couple is also in the process of building a new suite with a kitchen. They are located a very easy stroll from the bus stop and a short walk from the lake. They offer to rent bikes for FAR less than your tuk tuk driver will charge you. Their son is very sweet and is working on a coin collection so bring a penny or something small from whatever country you originate! Breakfast was plentiful and good. I would stay there again but, next time, I would splurge for the extra $5.00 and take the air conditioned room!

friendly owner and a nice guy who helps out around the place made for a nice stay. good rice and curry in the evening and sri lankan breakfast the next morning. bikes available to rent to see the sights, which are very close by. we stayed for one night and we were happy with the room and pleasant grounds. the room had a small covered outside area to sit and there was a tree house overlooking a small lake that you could sit in as well. if you are looking for basic accommodation (no hot water) then this is a nice place to stay whilst visiting polonnaruwa.

During our 3 weeks stay in Sri Lanka the day in Polonnaruwa was probably our best. Thisal Guest House is perfectly located near the ruins as well as ATMs and some shops. You can rent bikes to discover the ruins. For dinner the very friendly and helpful family served us an enormous and delicious portion of rice and curry with estimated 15 different curries. We also did the safari with the son of our hosts which we can only recommend. Although it's not cheap you should really think about doing it. We saw a lot of elephants and compared to our safari in Yala NP this safari in Kaudulla NP was much more quiet and relaxing.

Good location, very basic but clean and tidy , very nice and helpful hosts, beautiful food. Definitely recommend

does a great job managing his guesthouse!When we will go back to Polonnaruwa we will defenitely stay at his guesthouse again.We enjoyed the best breakfast we had in Sri lanka,our simple but very clean room and the excellent wifi.But the best thing was our wonderful host,who always offered his help,rent us his bikes for free and arranged everything for us.Thanks again,you made us feel comfortable and we had a wonderful time at your place!

Very friendly and helpful family, cheap and delicious homemade dinner (no need to eat out), large Sri Lankan breakfast, clean room with veranda to rest. While we were sightseeing Polonnaruwa somebody took our bikes and the owner was very cool with it and solved the problem. There was however no hot water (like in many other places in Sri Lanka), wifi did not work.

We stayed there for a single night after visiting archeological site. We were the only guests in three-bedroom villa. The building is brand new, very clean, with good spacious bathroom, well-equipped living room with TV, the kitchen was under construction. We had great dinner: rotti and avocado salad were delicious. Breakfast was very good and well served - one of the best during our journey (3 weeks). We also took the ayurvedic massage offered by the owner and it was interesting experience (note: massage center is 20 mins drive away from hotel)

For me the owner is a business man, always selling things. He is not the typical Sri Lanka polite and service oriented

Really nice place to stay if you are visiting Polonnaruwa ancient city. Very helpful family run business! Clean rooms and lovely local breakfast. They also organise tours and transfers for you if you ask them. The view from the room was stunning, overlooking rice fields. Also you could spot monkeys, parrots, squirrels and different birds.

The place is actually in the town next to Polonnaruwa, a 7-minute drive away. However, the hotel is on the bus line, so there are plenty of buses to take you to the city or the entrance of the ancient city. Also, I was able to catch the bus to my next destination in front of the hotel. Breakfast is great and filling; the wifi works well, and there was drinking water. The only downside is that the room is poorly ventilated, so it is extremely hot inside during the summer. Therefore, consider getting an air-conditioned room, even if you typically are fine with just a fan.

My friends and I stayed at Sanctuary Cove after a touring Dambulla, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa all in one day. The location of the guesthouse was near the ruins. You can hire a tuktuk or a van for convenience. The rooms are very well-kept and have home-y vibes. We had a room with an AC and another one with fan only. Both were spacious enough and had their own toilet/shower area. Since Sri Lanka has a unique socket (not available in the usual universal adapter), we had to borrow from the owners. They were gracious enough to lend 3 adapters to us without any deposits. My friend also had to exchange some dollars and the nearest money changer is 1 km away. The son of the owner was even kind to take my friend to the money changer via his motorbike. We also saw their kindness when we asked our breakfast early as we had to go to Wilpattu the next morning. They served our breakfast at 5:30 am as scheduled. :) I highly recommend anyone staying in Polonnaruwa to stay at their place. Worth every buck.

Place surrounding is not clean and staff not supportive. My Agoda booking they knows when I'm arrived there :( . I am not recommend this place.

Binara home stay was great. Definitely book the Double Room with balcony, because it was lovely! Very nice ambiance in the room, clean, with nice green view. Binara is very helpful, we rented bikes from him to explore Polonnaruwa and when we missed dinner one of the nights he made up for it with the most AMAZING breakfast the next morning. As for food in the area, there is not much, so definitely eat at Jaga Foods which is located 7km from the Homestay, Binara can call and arrange a tuktuk with the restaurant to and from for a much reduced price than the local Tuktuk drivers as it is the restaurant's private service. Food is insanely affordable and you will be shocked at how many different dishes he brings you for a set price. Definitely a must!

We had a great stay at Canal Park. It is not too far from Polonnaruwa town and site. You could walk it but we usually walked down the small road and onto the main road where we picked up a tuk tuk (100-150LKR one way). Chandika helped us to arrange a safari tour to see the elephants which was amazing. The food at the hotel was good and the home Sri Lankan cooking especially was really nice and lots of it! The hotel itself was clean and lovely spacious rooms. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Near to the city and history side, have a Sri Lanka traditional breakfast. Room clean and big. But owner always no in the house. Sometime need a help also can't.

It was a great joy to stay at Hotel Royal Nest. The staffs are super attentive. Before we arrived, we sent a request for two single beds in one room as the two guys in our travel group wanted to have separate beds. This request was responded quickly by email from the hotel, and they did got a room with two single beds. The yard is beautiful. Breakfast nice. Staff extremely helpful and responsive. But the temporary manager for the Christmas time (the owner/manager went for a holiday) did not seem to understand the hotel that well, but still try to accommodate our needs. Location is ok. Costs 100 rupees for tuktuk to get to the city center for food.

a real home-stay. the owner really took us in as family and we had the best sri lanka food for dinner. for european visitors - take the use of moskito net serious and learn to use it correctly - we didn't know so we were eaten up during the night. situation close to the old town and sights were great. we highly recommend the place

As soon as I got there the staff were very welcoming. The rooms were the nicest I've had during my stay in Sri Lanka. The food was excellent and very cheap. I was very happy with my stay.

Best place to stay to sightsee Polonnaruwa. We have arrived in the evening, stayed for two nights to have a full day to discover Polonnaruwa. We recommemend to rent bicycles arranged by guest house owners for a very reasonable price to discover all nearby places of interest. Also a home-made curry cooked by the lady of the house is a MUST! Absolutely lovely and delicious! You are far better off dining at the guest house than anywhere else. Breakfast was also great. We took non A/C room and it was perferct as fan, mosquito net and an open window were sufficient. The neighbourhood is quiet and evenings spent on the veranda in front of our room were just a bliss. These two nights were one of the best time we had in Sri Lanka during our 2-week travel around the island.

This is a quaint place, really had a nice time staying in this place. The place gave you the vibe of sri Lankan culture. The staff were accommodating. The food was superb. This is the only place where I tasted fresh boiled vegetable, very basic yet so appetizing. Good for couples and families.