Need to know
Rooms
11, including nine suites.
Check–Out
12pm, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
More details
Rates at Galle Fort Hotel include breakfast, a fortifying feast of Sri Lankan specialities, cooked Western favourites and a classic Continental spread.
Also
Unfortunately, the hotel is not wheelchair accessible.
At the hotel
Swimming pool, courtyard garden, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: Spa Ceylon bath products, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, coffee and tea-making facilities, and free bottled water.
Our favourite rooms
Each room harks back to a different era of Galle’s swashbuckling past, with a careful curation of hand-picked antiques and original art. For bibliophiles, the Library Suite is a no-brainer – the imposing coffee table is stacked with rare tomes, plus there’s a super-comfy sofa for curling up in companionable silence with your chosen volumes.
If you’re bringing friends or family in tow, the Admiral Cheng Ho Suite has two king-size beds (though expect a pillow fight over the astonishing carved Chinese four-poster). It’s worth noting that the suite’s spiral staircase means it’s less suited to very little ones. For two princess-worthy four-poster beds, plus plenty of living (or larking-about) space, book the Grand Apartment Room and Grand Apartment Suite together.
Poolside
Shaded by palms and fragrant frangipani trees, the turquoise pool is the focal point of the quiet courtyard garden.
Packing tips
Cobblestone streets call for comfy kicks, but fill that suitcase sparingly – you’ll need ample space for the inevitable piles of spices and Ceylon tea you’ll pick up.
Also
If these walls could talk, they’d have the lowdown on the fort’s long history. Like all the old town walls, they’re made of coral and shells from the ballast of trading ships. The team's careful work on them won a Unesco Award for Heritage Conservation.
Children
Little Smiths over six are welcome. An extra bed can be added to the Library Suite for US$30 a night for each child.