Need to know
Rooms
Twenty villas.
Check–Out
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm. If a room isn’t available on arrival, or if late check-out isn’t possible, guests are welcome to use the facilities while a room is prepared, and reception will store your luggage.
More details
Room rates include the resort's Full Board meal plan of breakfast, lunch, dinner and non-alcoholic drinks; daily sunrise and sunset yoga; and use of the sauna, steam room and salt bath. Laundry is included for stays of three nights or more.
At the hotel
Media room with a 15-seat cinema and a computer, free WiFi in public areas, laundry service. In rooms: minibar, free bottled water, tea- and coffee-making facilities, WiFi available on request.
Our favourite rooms
All rooms have similarly minimalist interiors, but for a room with a seriously impressive view, request ambalama one; the first in the row of hillside villas. It has totally uninterrupted views of the valley. Wake early and take a seat on your private balcony to watch the sun rise over the mountains, see the mist clear to reveal lush green paddy fields, and listen as the rainforest comes to life.
Poolside
There are two pools at the hotel, including a thermal salt pool in the spa which, although covered, has one partial wall so you can gaze at the surroundings while you soak. Perched on the side of a hill, overlooking the forests below and mountains beyond, the main infinity pool has some of the best vistas in the hotel; wake early to watch the sunrise while leisurely swimming, and return for a dip at dusk as the setting sun transforms the surface of the pool, turning it shades of pink, purple and inky blue.
Spa
Tucked into the side of a hill, this is Sri Lanka’s first destination spa, which houses the country’s first hydrotherapy facilities. Inspired by the ancient Buddhist meditation caves in the surrounding mountains, this minimalist space has a steam room, a cedar-wood sauna with a glass wall overlooking the valleys, and a thermal salt pool. On the lowest level are four open-air treatment rooms, including one couple’s room. The expert therapists offer both western treatments, like detoxifying scrubs, cleansing wraps and hot-stone massages, and a range of Ayurvedic practices including Shirodhara and Takra Dhara therapies using vitamin-rich organic oils.
Packing tips
You’ve guessed it – enough yoga gear for days of meditation. Unplug and leave all your tech, gadgets and chargers at home (you might even have enough space left in your suitcase for your yoga mat).
Also
You're encouraged to unplug during your stay so mobiles, iPods, tablets and laptops can only be used in your room, not in public areas. Meal plans are available for those on a vegetarian or raw food diet.
Children
Children aged 12 and over are welcome at the hotel, but it’s best suited to older teenagers who appreciate that silence is golden and are able (and willing) to fully participate in the hotel’s wellness programmes.
Sustainability efforts
Santani is Sanskrit for harmony, and this philosophy drives everything at the hotel. Natural ventilation in rooms saves more than 70 per cent of energy used. As well as recycling, Santani runs a replanting program and has grown more than 1,000 plants on-site so far. The hotel sources 80 per cent of its produce locally; organic fruit, veg, coffee, tea and herbs and spices are grown in a greenhouse in the grounds.