Riu Sri Lanka

We are currently staying at the hotel and have come to the end of our holiday. We had a nice time and like others have said there are some cons as well as pros. The hotel itself is lovely with friendly staff. Food is very good with a buffet as well as a tai, Italian and steak house. We can’t really fault the quantity and quality of the food with something for most people. As others have mentioned at weekends the hotel completely changes with many and I mean many locals with families arriving. This means the buffet is not just busy but packed. It’s a shame as although read about this prior to coming it really got too much at times. Tonight we ordered drinks. The barman said would bring them over. We waited for ages with no drinks. I went to find out when they would arrive to be laughed at. This is not accepted irrespective of of how many guests there are.evening entertainment is very poor with tributes but would have hoped for better quality from a RIU hotel. Would we come here again. I’m afraid not. The cons are too many. I am not a moaner generally but these points need to be mentioned. Will they care who knows but it’s a shame.

We spend two weeks in this resort and that our review: Pros: - Approx. 2‑hour transfer from Colombo Airport - Spacious, modern rooms with a non‑alcoholic minibar included in the all‑inclusive package, refilled every 2 days - Excellent cleanliness throughout the entire resort, with bed sheets changed every 2 days - Friendly, professional staff who genuinely do everything they can to make you feel exceptional - Good variety of food across buffet and à la carte restaurants, though not premium — this is not RIU Palace level, with better food selection available on weekends - Alcohol is not entirely local, but not premium either; nevertheless, it is absolutely drinkable and totally unlimited (please enjoy responsible). - The hotel has a dedicated adults‑only pool, and staff make sure that no children enter this area, keeping it peaceful and relaxing at all times. for us this is the big deal. - Public beach cleaned regularly by hotel staff, even though it is not private - From Monday to Friday the hotel is nearly empty, and we genuinely felt like we were on a private holiday. for weekends see cons section. Cons: - No private beach - Local salesmen are positioned at the only gate leading to the beach. They can be quite intrusive and often do not accept “no” as an answer. Some may follow you for a few hundred meters even after you politely decline. - Night snacks / late‑dinner options in the After Hours bar are quite poor, with very limited choice available. - Weekends are extremely busy — this resort is very popular among locals for short weekend getaways, which makes the property noticeably more crowded. Expect long queues at the bars and, at times, a lack of space in the restaurants. My suggestion: book the à la carte restaurants for the weekend to avoid the rush. - Daytime entertainment is almost non‑existent, and the evening shows are not at a high level. Even the music at the bar is played for only around 2–3 hours. Summary: Despite a few areas that could be improved, Hotel Riu Sri Lanka absolutely gets our recommendation. The resort delivers a very good holiday experience, especially thanks to its excellent cleanliness, friendly staff, beautiful beachfront location, and calm weekday atmosphere. We genuinely enjoyed our two‑week stay and believe this hotel is a great choice for a relaxing, worry‑free holiday.

This is a lovely hotel close to the beach. Things that stood out were the staff (they try very hard to please, nothing is too much trouble). The room and standard of cleaning was second to none, food and drink were good quality and available with no restrictions. Our particular thanks go to Marshall in the restaurant who made this a very special stay. The only negative, it seems to get very busy at the weekends.

I would like thank Leo the lad on the beach outside the Sri Lanka Riu hotel for arranging our excursions around Sri Lanka he an amazing guy who very friendly and polite I would highly recommend Leo to give you any advice on trips while staying in Sri Lanka

The Hotel was very beautiful and the hotel has friendly Staff. Food was amazing and we were enjoyed.