Heritance Ahungalla

We had a lovely luxury room, the staff were excellent and so friendly especially Saman, who cleaned our room everyday and was so kind to us. The hotel does look quite tired and definitely could do with some maintenance. In the restaurant I did not like to sit near the window as you looked out on to green sludgy water, which I felt needed attention . Also water dripped on to me one day when I was eating my breakfast from the overhead vents

I had the pleasure of visiting Heritance Ahungalla, formerly known as Triton, in the years 2001, 2002, and 2003 with my wife. After a significant interval, we chose to revisit the hotel and reserved one of the spacious corner suites, which featured two bathrooms, a vast living room, and an inviting balcony. While the room itself was remarkably beautiful, that was regrettably the extent of our positive experience.

During our previous visits in 2001-2003, the hotel was maintained in outstanding condition, with regular upkeep and restoration evident throughout. In 2016 and 2017, we returned in hopes of reliving the memories of our honeymoon in 2002, when we enjoyed a splendid stay at the hotel. At that time, the establishment was exceptional, showcasing Geoffrey Bawa's exquisite architectural design, which included a long driveway, a shallow basin, and an open layout that harmoniously integrated nature into the structure. The reception area provided breathtaking views of the ocean, promoting a seamless connection with air and water as central themes.

Although we could still appreciate Bawa's remarkable design during our visits in 2016 and 2017, it was disheartening to witness the decline of what was once a magnificent building. It became evident that the hotel had transformed into a markedly different experience. In the early 2000s, it catered to discerning clientele seeking luxury; however, it now appears to target a different demographic, primarily those seeking budget all-inclusive options, often prioritizing volume over quality.

The hotel, once a paragon of pristine hospitality, has unfortunately succumbed to the allure of mass tourism, reflecting a trend prevalent among establishments that were once revered for their high standards. The elegant ambiance that characterized the hotel—once adorned with thick white tablecloths in the dining areas and couples dressed elegantly dancing to a live band—has largely disappeared, replaced by a more generic tourist experience featuring large buffets and standardized offerings.

Currently, the hotel exists only as a shadow of its former glory. However, with appropriate management and diligent effort, this remarkable resort could potentially be restored to its previous excellence. By implementing a judicious pricing strategy and ensuring a steady cash flow, the hotel might once again ascend to a genuine luxury resort, appealing to the refined visitor’s expectations.

We really enjoyed our stay here. In fact we would say it is the best hotel we have ever stayed at! The things that stood out are:
1. The staff at the hotel are so lovely - always smiling and friendly and always very quick to do anything we asked and go the extra mile.
2. We loved the food, especially my husband who was in curry heaven for 2 weeks and the hot sweet puddings and fresh fruit. There was such a lot of variety.
3. The location is beautiful by the beach and the staff work hard keeping the grounds neat and the pools clean.
4. Our room was kept spotless and we had various towel animals waiting for us when we arrived back to our room.
5. We used the hotel taxi drivers and met Dhamika who became our driver and guide for our holiday. His taxi was spotlessly clean and his English was excellent and he took us to many places such as Yala. We had the best time because he could recommend the best places and took good care of us by making sure we didn’t get taken advantage of as tourists and even by taking us to cafes and restaurants with clean washroom facilities. He also knew excellent other guides such as at Yala our driver for our safari was excellent at reading the behaviour of other animals in order to find the leopards which we were privileged to see. Dhamika’s number is 094 716832973. No hesitation in recommending him.

Thank you Sarah and Ryan Davies

Overall, it was a pleasant and relaxing stay good value for money, and a nice place to unwind. Service is good .food is okay

"We just finished an incredible 7-night stay and couldn't be happier. A special thank you to the F&B Manager, Jay, who truly went above and beyond for us. Even though we were on an all-inclusive package, Jay personally arranged for us to dine at the à la carte restaurant and made it a truly
special, memorable night.
The bar staff were also fantastic-hardworking, friendly, and always ready with a smile. In infact,
every member of the hotel staff worked so hard to ensure we had a great holiday. We are flying out to the Maldives tomorrow with wonderful memories
of this resort. Thank you, Jay, and the whole team!"

We opted for Bed and Breakfast and were pleased as the all inclusive offer was one buffet restaurant and the only a la carte all guests had to pay. Amazing breakfast option meant we didn't need lunch...catered for all tastes from continental to traditional Sri Lankan dishes...and great service by staff. Room clean and comfortable...fridge kept well stocked with mineral water...lovely towel art daily and made a special treat for birthday

Amazing hotel despite reading other reviews I can fault this hotel im sitting by the second pool just in peace and sun the hotel should be so proud of their staff special mention to J who has made this experience even more enjoyable and the lovely Jarya on reception apologies for the spelling who took us to our room explained everything to us so for us the staff made our holiday. Our room was on the second floor by the second pool the housekeeping is so good. The pool guys are fab in getting sunbeds and so helpful and automatically getting you towls. We were all inclusive and the food there is a wide variety and the drinks are ok beer is fine and gin is a fine and gin fizz is lovely. We done a couple of trips we did yala safari through a lovely guy by reception called samprath who is reasonable priced his number is +94 765402575 he is on whats app and we went to Galle with him and he took us around the fort and shopping could not fault him. You are about 2 to 3 hours from the sites so be warned but nice to travel through other areas of sri lanka. The beach is lovely but you cannot swim only paddle as the current is to bad.
I would not hesitate to come back here.

Hotel looks so impressive as you drive up. A bit disconcerting for us originally as much bigger and more people than anywhere else we stopped on our Secret Escapes holiday. 5 nights here.
Bedroom lovely with view of gardens and sea. Shower a bit temperamental and we needed to let it run a bit.
Breakfast and dinner buffets huge with various items cooked fresh.Choice to sit outside if you wished. We chose to sit by windows as in the  middle felt claustrophobic. All staff so lovely and professional.
2 beautiful pools. Our favourite the deeper one away from main area.
Plenty of sunbeds but worth choosing yours early as we struggled originally.
Beach right there and so beautiful though while we were staying too rough for anything but a waist wade! We had lunch and drinks at restaurant you can see at end of  right hand of beach . Quiet and picturesque.
Lovely cove on other side of it too.
We did boat trip through mangrove swamps and visited Tsunami musrum. So moving.
Our GUIDE/DRIVER was Sampath. Boat trip he organised for us took us to island temple whereas others all stayed in the same area. Whole trip with him so good. Was one of our nany highlihhts if our holiday
Really recommend him.Such a lovely friendly man and had access to tuk tuk  car etc
SAMPATH
+94765402575

Just blown away by this beach property! It is very strategically located. Not far from the busy Galle
Or Bentota, isolated but not secluded if you know what I mean..
It is spacious with two large pools. Easy access to the beach for some morning and evening walks with stunning views of the sunset.
Very friendly and efficient staff who serve in traditional Sri Lankan outfit.
The live music in the evening is good. The alto sax thot played last night was outstanding. The mirror pub is aptly named as the infinity pool with the lights gives that illusion. There are some live acts (Limbo fire) and also poolside activities organized through the day.
The buffet lunch and dinner offer a wide variety of choices and you will not be disappointed!
Only order your coffees early as that may take time.
The spa offers many choices - but just be aware of the fine print of the additional taxes on the price quoted - service tax 10% and and additional 18% government tax- which is a bit steep.
The rooms are spacious and clean.
Can’t ask for more!

The fire dancers were awesome…great show…hotel staff very helpful and pleasant. Food was great as well…overall fantastic experience

My second time to this hotel the staff were amazing and even remembered me from last year which added that personal touch even though some of the staff had moved onto pastures new the ones that were left were excellent the room was pleasant with sea view highly recommended excellent service and i am looking forward to going back in the future.

Our stay at Heritance Ahungalla was a memorable experience.
Very comfortable rooms with balcony facing pool / sea was icing on the cake and we overall loved the property.
Multiple food options available in the menu and special thanks to Chef Balbir for his outstanding hospitality to prepare delicious on-demand Indian food was a big big help. Very yummy and tasty food prepared by him.
Also wanted to thank entire staff at the property for showing their warmth during the stay.
31st dec New year evening celebrations were fantastic!!

Very lovely place, the personal was really good especially Rukmal our cleaner.
The food was also excellent but kind of too spicy.

Fantastic experience all round. The staff were very helpful. Food was super. We got a suite, #117 as an upgrade!!
This is my 2nd vidit in 3 months

We had a fantastic stay at Heritance Ahungalla. The staff was so lovely, the food delicious and our rooms absolutely amazing thank you team Heritance for a fantastic stay

We felt warmly welcomed and well treated from the time we entered the hotel until our departure. Jayaru and front office team was excellent.
Our rooms were fantastic and thank you for upgrading us.
Special thanks goes to Waruna at the restaurant who gave us an excellent service, always with a smile on his face. Food was excellent too.
We have visited this hotel many times and will come again.

Very pleasant hospitality everywhere and specially Mr Aslam Thilina, Sewwandi, Kalana and chef Himal gave us beautiful environment when we had our dinner. Amazing and kept it up guys.. enjoy lot ,

It was really nice hotel :) beautiful view especially from room 339! (Greetings to our housekeeping boy :)
Swimming pool is great- big and clean with good service !
Service in hotel was very good 👍
We remember the most Nimsara Vinod - he is great waiter - always smiling and helpful!

Small minus for no wine in beach bar in all inclusive :)

A truly outstanding experience..starting with the location with a 'private beach' expansive rooms and staff that were the epitome of Guest service and hospitality. Thank you GM Priyank, your passion was evident in the service at the hotel. Special mention to Jayanta and Chef Balbir for an exceptional Dining experience.
A visit with Family is now on the cards.
A must stay for friends catching up.
All the best

Excellent ambience, specially meals preprations and variety. Chef Balbir Singh ,an excellent cook and expert in variety of cuisines. He looked after us so well. Full marks to him.