The Sanctuary at Tissawewa

Hotels
8.2 (75 reviews)
Old Puttalam Road Old Town , Anuradhapura , lk

Facilities

Offsite parking discounted rates available
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Restaurant
Room service
Terrace
Family rooms
Express check-in/check-out
Safety deposit box
Facilities for disabled guests
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great location
Historic charm
Good breakfast
Cons:
Cleanliness issues
Mediocre dinner
Pricey

Categories

Cleanliness
6.45
Dirty bathroom mentioned in reviews.
Service
9.45
Personnel accueillant et attentif.
Location
9.45
Well-located, charming facility.
Room Quality
8.45
Comfortable beds, nice dining room.
Amenities
8.45
Standard amenities for a historic facility.
Value for Money
7.45
Rather pricey for the experience.
Food and Beverage
7.45
Food was okay, but breakfast was great.
Overall Experience
8.45
Mixed feelings due to cleanliness, but enjoyable stay overall.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-22 11:03

Property Description

Tranquil Oasis Amidst Anuradhapura

Serene Garden Setting: The Sanctuary at Tissawewa, located just a short distance from the city centre, offers a peaceful retreat with a lush garden, perfect for relaxation and unwinding.

Comfortable Accommodation: Each room at the 2-star hotel is equipped with modern amenities including air conditioning, flat-screen TV, and a private balcony overlooking the garden, ensuring a comfortable stay for all guests.

Convenient Services: Guests can enjoy the convenience of room service, a concierge service, and even car hire for exploring the nearby attractions. With popular sites like Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and Kuttam Pokuna in close proximity, the hotel is an ideal choice for travelers seeking both comfort and convenience.

Experience tranquility and convenience at The Sanctuary at Tissawewa. Book your stay now for a memorable Anuradhapura getaway.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Airport code: CMB

Location

Guest Reviews

8.2
Based on 75 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.45
Service: 9.45
Location: 9.45
Room Quality: 8.45
Amenities: 8.45
Value for Money: 7.45
Food and Beverage: 7.45
Overall Experience: 8.45
S
Shalini solo_traveller lk
10
One of a kind property in Anuradhapura
Pros:

The tranquil setting. Old world charm. Exceptional staff. Walk to Miriswetiya at night was special and early morning birdwatching

2026-02-24 via Nuitee
F
FABIENNE couple fr
8
Pros:

Bel hôtel, bien situé. Personnel accueillant et attentif. Possibilité de régler en amex.

2025-11-18 via Nuitee
B
bruce extended_group us
8
Pros:

Charming historic facility. Quiet. Just off the road. Great breakfasts

Cons:

Rather pricey. Staff did zero cleaning of the room, which we experienced at all other places. Dinner was quite mediocre

2025-11-10 via Nuitee
D
Dennis couple nz
7
It was okay, could have been better with more attentive staff and cleaner room.
Pros:

Food was okay. Nice dining room. Comfortable bed.

Cons:

Dirty bathroom. Staff need better training.

2025-09-09 via Nuitee
I
Isabelle family_with_children fr
9
Le charme de l’ancienne Ceylan
Pros:

La beauté de cette demeure, son histoire, l’emplacement

Cons:

Rien

2025-08-04 via Nuitee
R
Rémi couple fr
8
Bon séjour
Pros:

Très belle bâtisse
Belle chambre au premier étage

Cons:

Vélo en état très moyen

2025-08-04 via Nuitee
J
Janet family with young children au
8
Lovely atmospheric stay in grand old hotel ideally situated for exploring Anuradhapura.
Pros:

Ideal situation to cycle around Anuradhapura, bicycles free from the property. Ground floor rooms easy access and most pleasant to sit out on the verandah overlooking the pleasant extensive garden, eating absolutely excellent room service food. Atmospheric old colonial building. Manager very helpful indeed, staff courteous, smiling, and helpful.

Cons:

Bedroom air conditioning somewhat noisy.

2025-04-25 via Nuitee
O
Olivia young couple gb
7
Beautiful building in need of maintenance
Pros:

A beautiful old building, full of character with extensive grounds. Kind and helpful staff.

Cons:

The bedrooms are of uneven quality, and need updating. The hotel requires extensive renovation. Overpriced given the current state of the facilities. Other Sri Lankan hotels at this price are of significantly higher quality.

2025-03-09 via Nuitee
C
Chris young couple gb
9
The queen stayed here and I can see why
Pros:

Wonderful staff. Great service and excellent food.
Free use of the bikes made visiting the sacred sites easy

Cons:

No alcohol and no swimming pool BUT we used the pool and had a beer by the lake at the sister hotel so, all of our needs were met
Thank you for a great stay. Not cheap but worth it

2024-12-21 via Nuitee
R
Rajiva group lk
9
Evocative of past memories
Pros:

Excellent food and varied even on the set menu. Best possible location for Anuradhapura

2024-11-16 via Nuitee
G
Guillaume young couple fr
7
Good
Pros:

Historic mansion (ex British governor’s house) from 1907 transformed into hotel. Colonial style. Peaceful hotel. Welcoming is good and staff is kind.

Cons:

But hotel is a bit oldish, dusty (rooms were not neat nor 100% clean), and could be more animated to take care of clients. Prices are far too high for thé prestation.

2024-08-09 via Nuitee
P
Pradeep family with young children us
3
need to put better attention to the property
Pros:

food was good

Cons:

have to take care of the monkeys. they are dangerous. There were branches on trees that were dead and hanging.

2024-07-11 via Nuitee
S
Sabah young couple gb
8
great stay- lovely hospitality and service. excellent food.
Pros:

beautiful property- great food. team were friendly and helpful.

Cons:

bathroom was a bit tired

2024-04-28 via Nuitee
F
Frederick young couple gb
9
Superb
2024-03-17 via Nuitee
M
Monique group us
9
Would definitely go back!
Pros:

This was the best food we had on the trip- definitely recommend both breakfast and dinner!

Cons:

This was exactly as advertised- an atmospheric colonial-era guesthouse.

2024-03-05 via Nuitee
R
Richard young couple ca
8
Very good
Pros:

Large historic property. Extensive grounds with wildlife. Good food. Helpful staff

Cons:

Troublesome internet. No pool. Pricey.

2024-02-09 via Nuitee
F
Farah young couple gb
5
non descript
Cons:

we were in room 7 , the people above made a lot of noise , moving furniture around so difficult to sleep

2024-01-03 via Nuitee
S
Susanne young couple us
8
Very good
2023-12-24 via Nuitee
S
Sophie family with young children gb
9
Very genuine staff who went above and beyond! Including a surprise birthday cake. Helped us email Air Sri Lanka about le
Pros:

Great location and easy to see all the sites

2023-10-18 via Nuitee
F
Fehl young couple in
8
Very good
2023-08-18 via Nuitee