The Spice Trail

Hotels
9 (242 reviews)
69th Mile Post, Main Street , Arugam Bay , lk

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Family rooms
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Spacious rooms
Friendly staff
Nice location
Cons:
Service inconsistencies
Limited menu options

Categories

Cleanliness
8.64
Mostly positive sentiments noted, with a few mentions of service failures impacting overall experience.
Service
9.11
Friendly and helpful staff mentioned, but some service failures noted that impacted guest satisfaction.
Location
9.65
Good location mentioned with easy access to nearby attractions.
Room Quality
9.6
Rooms praised for being spacious, well-appointed, and comfortable.
Amenities
8.63
Good amenities like pools but with notes about inconsistent service.
Value for Money
8.09
Critique of pricing relative to service quality, indicating it was perceived as overpriced.
Food and Beverage
8.64
Generally positive reviews about food and beverages, with a note on limited options.
Overall Experience
9.61
Despite some service issues, guests felt they had a wonderful stay overall.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-10 15:25

Property Description

Luxurious Amenities

Indulge in a stay at The Spice Trail where every room is equipped with air conditioning, a fridge, and a minibar for your comfort. Enjoy the convenience of a kettle, bidet, and free toiletries at your disposal.

Relaxation and Leisure

Unwind at the outdoor swimming pool or take a stroll through the lush garden. The hotel also offers a sun terrace where you can soak up the sun and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Convenient Location

Situated just steps away from the beautiful Arugam Bay Beach, The Spice Trail is the perfect retreat. Explore nearby attractions like Muhudu Maha Viharaya and Crocodile Rock. With free WiFi and a 24-hour front desk, your stay will be seamless.

Book your stay at The Spice Trail now for a memorable and relaxing experience.

Important information:

Please note that the property levies a 3% charge on payments via credit card.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: CMB

Property Policies

  • Parking

    Free public parking is possible at a location nearby (reservation is not possible).

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an available cot.
    People no matter the age stay for US$15 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

9
Based on 242 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.64
Service: 9.11
Location: 9.65
Room Quality: 9.6
Amenities: 8.63
Value for Money: 8.09
Food and Beverage: 8.64
Overall Experience: 9.61
F
Fanny • couple • be
9
Wonderful stay
Pros:

La piscine le restaurant
La végétation

Cons:

Aucun problème

2026-07-04 • via Nuitee
Y
Yael • extended_group • il
10
מעולה
Pros:

פרטי, חדרים גדולים, הבריכה, צוות, מיקום, אחלה זרם במקלחת, מושקע, המלצרים במסעדה מאוד נחמדים והמעסה בספא מקצועית

Cons:

היה נחמד אם בכל החדרים הייתה טלוויזיה, שיקפידו יותר שלא יכנסו אנשים מבחוץ לבריכה מאחר ואין מספיק כסאות וקודם זה יהיה ראוי שמי ששילם יוכל להנות מהמתקנים

2026-06-29 • via Nuitee
J
Joan & Ken • solo_traveller • ke
9
Pros:

Location is excellent as is the pool area. The restaurant's Asian dinner was great. The rooms are excellent size.

2026-06-26 • via Nuitee
L
Liron • extended_group • il
10
מדהים!
Pros:

הכל
זו פעם שנייה שלנו במלון הזה
וכנראה שלא הפעם האחרונה
המיקום, השירות, הבריכה, האוכל, הניקיון והצוות
הכל היה פשוט מושלם!

2026-06-25 • via Nuitee
E
Elizabeth • family_with_children • au
5
Nice property, terrible management
Pros:

Rooms were spacious, clean, and well thought-out. They had everything you need- enough space to hang clothing, laundry hampers, nice TV, lots of seating, and the private courtyard was a bonus.
The pool was nice (despite having a small population of biting bugs), breakfast was decent, and front of house staff were sincere and kind. We loved Ashan and Sekar especially.

Cons:

Our AC was broken for one night. The next day it was promptly fixed with no issues.
Our toilet was leaking for our entire stay and stopped working (would not flush) for a total of 4 nights. Every day they would ‘fix’ it, it would half flush for a couple of hours during the day before failing again overnight. Meaning we didn’t have a working toilet for 4 nights of our stay. After the first night we offered to move rooms if they could not fix it, but this wasn’t seriously considered by staff, it was smiled off and ignored. They also never contracted an external plumber to just deal with it first time - a job I’m sure a first year apprentice would have nailed.

On a couple of occasions when my husband was out surfing I had to use the men’s pool toilet (women’s was also not flushing), which was unclean with no toilet paper, at 6am, while holding a baby. Pretty bleak when you’re paying almost 200$USD a night.

We spoke with reception repeatedly and asked to speak to management, and continuously got told they would speak to us, but never did, they were completely avoidant.

The hotel didn’t offer us any compensation or discount despite not having a functioning toilet/AC for 5 out of 17 nights. They didn’t even wipe the $15 mini bar charge off our final bill. Will let you decide what you think that means, but for us, it’s poor behaviour and out of touch for a hotel we paid over $3000 USD for our stay.

2026-06-22 • via Nuitee
V
Viola • family_with_children • ch
8
Ruhiger Rückzugsort im lebhaften Arugam Bay
Pros:

Gute Lage, wenn auch nicht direkt am Strand. Sehr gutes Essen und extrem freundliches Personal. Ökologisches Bewusstsein.

Cons:

Kissen haben « gemuffelt » Pool war sehr warm und es gibt nicht viele Liegen mit Schatten.

2026-06-18 • via Nuitee
L
Lennard • solo_traveller • de
9
Pros:

Beautiful boutique hotel with lush greenery, spacious rooms, and a lovely pool area. The coffee and pastries from the in-house café were delicious; the restaurant serves only breakfast and Japanese cuisine. Additional services such as laundry and excursions are not offered directly by the hotel, but the reception staff will connect guests with reliable local providers. The location on the main road is very convenient, yet the rooms remain quiet as they are set back from the street. Overall, we had a great stay and would happily recommend it, although it is a little on the pricier side.

Cons:

No significant issues!

2026-06-17 • via Nuitee
בירו • solo_traveller • il
8
Pros:

מיקום מעולה, צוות שירותי ואדיב, ארוחת בוקר טובה

2026-06-16 • via Nuitee
D
Danielle • couple • au
10
Pros:

Amazing location, friendly staff and super clean. Loved the pool and the room was comfortable and clean. So much space in the room too!

2026-06-10 • via Nuitee
C
Crowe • couple • au
10
2026-06-09 • via Nuitee
M
Mahalia • couple • au
8
Pros:

Lovely clean, big rooms. Great location for walking along the Main Street/to the beach. Relaxing to sit by the pool

Cons:

Breakfast ok but I think would be better options outside property

2026-06-08 • via Nuitee
B
Bharat • extended_group • in
10
2026-06-05 • via Nuitee
K
Kfir • couple • il
10
2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
M
Melisa • solo_traveller • il
8
Pros:

מיקום מצוין במרכז, קרוב לכל החנויות והמסעדות.
מלון שקט בסך הכל, חדרים גדולים ומרווחים, לנו היתה גם חצר פנימית נוחה וגדולה עם מקלחת חיצונית.
ארוחת בוקר טובה ומספקת, לבחירה מתוך תפריט (לא בופה).

Cons:

אין מקום ישיבה מחוץ לחדר כמו מרפסת או מקום לשבת בכיף.
הניקיון בחדר דורש שיפור..
חייבים לשפר את התאורה בחדר.

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
A
Ashley • couple • fr
9
2026-05-14 • via Nuitee
P
Pramila Silva • solo_traveller • lk
10
Pros:

Location
Pool
Staff
Food

Cons:

We went there on off season & there was a construction going on due to that other than that everything is good

2026-05-04 • via Nuitee
M
Monica • solo_traveller • pe
10
2026-05-03 • via Nuitee
P
Paul • couple • fr
10
Pros:

Je ne comprends pas pourquoi il n’y a pas la cinquième étoile sur cet établissement. C’était parfait, chambre très bien, personnel extrêmement sympathique, petit déjeuner qualititatif, piscine très agréable. Je ne peux que recommander. Nous avons même effectués deux nuits de plus qu’initialement prévu.

2026-05-03 • via Nuitee
P
PIERRE-ALAIN • couple • fr
10
Havre de paix
Pros:

Très grande chambre individuelle, Magnifique Piscine, Personnel,

Cons:

Matelas pas très confortable et lit qui grince

2026-04-14 • via Nuitee
N
Nadja • family_with_children • ch
8
2026-04-04 • via Nuitee