Trailside Ella-Your Gateway to Ella Rock

Hotels
9.3 (28 reviews)
Kithal Ella Station Road , Ella , LK

Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
24-hour front desk
Room service
Terrace
Family rooms
Garden
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Delicious breakfasts
Friendly staff
Cons:
No air conditioning
Tiny bathroom

Categories

Cleanliness
9.09
Standard quality for this hotel tier.
Service
9.56
The maintainers were really nice and offered great service, including early breakfast and assistance when needed.
Location
9.6
The location is great, especially if you enjoy walking and being surrounded by beautiful nature.
Room Quality
9.05
Room was nice and quiet with a beautiful view of the mountains.
Amenities
9.08
The shower has hot water; provided a kettle, mini fridge, and bottled water.
Value for Money
9.04
Standard quality for this hotel tier.
Food and Beverage
9.59
Breakfasts and dinners were delicious, and service was accommodating.
Overall Experience
9.36
Overall highly recommended stay with excellent experiences.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-22 14:31

Property Description

Unwind in Nature
Embrace tranquility in the lush garden, unwind on the terrace, and cherish mountain views from your balcony at The Diary.

Family-Friendly Services
Enjoy the convenience of a children's playground, 24-hour front desk, and room service for a comfortable stay with your loved ones.

Explore Ella with Ease
Take advantage of bike and car hire services to explore popular attractions like Demodara Nine Arch Bridge and Horton Plains National Park.

  • Book now for an unforgettable getaway at The Diary in Ella.
Important information:

This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

9.3
Based on 28 reviews
Cleanliness: 9.09
Service: 9.56
Location: 9.6
Room Quality: 9.05
Amenities: 9.08
Value for Money: 9.04
Food and Beverage: 9.59
Overall Experience: 9.36
A
Alena • family_with_children • cz
10
2026-08-21 • via Nuitee
J
Janithi • extended_group • lk
8
Fuss-free stay in the hills
Pros:

Beautiful stay run by the loveliest couple. Breakfast was an option between Sri Lankan and Western - we had Sri Lankan both mornings and tasted wonderful. Also was able to get a tasty Sri Lankan lunch on the day we arrived for a very small cost. Room was big and spacious, beds were comfy and had mosquito nets which helped. Provided towels, kettle, tea/coffee and a mini fridge in the room. View is fantastic, you can see the train go past in the distance during the day. For a budget stay, this is ideal!

Cons:

Bathroom was a good size and clean but no ridge to stop the shower water from going everywhere on the floor, so can get a bit wet in there. They had Wi-fi but wasn't working while we were there.

2026-08-15 • via Nuitee
S
Shanuka • couple • lk
4
2026-04-10 • via Nuitee
M
MATHIEU • family_with_children • cz
9
2026-03-02 • via Nuitee
K
Kélig • family_with_children • fr
10
Pros:

En dehors d’Ella, au calme ! Ouf !
Un grand merci à Ovindu qui s’est super bien occupé de nous ! Merci à lui !

2026-02-23 • via Nuitee
I
Iban • extended_group • es
10
Pros:

Todo genial, lo mejor el personal Ovindu. Muy atento y trabajador. Me consiguió hasta gasolina , que por estas zonas escasea.

2026-02-14 • via Nuitee
L
Lukáš • couple • cz
10
Pros:

The maintainer is really nice, offering great breakfasts and laundry service. You might find it a bit difficult to communicate in English, but it's ok. The location is great, especially if you don't mind walking to Ella or to take a taxi there.

2025-09-02 • via Nuitee
S
Stefano • couple • au
10
Pros:

The room was very nice and quiet with a beautiful view of the mountains, we have seen many birds, squirrels and also a mongoose.
The shower has hot water, there is also a little hair dryer.
There is a kettle, a mini fridge and two bottles of water were provided.
The owners were friendly and made us delicious breakfasts and dinners. My partner was sick one night and they did all they could to help him 🙏

super recommended 😊

2025-08-31 • via Nuitee
R
Robert • family_with_children • de
10
2025-08-27 • via Nuitee
P
Pimentel • extended_group • es
10
2025-08-10 • via Nuitee
G
Guillem • extended_group • es
9
Would recommend.
Pros:

Breakfast was amazing. Personnel also. Super nice and caring. We needed to have breakfast very early in the morning and they were willing to do so, serving us breakfast at 5:30am. Surrounded by beautiful nature and right next to the train station where we took the train to Kandy. Absolutely gorgeous.

Cons:

No air conditioning in the room, also a tiny bathroom that wasn’t the best.

2025-08-10 • via Nuitee
S
Shubham • solo traveller • in
10
Exceptional
2025-05-20 • via Nuitee
D
Dinusha • with friends • lk
10
Exceptional
Pros:

Was very clean and the owner was very helpful and accommodating.

2025-05-13 • via Nuitee
L
Lakshitha • young couple • lk
10
Exceptional hospitality, personalized breakfast, stunning morning views, and a serene garden setting
2025-05-12 • via Nuitee
D
David • group • de
10
100/10
Pros:

Everything! Nicest owners you can imagine. Absolutely lovely people!

2025-04-18 • via Nuitee
J
János • solo traveller • hu
1
Bad
Cons:

I booked the room the day before arriving. After a long, exhausting hiking day I had arrived and the host was nowhere. I called him, but he hardly spoke english and didn’t know I am coming. I couldn’t wait him, I spent that night in a different place.

2025-03-29 • via Nuitee
K
Köksal • young couple • tr
10
Exceptional
Pros:

The family was very friendly and welcoming. They prepared us delicious breakfasts. Very spacious room and beautiful calming view by the terrace

2025-03-24 • via Nuitee
M
Max • young couple • de
10
Exceptional
Pros:

Cutest little two room building managed by a very nice old man. He gives tips about train schedules etc/ things to do. The dinner and breakfast are very tasty. Great location for the walk to Ella Rock, a little outside of main town, but that’s what you want anyway. Quiet mountainside.

2025-03-21 • via Nuitee
H
Hiral • young couple • in
10
Exceptional
Pros:

Location was excellent 👍
Hospitality was great
The owners were so caring and made a lovely breakfast as customisation requested by us ...

Early morn view from there is unbeatable and having breakfast in midst of lovely garden with birds chirping is like paradise....

2025-03-16 • via Nuitee
K
Katie • family with young children • au
9
Perfect trainspotting retreat
Pros:

Tuktuk drivers loved to charge a lot to get here but it's a lovely walk into Ella along the tracks and only 25 mins. Peaceful location, hosts were amazing the food was incredible we had breakfast and dinner there. The room was great - only bad thing was a power outage for quite a few hours one evening but this is also pretty standard in srilanka .

2025-03-11 • via Nuitee