Club Villa, Bentota

Designed by the late Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's premier architect and erstwhile friend of the owner Mr Hameed, Club Villa Bentota has a distinctly Ceylonese feel. High ceilings and beautiful, simple woodwork lend a cool and relaxing air to the 15 rooms.

The pretty gardens lead down to the beach and the wide-open spaces give a sense of freedom and privacy for the guests. The restaurant serves excellent local and western food, particularly seafood. The service is laid back, friendly and at times charmingly inefficient. The popularity of the hotel among the ex-pat community confirms that it is not only ourselves but jaded veterans of Sri Lanka's hotel scene that rate this as one of the best value and most attractive beach hotels on the island.

The potential problem of the train running through the bottom of the property has been overcome by turning it into an attractive feature of the garden. It is one of the deft touches that characterise the design. Note that the trains do start early and this has been known to bothersome guests.

The swimming at Bentota is excellent between November and March, while the hotel pool is pleasant. There are a number of activities in the area, including river-boat trips and extensive waters-ports. Bentota is, by Sri Lankan standards, a fairly hectic tourist resort with a large number of hotels and the inevitable touts and shops. However, Club Villa Bentota is located down the much quieter southern end.

Club Villa Bentota is a small and friendly hotel and is perhaps the most Sri Lankan in the feel of the high-end boutique hotels.