Beautiful natural setting with a peaceful, private feel. Our water chalet was spacious and scenic, and waking up to birds, lakes, and greenery was genuinely lovely. The grounds are tranquil and it’s a pleasant place to switch off after busy travel days. Prior to arrival, I contacted the hotel due to the concerns raised by previous guests. I was reassured that the website accurately reflected the experience. Unfortunately, this proved not to be true, immediately creating a sense of mismatched expectations. Despite what’s presented online and in the welcome information provided on arrival, there is no scope to consume anything other than bottled water — at odds with the eco‑luxury positioning and further highlighting the gap between expectation and reality. The staff were incredibly kind and abundantly helpful throughout our stay — warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming, which made a significant difference. The food was exceptional — Michelin‑star quality. Executive Chef Eranda, along with Chefs Isuru, Ishan, Nadun, and Kavindu, created meals comparable to experiences we’ve had at Michelin‑rated restaurants. A genuine highlight. Significant, however, is the retreat’s confused identity — marketed as eco‑luxury, but in reality far closer to an eco‑lodge, with a few luxury touches and many rough edges. The property is over 20 years old, and this shows in both maintenance and overall finish. These issues have clearly been raised by previous guests, yet meaningful corrections do not appear to have been made, instead leaving frontline staff to manage potentially difficult conversations (especially about different beverage options). This feels less like oversight and more like a conscious failure to address known problems and to potentially deceive guests. On a human level, this is unfair to staff, who work tirelessly to make stays special. Management appeared chaotic, with little evidence of clear systems or processes. As guests, we were confused on what options were available to us during our stay. Overall: a serene setting with wonderful staff and exceptional dining, but ultimately overpriced for the level of polish, organisation, and transparency. Without significant correction to the business model and management approach, the current trajectory feels ill‑fated — which would be a real tragedy, at the very least for the staff who work so hard and genuinely care about guests.
