Wonderful beachfront stay with amazing facilities and one of the best breakfast spreads!
We recently stayed at Club Hotel Dolphin on a half board basis over the weekend, and overall it was a really enjoyable and relaxing stay.
From the moment we arrived, the experience started well with valet parking, a refreshing welcome drink, and cold towels at check-in. Although it took a little time for the team to locate our reservation, the staff handled it professionally and even offered us a complimentary upgrade from a Superior Double Room with Sea View to a Garden Villa. While we appreciated the thoughtful gesture, we personally preferred the sea view and requested the originally booked room instead. The staff kindly arranged a high-floor room with a beautiful view, which we truly loved.
The resort itself is very spacious, with a huge garden area and two large swimming pools. We visited the gym first, which was well maintained, and then spent most of the evening relaxing by the main pool. Even though the hotel was quite crowded during the weekend, the pool was massive enough that it never felt uncomfortable or too packed.
The room was clean, tidy, and comfortable, with all the standard amenities required for a pleasant stay. While luxury amenities like dental kits or shaving kits were not readily available in the room, I believe the staff would have provided them upon request. The highlight of the room was definitely the stunning view overlooking the pool, garden, and sea — absolutely beautiful, especially during sunset hours.
Dinner buffet was a good experience overall with a very large spread. The live stations and hopper station were particularly impressive. There were many options including fish, chicken, beef, pork, mutton, prawns, and cuttlefish, along with Sri Lankan specialties, seafood live cooking, samosa stations, and plenty more. The bakery section also had a good variety of breads and buns.
The only area that didn’t fully impress me was the salad and appetizer section, as most options were vegetarian and there were only a couple of non-vegetarian choices. The dessert section also had a decent variety, but due to the large crowd, it seemed the kitchen team was slightly struggling to keep up with demand later in the evening, and some desserts were replaced with alternatives around 9 pm. Still, there were plenty of sweet options available.
We had a very comfortable sleep, and the next morning’s breakfast buffet was truly outstanding — honestly one of the best parts of the stay. The spread was huge with local and international dishes, bakery items, live stations, crab, chicken, fish, egg dishes, South Indian options, gluten-free items, eggless options, multiple types of porridges, cheese selections, salads, cold cuts, hoppers, and much more. Everything tasted fresh and delicious.
Before check-out, we once again enjoyed the pool during the sunny morning, which was a perfect way to end the stay.
Overall, Club Hotel Dolphin offers a fun and relaxing beachside atmosphere with excellent facilities, spacious grounds, and fantastic breakfast options. Despite a few minor areas for improvement, we truly enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend it for a relaxing weekend getaway in Sri Lanka. 🌴✨
