Hotel
Shangri-La Colombo
A large luxury hotel opened in 2017 at One Galle Face, overlooking Galle Face Green, with 541 rooms, suites and apartments and direct access to the…
Galle Face Hotel
Colombo's grand seafront hotel, founded in 1864 at the southern end of Galle Face Green, with 156 rooms, a museum and a string of restaurants and bars.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic luxury hotel
- Area
- Galle Face, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Price
- $$$$ · Luxury
- Official site
- gallefacehotel.com
Good to know
- Seafront
- Spa
- Museum
- Several restaurants and bars
Why we recommend it
The Galle Face Hotel is the most storied place to stay in Colombo. It was founded in 1864 by four British entrepreneurs, beginning life in a Dutch villa known as Galle Face House, and it takes its name from the seafront lawn it overlooks. Land was added between 1870 and 1894, when the architect Edward Skinner completed the south wing, and the north wing was refurbished from 2013 and reopened in October 2015. The hotel describes a history of more than 160 years, and it is part of the Galle Face Hotel Group.
The guest list is a roll call of the 19th and 20th centuries. Visitors have included Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Richard Nixon, Prince Philip, Louis Mountbatten, a young Emperor Hirohito, Donald Bradman and Yuri Gagarin, and writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain and Anton Chekhov. Arthur C. Clarke wrote the final chapters of 3001: The Final Odyssey here. The Regency Wing houses a museum and art gallery, and there is a library with two study rooms.
The hotel has 156 rooms and a wide choice of places to eat and drink. The Verandah serves Sri Lankan fusion dishes from breakfast to dinner and is the setting for afternoon tea, 1864 Limited Edition is a fine-dining restaurant, bar, wine cellar and art gallery, and King of the Mambo is a Havana-inspired beachfront bar with live entertainment nightly. Travellers' Bar serves light meals overlooking the Indian Ocean, In...On The Green is a pub facing Galle Face Road with live music, sports and quiz nights, and Firebeach is a beach club. There are also spa and wellness facilities.
The black-and-white Chequerboard by the sea is where guests gather to watch the sunset, and it is also used for outdoor weddings and events. Each year the Cannonball Run, commemorating an 1840 cannon misfire, starts on Galle Face Green and ends at the preserved cannonball in the hotel.
The hotel suits couples, history lovers and anyone who wants Colombo's seafront on the doorstep. Galle Face Green, with its food stalls and kite flyers, is directly in front, the Fort district and the Old Dutch Hospital are a short ride north, and the shops and restaurants of Kollupitiya, including Barefoot and The Gallery Café, are a short ride south along Galle Road.
Galle Face Hotel FAQs
When was the Galle Face Hotel founded?
In 1864, by four British entrepreneurs, in a Dutch villa called Galle Face House.
How many rooms does it have?
156.
Where is it?
At 2 Galle Road, Colombo 3, at the southern end of Galle Face Green.
What restaurants and bars are there?
The Verandah, 1864 Limited Edition, King of the Mambo, Travellers' Bar, In...On The Green and Firebeach.
Is there a spa?
Yes, the hotel has spa and wellness facilities.
What is the Chequerboard?
A black-and-white seafront square where guests watch the sunset, also used for events.
Who has stayed there?
Guests have included Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Richard Nixon, Prince Philip, Mark Twain and Arthur C. Clarke.
How do I contact the hotel?
Call +94 11 754 1010 or email [email protected].