Arabella on Boossa

The villa is very pretty, however too small if you plan to spend a lot of time in the villa. Lucky for us we went to Galle fort and spent the days there and only came to the room to sleep. What we did NOT like about the villa 1) there is no mini fridge in the room (the suite we stayed was 3 floors up so was not practical to keep going up or down if we needed our wine chilled.) 2) the curtains in the room do not close. if we wanted them shut they had to bring a ladder to close it and come back with a ladder to open it. (we were up by 6am thanks to the direct sunlight) 3) we changed rooms on the 2nd night and the new room was infested with cockroaches. 3 am we had to speak to them to come collect. it was terrible and the ground room smelled too. all in all unless they do a proper pest control and look into the above matter i do not recommend the villa.

Just coming to the end of a 5-night stay after our tour of Sri Lanka, and chose this as a place to relax and unwind. The Arabella has not disappointed, from the moment we first arrived, the staff have been helpful and attentive. The food in their restaurant is wonderful and always served with a smile. We booked the balcony room on the first floor which provided a shady position from which to see the small pool, beach and the ocean (room 6). If you're looking for peace and quiet in a contemporary and stylish hotel this is the one for you. Its a 10-min tuk tuk ride into Galle Fort which is well worth a visit. There are also a small number of beach bars just 500m away along the beach.

Most of what I saw during my stay has already been mentioned in earlier reviews - lovely place but a few minor issues here and there. The Arabella on Boossa is a modern villa with stylish rooms, situated about 12 mins by tuk-tuk from Galle. I personally like the minimalist design and huge bathrooms. I noticed the use of fragrance sticks in the rooms to mask the humidity. As I've seen on previous visits to Sri Lanka, humidity is just something we'll have to accept. Room 4 is on the ground floor and you have to keep door/shutters closed as it's adjacent to a common area space. Room 7 was on first floor and a bit smaller. Floors can get slippery after rainfall. Arabella's location is a double-edged sword: close enough to Galle but indeed on a busy stretch off the main coastal road. I tried to walk outside a few times but it wasn't pleasant. The beach in front of the hotel is picturesque but while I was there it was indeed partially covered with a black substances. Silt from the nearby river I read somewhere though someone said it might be linked to an oil spill long ago. Also of note is that the far end of the beach is occupied by a small number of homeless locals in tents. Nice team running the place despite the occasional miscommunication: e.g. one said breakfast at 7, while the next person says it's 7.30 a.m. No huge issue - they were super friendly and helpful. I gave Arabella a rating of 4 out 5 because I think I got a decent deal and they were so kind to offer a late check-out (handy because of late flight). In absence of that, I can imagine some people might be a bit more critical. Overall - a very nice villa and worth checking out.

Very well appointed rooms with linen bedding and robes, spacious bathrooms with lovely local beauty products. Tranquil garden and pool. Wonderful Egg Hoppers and fresh fruit for breakfast, catch of the day for dinner :) kind and helpful staff. The design and interiors are truly exquisit, lots of thoughtful details to make our stay special.

Nous avons séjourné deux nuits dans ce boutique-hotel vraiment extraordinaire! Le personnel est vraiment au petits soins, malgré quelques problèmes de coupures électriques ils ont réussi à trouver des solutions! Très très bien placé car à 20min de Galle tout en étant directement sur une jolie plage préservée. Nous nous sommes senti comme à la maison (mais en mieux bien surr!) et serions bien resté encore quelques nuits! Nous recommandons vivement ce charmant hotel, merci tout était parfait!