Galle Fort Hotel

Tucked inside Galle's historic fort, this former merchant's home is now a gem of a hotel, with busy bar, restaurant and jovial hosts

Galle Fort is a spellbinding mixture of Dutch, British and Sri Lankan history and architecture, with fewer than 200 homes inside its 17th-century ramparts. Now one of these is a hotel – and what a hotel it is. Antique four-poster beds, wooden shutters, wide verandas and a colonnaded court evoke its former life as a gem merchant's mansion. Owners Karl Steinberg and Chris Ong have added a boutique pool, a choice of yoga and beauty treatments and 11 bedrooms and suites which mix contemporary décor with quirky nods to the building's past.

The hotel also draws crowds to its sociable café-restaurant, where new arrivals and local regulars mingle under high ceilings and grand archways. Karl flits easily between them, offering excellent Chinese-Thai cuisine and friendly, first-name advice. If he's not too busy he'll even guide you around the fort next morning or prepare a cocktail after your sunset meander along the historic walls.

Highs

• The rooms are stylish, spacious and comfortable – and the fabulous penthouse suite has views over the fort
• The inner courtyard is ideal for lazy days under the sun and the pool is wonderfully cooling
• The restaurant and bar have a great atmosphere for meeting other travellers
• The hosts are helpful, knowledgeable and English-speaking: Karl is an ex-film-director from Australia and Chris is a former banker from Singapore

Lows

• The restaurant and bar get very busy, but the rest of the hotel is private and serene
• Most rooms face the central courtyard and have no town views
• The cheaper rooms open directly onto the pool area or veranda, so privacy can be limited
• Negotiating the stairs to your bathroom (in the loft suites) can be tricky at night