The Park Street Hotel

Classy boutique hotel and former colonial home with all the mod cons – an oasis of tranquillity in the heart of hectic Colombo

Greeted by a grand hallway and a wall of paintings of eminent people (including Gandhi), your entrance into The Park Street Hotel couldn’t be more impressive. The former home of flamboyant society couple Sheikh and Zarina Moosajee is a 19th-century delight: cream and beige furnishings, delicate touches, spacious bedrooms and an air of refinement throughout.

Renovated by Sri Lankan designer Taru along with sister hotel The River House and just 30km from the airport , it’s perfectly located for a stopover or a first or last stop on a tour of Sri Lanka. We particularly recommend it as a place to rest up before your flight home because the service, facilities and comfort here are superb. Take your pick from the 2 expansive suites (full of paintings and beautiful colonial era furniture), or one of the 10 deluxe rooms, 5 of which have Jacuzzi baths in stylish wet rooms. Either way, you'll be extremely well looked-after.

Highs

• The fantastic location provides a genuine retreat in the heart of the city, near to the park and the Gangaramya temple
• The wonderful, opulent building is filled with antiques and paintings
• The air of tranquility in such a hectic city is unbeatable
• The service is impeccable, and the in-room suggestions for shopping, eating out and activities are superb
• The rooms are generously sized and have great wet rooms, half with Jacuzzi baths

Lows

• Our lunch (chewy prawns) was disappointing, although the Sri Lankan curry for dinner was fabulous
• It's overlooked slightly by the larger chain hotels
• The pool is in the centre of the property, so it’s not very secluded and it feels like everyone’s looking at you!