Rooms

The spotlessly clean rooms are spread across the main house and a separate building. The cool mountain air usually ensures a good night’s sleep, and you'll find comfy beds, good black and white tiled bathrooms and loads of space. Rooms in the main house have fabulous views over the distant mountains; the views from the separate building are less striking, but you can still look out over forested hills.

The large Deluxe Rooms have double beds, bathtubs and showers; there's also a smaller Standard Room which is ideal for solo travellers or couples on a budget. Most rooms have a private terrace or a balcony, so you can snooze by day and stargaze at night; early risers can watch the sun come up.

For romantics, the Honeymoon Suite has a huge rooftop garden with alfresco tub. There are also Family Suites, each offering a room with a kingsize bed, an adjoining room with a queensize bed, and a bathroom with a bath and separate shower.

Features include:

• Fan
• Mosquito net
• WiFi

Eating

You can have breakfast wherever you want: in your room, on your balcony, on the terrace or down by the viewing platform. The mostly Western menu includes fresh fruit and cereals, breads, toast, jams, marmalade, cold meats and a cheese plate; you can have pancakes or Sri Lankan hoppers, too. Good coffee is served in cafetieres - a rarity in Sri Lanka, where instant coffee is the norm.

In the evenings, the chef comes out to talk you through the menu and take your order, then disappears and cooks your dinner (from 7.30pm) exactly how you want it. You can choose from hot curries, mild seafood dishes, pasta and fresh salads, as well as 5-course European or Sri Lankan menus. We chose the Sri Lankan option and enjoyed a series of very tasty curries with rice, poppadoms and onion and coconut sambals, served as we watched lights sparkling in the valley below.

Snacks (sandwiches, salads and soups) are available on request, and packed lunches can be provided for day trips. There's also a range of aperitifs - best enjoyed on the terrace as the sun sinks beneath the hills.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Lunch by arrangement
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Explore the sights of Kandy, including the botanical gardens and the famous Temple of the Tooth. The friendly staff will whisk you down the hill into town, then bring you back up at the end of the day (the hotel has its own trishaw)
  
  
• Volker arranges personal guided tours of Kandy and the surrounding countryside. They're highly recommended, and ensure that you leave with a deeper understanding of Sri Lanka and its people
  
  
• Golf can be arranged, and the area is good for bicycle tours, elephant rides and boat trips on the river
  
  
• Follow your nose into the hills, past tea plantations, old colonial mansions, paddy fields and temples
  
  
• Head to Sigiriya Rock (60km to the north) - an ancient hill fortress and palace
  
  
• Don’t miss Dambulla for its magnificent Golden Temple, with 157 incredible statues of Buddha and imperious ancient wall paintings, which has been a sacred site for pilgrims for over 2,000 years
  
  
• Polonnaruwa (80km away) is the country’s 13th-century capital. It's a long drive, but well worth the effort for its ruined temples, palaces and rock carvings
  
  
• Back at Villa Rosa, relax with a massage, hot oil
  treatment or steam bath in the Ayurveda pavilion (available from 5pm; must be booked in advance)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cooking classes
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Tennis
• Yoga

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome and the staff are incredibly warm. Even the chef has been known to come out and play ping-pong with the kids. Extra beds, babysitting and baby cots are all available on request.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Family Suites have spacious accommodation over 2 bedrooms, with 1 kingsize bed and 1 queensize bed. Extra beds and cots can also be added to all other rooms.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Villa Rosa is a 10-minute taxi or trishaw ride from the centre of Kandy, which is in central Sri Lanka.

By Air
Colombo Bandaranaike (100km away), is the closest international airport. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving it.

From the Airport
The hotel offers a transfer service (see Rates), which takes about 2.5 hours. Alternatively, Kandy is a 2-hour train ride from Colombo. You can get a cheap taxi or trishaw from Kandy station.

If you really want to arrive in style you could consider the Sri Lankan Airlines Air Taxi from Colombo, which would drop you off at the Kandy golf course. From there it's a short taxi ride to Villa Rosa.

Getting Around
The hotel has its own trishaw for short trips. Staff will help arrange transport for longer excursions.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Sri Lanka and getting around.