Outdoor pool, open 8 AM to 8 PM, pool umbrellas, sun loungers
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Reviews of Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort

5 out of 5
Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort
912, Thanamalwila Road, Udawalawa

Reviews

8.0

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 27 out of 67 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 22 out of 67 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 9 out of 67 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 9 out of 67 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 67 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.2/10

Staff & service

8.8/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved our stay here! The staff were all great, the campus was clean and well taken care of, and our room was very nice. The restaurant breakfast and dinner buffets had a nice variety of food options as well. Watch out for monkeys in the morning - one tried to steal our cream and sugar during morning coffee on the balcony.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Samaraweerage

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place to relax and enjoy. A convenient location if you’re going for safari in Udawalawe national parks
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Danette

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Traveled with family and small children, Traveled with group, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a wonderful time and experience here. The staff were above and beyond, the amenities were also really nice. We enjoyed the restaurant and bar and the food.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff were pleasant. The room was large and comfortable. The bathroom was a bit gritty. The décor was gloomy. The food was good.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
Response from GUSR on Apr 5, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Many thanks for your comments; It is our pleasure to have ensured that you have an enjoyable stay with us. We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great stay in a great hotel
We had a fantastic time, the food was great - so many gluten free options, I’m coeliac so that made a huge difference. It was my 30th birthday when we arrived, they decorated my room, gave me a free drink and also made me a gluten free cake and sang to me - brilliant! This hotel was lovely, clean, had great pool and the staff were kind, attentive and always pleasant. we would definitely visit again :)
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
Response from GUSR on Mar 14, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review and comment about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. We trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

8/10 Good

Corey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 17, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. Trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

8/10 Good

Murray

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good Spot
A great place to stay when planning a safari! Not much else to do in the area and hotel but perfect for a one night trip!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 10, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. We appreciate the recommendation and trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

8/10 Good

Sneha

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good place but very average food
The hotel was nice and well kept. The room was really big and comfortable, the staff was helpful. The biggest issue that we faced was with the food. we are vegetarians so there were very limited choices to begin with (we are used to less options but this was abnormally low). Even the few options that were available tasted very bad. It was excessively salty and slightly under-cooked. The hotel’s safari jeep package was almost double of what we paid outside.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 10, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Many thanks for your comments; It is our pleasure to have ensured that you have an enjoyable stay with us. We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.

6/10 Okay

BRIAN

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location as near to the park and it has a pleasant swimming pool and Deluxe rooms were nice (not as described on website but still ok). Food was very poor and catered for tour groups and very expensive for food and drinks. They have no tour desk or leaflets regarding tours for independent travellers, however they booked an excellent trip for 2 people. One night here is enough as tour leaves at either 0530 or 1430 so only trip is needed and then elephant orphanage / transit home, which was worth a visit and in walking distance. Only hotel like this in the area so if you want the facilities then book this but be aware not up to expected standards.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 6, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Many thanks for your comments; It is our pleasure to have ensured that you have an enjoyable stay with us. We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.

10/10 Excellent

Nicklas Møller

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 5, 2020
Dear Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you have enjoyed the facilities and our services. We trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

8/10 Good

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent hotel - except for the food
Based on the hotel itself, we'd give this hotel a 5 star rating. The only reason we have to give it a 4 is that the food war really disappointing. We had been in Sri Lanka for about a week in various hotels and restaurants prior to this stay, and really love the food and have found the quality and flavor of food in this country to be very consistent. However, the food here was really rather bad. We ate dinner and breakfast here twice, and all meals were consistently poor. Even the papadums were kind of stale tasting - this is not that hard an item to cook well! Otherwise, the hotel was great - great rooms, great staff, excellent grounds, nice pool. But they really need to replace the food service manager or chef and upgrade their food.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from GUSR on Jan 11, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Many thanks for your comments. We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.

4/10 Poor

James

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disappointing stay
Unfortunately we did not have a great stay at Udawalawe Safari Resort. The hotel is in definite need of an upgrade and is very dated. The price is definitely overpriced for what you get (especially for Sri Lanka). The reception staff were very friendly but we had a bad experience in the restaurant for dinner and then again the following morning for breakfast. I am vegetarian and was served bacon in my breakfast. The main issue we had was the language barrier and attitude of the staff in the restaurant.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from GUSR on Oct 1, 2019
Dear Valuable Guest, Many thanks for your comments; We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.

10/10 Excellent

Jared

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from GUSR on Sep 15, 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. We trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

4/10 Poor

Tahsin

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
No wifi in room. Public places have wifi very bad. Took spa but the towel was very dirty
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from GUSR on Aug 26, 2019
Dear Sir/Madam, Many thanks for your comments; We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
We arrived in Grand Uda Walawe for 1 night only and it was beautiful. We got upgraded to a nicer room which is always a nice surprise and the staff was incredible. We used the spa to get a massage and that was also amazing. The hotel organised our safari to Uda Walawe and we got a guide from the park as well as our driver who were both very knowledgeable. Be aware that the curry in the restaurant was really quite spicy (we didn’t request mild or spicy so unsure which one we got). We had been fine with curries around Sri Lanka so far but this one was a little too fiery for me! The club sandwich though was fantastic! Staff was awesome and the hotel itself is beautiful. The room was luxurious and we had conditioner in the bathroom which is quite rare! Loved this place.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Reservation Team on Aug 12, 2019
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review and comment about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. We trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff were top notch. Great location. Lovely pool.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from GUSR on Apr 11, 2019
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review and comment about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. We trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

8/10 Good

Rick, Crystal Lake, IL USA

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A nice resort close to Udawalawe National Park. Enjoyed the pool area very much. Spacious room.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Reservation Team on Mar 27, 2019
Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. We trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great one night stay
Great hotel, nice large rooms with powerful showers however the drains can’t keep up with the flow and the bathroom floods, good air conditioning and great on site restauarant with many different options in their buffet both for breakfast and lunch, the WiFi only works in common areas an not in rooms, this is the only thing I would suggest the hotel works on but the service and customer is first rate
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Reservation Team on Mar 17, 2019
Dear Sir/Madam, Many thanks for your comments; It is our pleasure to have ensured that you have an enjoyable stay with us. We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction about the WiFi and we will definitely take it in to our consideration.

8/10 Good

Katherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Reservation Team on Mar 8, 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. We trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

8/10 Good

Joseph A

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Good for safari as it's so close to the park
Truly awful WiFi. The restaurant is expensive. Ideal for a one night stay if you want to do the safari
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Reservation Team on Mar 8, 2019
Dear Guest, Many thanks for your comments;We have noted your comment regarding some dissatisfaction about the hotel and we will definitely take it in to our consideration.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent! We had a very comfortable room, friendly staff and great food
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from Chamee on Jan 9, 2019
Dear Sir, Thank you so much for taking the time to visit us recently and for writing such a wonderful review of your experience.

6/10 Okay

Martin

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Underwhelming at best.
Our stay here where underwhelming at best. First they messed up our booking and we needed to wait for a new room. For the price we pay the standard was not really good. The shower head needed to either be changed or a proper deep cleaning, around the bathtub it was a bad paint job who made it look more dirty. The towels was old and washed out, the bed linens too was old. The services, they were nice but the English was so bad that all communication was a frustration. Especially in the restaurants, who was overpriced, slow service and not that good. Several of us got sick afterwards. Oh. And the WiFi in the rooms was completely down and that was something we needed to ask around of instead in just informing us that at arrival.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from Chamee on Jan 3, 2019
Dear Sir, Sorry for the inconvenience caused you during your stay. Necessary actions will be taken to not to happen these kind of faults in the future. Thank you

8/10 Good

Solli

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It is a very nice location of the hotel, close to the road but very silence. The rooms are very comfortably and clean. A big nice pool. Very delicious food at the buffets, the only thing is you have to pay for your drinks during dinner, there should at least be one drink included. All there are working there was friendly and helpfull all the time. Would like to stay there again. Absolut perfect.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2018
Response from Team-Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort on Nov 15, 2018
Thank you for your kind feedback.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely stay, rooms very clean and comfortable, staff helpful. Would recommend
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018
Response from GUSR on May 3, 2018
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

8/10 Good

Mukesh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great for a stopover.
We only stayed here for one night as a stopover. We didn't do any safari. Ideal for a stopover. The facilities are good for a 3* hotel, including a good pool and basic spa - very nice after a long day driving. The staff very helpful and the rooms are a good size and well appointed. Buffet dinner and breakfast had plenty of choice and a good mix of Sri Lankan and Western food.
Response from GUSR on May 3, 2018
Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

8/10 Good

tony, uk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable, convenient safari base
All aspects lived up to expectations. Jungle setting gave good feel to hotel and vegetable curries in buffet outstanding. Enjoyed safaris in nearby National Park and 2 night stay gave opportunity for morning and afternoon outings.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018

4/10 Poor

Aaron, Melbourne, Australia

Disliked: Cleanliness
Stuck in the 90’s
Very old and out dated hotel, bathroom was dirty, shower floor was timber, and obviously hard to clean (or never cleaned) as my feet were black after showering. Shower head was terrible. Restaurant is very basic and buffet is not appealing for dinner or breakfast.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

M, Texas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Convenient location.
Good hotel with decent amenities. Staff were friendly. The food in the restaurant was adequate. You may not find better hotels in this small town.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Eve

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We stayed here for one night so we could do a Safari early in the morning. The hotel was great and the staff were very friendly. We would recommend this hotel to anyway wanting to stay near Udawalawe.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

8/10 Good

J A H

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Room had a noisy and unclean air conditioning system. Overall a little tired and could do with some refurbishment.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Hotel is good for a visit to Uda Walawe andfor arranging safaris.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

6/10 Okay

Graham, London, UK

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Nice hotel, but disappointing service
The hotel is a pleasant place to stay with two wings focused around a small but nice pool area. Rooms are clean and spacious, although a bit sparse. Unfortunately we felt the hotel let itself down when it came to service. Whilst the staff were polite, there were several aspects of the service were disappointing. Examples include attempting to arrange a tour before arrival only to receive identikit responses which didn't actually answer any of our questions, or taxi rates which were double the standard taxi rate offered by all other hotels or local taxi companies (and being completely unwilling to provide us any reasonable assistance). Other staff members seemed willing to help but ultimately forgot our requests or were very slow to respond despite the hotel being very quiet. The à la carte menu in the restaurant offers a wide ranging choice average quality however there is very little in the way of vegetarian options.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

4/10 Poor

Ignacio, Lles

Disliked: Staff & service
Grand complaint resort
The comun areas are fine. The bedroom was fine, the mattress was not good. The most funny was that we had breakfast included and the cafe expresso and the water were not included, they never advice about and after they charge it to us. All the staff even managers were very unprofessional. Only the front desk manager was clear and quick on the desicion making.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017
Response from Reservation team on Dec 17, 2017
Thank you for your response

10/10 Excellent

Tess

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Hotel
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

simon, surrey, uk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Boutique hotel - super rooms
Great hotel just a short ride from town. Attentive and friendly staff. Restaurant had great food. Beach and pool quite small but with few guests it worked well
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

6/10 Okay

Craig

Disliked: Staff & service
Average hotel, but did the job C+
Disappointed with my stay, as it was not our first choice. However there were not too many hotels available. They tried very hard to push me to pay for an upgraded room, even though i had told them that we didn't want this, this might be uncomfortable for some people. the room was ok, it was big and fairly comfortable, but it feels like an old room, old bed and a dated bathroom. the pool area was nice, however the gym was not great. The restaurant was average at best, they seemed to just do a buffet style breakfast lunch and dinner that consisted of the same meals. there is nothing to do in the area, you just come for the safari, i would suggest that you just stay for 1 night and move on, we stayed for 2 and felt that it was too long. It was an average hotel in an empty area, but did the job.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017
Thanks for staying with us. We appreciate your feedback!

10/10 Excellent

Dev, Sydney

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Trouble free , enjoyable
Very good experience, already recommended to my brother and sister who are travelling from USA and Australia. Everything was as promised, Udawalawe trip was arranged, no trouble at all. Regret that we spend only one night. Food was excellent, most importantly the staff was unbelievably organised, polite and knew there job. Hope the management understands the value of good staff.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

Howard, Charleson, SC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
New well-planned hotel close to the park
This hotel is only a few years old. It is set very nicely and does not in any way dominate the landscape. Very nice pool area. Very comfortable. Seems to cater to the busload tourists but I think that has to do with the lack of facilities in the area. dinning room has a cafeteria feel but the food was above average for this type of hotel. Most people who go there are using it as a way station for safaris into the park and it is an excellent choice for that end.

6/10 Okay

Vera

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Alles sehr gut und sauber . Essen aller card sehr lecker, frühstück gut, aber dunkel und bedrückend.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Hans

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It is a relaxed good maintaned hotel. We were in the governors Suite and really liked it!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

8/10 Good

Bob

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
La chambre était propre et calme. Nous avons testé le spa de l'hôtel les prix sont élevés par rapport aux salon de massage en dehors de l'hôtel mais le massage que nous avons choisi était de qualité. Gros point noir du séjour le restaurant buffet de l'hôtel la nourriture est de mauvaise qualité.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022
Response from GUSR Management Team on May 4, 2022
Dear Guest, Thank you for your valuable stay at Grand Udawalwe. We apologize for the quality of the food that couldn't taste it well. Your comments will be taken very seriously to provide better services. Anyways, thank you for kind words over room facilities & services. We will be hoping to see you in the future. Kind Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Heike, Wuerzburg

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Jessica

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022
Response from GUSR Management Team on May 4, 2022
Dear Guest, Thank you for valuable stay at Grand Udawalawe & for rating us on this particular platforms. Best Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Camilla

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastisk smukt hotel i skønne omgivelser
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from Management Tean on Feb 20, 2022
Thank you so much for you lovely compliments & valuable stay at Grand Udawalawe. we will be looking forward to see you in future. Kind Regards.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Tres bon sejour, hotel a taille humaine avec beaucoup de charme...
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 17, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. Trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 17, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort.

8/10 Good

Tomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 14, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Thank you for your review about our resort. We are delighted to note that you enjoyed the facilities and our services. Trust you will return very soon. We look forward to welcoming you.

4/10 Poor

LT, Deutschland

Traveled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Die Anlage und Ausstattung sind ziemlich in die Jahre gekommen und extrem heruntergekommen. Es ist nicht besonders sauber, Betten sind ungemütlich und Personal im Restaurant nicht sehr freundlich. Preis Leistungs Verhältnisse stimmen auch nicht. Es ist ziemlich teuer für das was es ist. Wir sind 2 Nächte geblieben was ich definitiv nicht empfehlen würde. Eine Nacht reicht.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from GUSR on Feb 12, 2020
Dear Valuable Guest, Many thanks for your comments and thank you for staying with us. We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.

6/10 Okay

Hanna

Traveled with family
Nothing but average
I was a little disappointed in our stay here. The hotel has a good 4 star standard but nothing extra. Restaurant feels a little tired and food was below average. No internet in the room only in common areas. Water costs four times as much as on the street.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020
Response from GUSR on Jan 7, 2020
Dear Sir/Madam, Many thanks for your comment and thank you for staying with us. We have noted your comment regarding the dissatisfaction. We will definitely take it in to our consideration.