According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), there are 156 classified tourist hotels and 228 unclassified tourist hotels in Sri Lanka. Additionally, there are 40 boutique hotels, 51 boutique villas and 895 bungalows in the country. The classified hotels collectively have a capacity of 15,214 rooms, including 28 five-star hotels and 28 four-star hotels. SLTDA's grading is based on the criteria set by the World Tourism Organization. In 2011, the classified hotels accounted for 70% of the total room capacity in the industry. A number of accommodation facilities that built during the British colonial era have been converted to high-class hotels later. These include the Galle Face Hotel, the Grand Oriental Hotel, the Mount Lavinia Hotel, the Queen's Hotel, Kandy, the Grand Hotel and St. Andrew's Hotel and the New Oriental Hotel.

Central Province Kandy District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Cinnamon Citadel Kandy Kandy 1983 Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Kandy Walk Inn, a subsidiary of John Keells Hotels PLC 119 The hotel's main deck is decorated with Dumbara weaving designs, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, and an 18-foot handwoven wall hanging by Ena de Silva. Empire Hotel Kandy 1898 Manor House Concepts 14 Helga's Folly Kandy 1960s Helga De Silva Blow Perera 16 An Art Nouveau boutique hotel. Kelly Jones of Stereophonics wrote the song "Madame Helga" after staying at the hotel. Hotel Suisse Kandy Ceylon Hotels The Kandy Hotels Company (1938) PLC, a subsidiary of Ceylon Hotels Corporation 83 Used as the HQ of the South East Asia Command during World War II under the command of the Earl Mountbatten. Mahaweli Reach Hotel Kandy 1973 Mahaweli Reach Hotels PLC, a subsidiary of Universal Enterprises 108 The first five-star hotel in Kandy. The Kandy House Gunnepana 2005 Manor House Concepts 9 Dates back to 1804. The Manor House Nugawela 1998 10 Former Nugawela Walauwa Queen's Hotel Kandy 1869 Ceylon Hotels The Kandy Hotels Company (1938) PLC, a subsidiary of Ceylon Hotels Corporation 80 The oldest hotel in Kandy.

Matale District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Heritance Kandalama Kandalama 1994 Heritance Hotels & Resorts Kandalama Hotels (Pvt) Ltd, a sub-subsidiary of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings 152 Designed by Geoffrey Bawa. The first hotel in Asia to be accredited with the Green Globe standard. Hunas Falls Hotel Elkaduwa 1971 Hunas Holdings PLC 31 Opened 1971 with prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in attendance. Jetwing Vil Uyana Sigiriya 2006 Jetwing Hotels Jetwing Hotels 36 In 2023, Condé Nast Traveller named the hotel as one of the 15 best eco-hotels in the world.

Nuwara Eliya District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Alpine HotelNuwara Eliya Alpine Hotel (Pvt) Ltd 30 Dates back to 1914 built Planter's Home The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya 1891 Tangerine Hotels The Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company PLC 154 The Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company purchased Barnes Hall in 1891. Heritance Tea Factory Kandapola 1996 Heritance Hotels & Resorts Hethersett Hotels Ltd (a subsidiary of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings) 50 The hotel won the merit award at the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards in 2001. The Hill Club Nuwara Eliya Hill Club Co. Ltd 45 Founded as a gentlemen's club in 1876; did not admit locals or women until 1967. St. Andrew's Hotel Nuwara Eliya 1891 Jetwing Hotels Jetwing Hotels 56 Built in 1875. Acquired by Jetwing Hotels in 1986.

Northern Province Jaffna District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Jetwing Jaffna Jaffna 2016 Jetwing Hotels Yarl Hotels (Pvt) Ltd 55 The tallest building in Jaffna. Tilko Jaffna City Hotel Jaffna 2010 Tilko Jaffna City Hotel (Private) Limited 42 The first star-class hotel in Jaffna.

Southern Province Galle District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Amangalla Galle 1865 Aman Resorts Aman Resorts 33 Built in 1684. Formerly known as the New Oriental Hotel. Cinnamon Bentota Beach Bentota 1967 Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Ceylon Holiday Resorts, a subsidiary of John Keells Hotels PLC 159 Designed by Geoffrey Bawa. The first resort hotel in Sri Lanka. Closenberg Hotel Galle 1965 Perera Abeywardena family 20 Built in 1860 on the ruins of a Dutch fort. Originally named Villa Marina. Galle Fort Hotel Galle 2001 A subsidiary of Lankem Ceylon 12 Lankem Ceylon acquired the hotel from an Australian investor in 2011. Heritance Ahungalla Ahungalla 1981 Heritance Hotels & Resorts Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings 152 Originally known as the Triton Hotel, named after the Greek god Triton. The first five-star beach resort in Sri Lanka. Jetwing Lighthouse Galle 1997 Jetwing Hotels The Lighthouse Hotels PLC, a subsidiary of Jetwing Hotels 85 Designed by Geoffrey Bawa Nooit Gedacht Hotel Unawatuna 1991 38 Built in 1735 as a Dutch colonial mansion. Saman Villas Bentota 1995 Jetwing Hotels 27 The first luxury boutique hotel in the country. The Fortress Resort & Spa Koggala 1973 The Fortress Resorts PLC, an associate company of Vallibel One 53 Formerly called Club Horizon Hotel, Koggala. Built like a fortress enclosing a Dutch-era villa.

Uva Province Badulla District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Bandarawela Hotel Bandarawela 1894 Aitken Spence Hotels and Resorts Millers Ltd, a subsidiary of Cargills (Ceylon) 33 The hotel was declared an archaeological conserved building and a monument on 23 January 2009.

Western Province Colombo District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Cinnamon Grand Colombo Colombo 1975 Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Asian Hotels and Properties PLC, a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings 501 Formerly known as the Lanka Oberoi Hotel. Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo Colombo 1981 Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Trans Asia Hotels PLC, a subsidiary of Asian Hotels and Properties PLC 346 Previously known as the Ramada Renaissance Hotel. During the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2013, some of the heads of State stayed at the hotel. Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka Colombo 2024 Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Waterfront Properties, a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings 800 The first integrated resort in Sri Lanka and the largest private investment in the country. It is planned to open in the third quarter of 2024. Cinnamon Red Colombo Colombo 2014 Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Capitol Hotel Holdings, a joint venture of Sanken, John Keells Holdings, and a Singaporean firm 243 Sri Lanka's first 'lean luxury' hotel. Galadari Hotel Colombo 1984 Galadari Hotels Lanka PLC, a subsidiary of Galadari Brothers 450 The hotel was previously managed by Le Méridien and JW Marriott Hotels. Galle Face Hotel Colombo 1864 Galle Face Hotel Company Ltd 156 One of the oldest hotels east of Suez Canal. Grand Oriental Hotel Colombo 1875 Bank of Ceylon 80 Hilton Colombo Colombo 1987 Hilton Hotels & Resorts Hotel Developers (Lanka) Ltd, a state-owned enterprise of the Government of Sri Lanka 382 Delisted from the Colombo Stock Exchange in 2020. Owned by Hotel Developers (Lanka) Ltd, a wholly owned state-owned enterprise. Hilton Colombo Residences Colombo 1998 Hilton Hotels & Resorts Hirdaramani Group 165 apartments One of the tallest buildings in Sri Lanka. ITC Ratnadipa Colombo April 2024 ITC Hotels WelcomHotels Lanka Pvt. Ltd (a subsidiary of ITC Limited) 352 ITC Hotel's first international investment The Kingsbury Colombo 1973 Hayleys 229 Mount Lavinia Hotel Mount Lavinia 1877 Mount Lavinia Hotel Group 275 NH Collection Colombo Colombo 2017 NH Collection Softlogic Holdings 219 It is the first five-star-class hotel to be launched in Colombo in 25 years. Shangri-La Colombo Colombo 2017 Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts 500 Taj Samudra Colombo 1980 Taj Hotels TAL Lanka Hotels 300 One of the oldest five-star hotels in Colombo. Tintagel Colombo Colombo 2005 Paradise Road Hotels Bandaranaike family 10 suites The former town residence of the Bandaranaike family. In 1959, Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was fatally shot on the verandah of the house.

Kalutara District

Hotel Location Opened Chain Proprietor Class Number of rooms Notes Blue Water Hotel Wadduwa 1998 Union Resorts 100 The hotel was designed by Geoffrey Bawa.

References