Buckingham Place

The perfect hotel. We felt so looked after. So much thought had gone into making your stay perfect. Great food, great location and lovely staff. A place to really chill out and relax. Opportunities to go out on trips - we did a bird safari. And spa on site. Thank you Nick and all your lovely staff.

Arrived late in the dark just for one night. WhatsApp messages before our arrival really helped with restaurant choices. Room very clean and huge. Staff extremely welcoming and friendly. Best meal we had in Sri Lanka and very reasonable and relaxed. The hotel is right on the beach and well worth a walk. Just wished we had longer there. Met Nick the owner during dinner and the next morning. Top bloke really enjoyed talking to him. Nice touch from the bar staff with an iced water after our beach walk. Every single member of staff is an asset to the hotel. Sadly flying visit but if we ever come back to Sri Lanka this hotel will be on our list ( but for a longer stay) Thanks again for a great trip

If you are looking for a hotel where you feel that you ‘fit in', where you are instantly made to feel 'at home' and where your every need can be catered for...look no further than Buckingham Place. It sounds like a bit of a cliché, but this place really is a home from home. The rooms are spacious, the beds large and comfortable, air conditioning excellent (and quiet), the gardens are quite extensive, well maintained and home to various interesting birds and animals all of whom seem to quire enjoy being photographed. The pool is also well maintained, the surrounding area is a wonderful place gather and make new friends. There is a swim-up bar in the shallows, and they are always happy to make cocktails to your specification as required. The breakfast, lunch and evening meal menus offer a wide variety of cuisine styles, and, in the unlikely event, you don't see something you fancy, the chefs will happily cater for your needs. The hotel is located within the Rekawa village, and if you take a late afternoon walk (when the day is a little cooler) you will be able to observe village life where people are often happy to chat and to direct you to points of interest. The hotel provides bicycles (free), so you can venture further afield if you wish. As a base for excursions, Marissa for whale watching is close by, as is the local turtle watch, Yala safari park is also easy to get to and Galle is great for sightseeing and shopping. The hotel manager, Kalpa, and his team will be happy to advise you and arrange for transport. The evenings are always fun at BP, the restaurant transforms, it has an enticing, sophisticated atmosphere where you can dress up or down, enjoy a quiet table for two or, as quite often happens, join with other guests to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Nick Buckingham (the owner) is always around to ensure that any celebration becomes an ‘occasion’ whether you are a first-time guest or a ‘returner’ like us. Finally, a word about the staff, the service at this hotel is first class, every single member of the team at BP work hard to ensure guests have everything they need, and they always do so with the warmest smiles. And, if any maintenance issues do arise Chamadu and his housekeeping team work quietly and efficiently to address them. By the way, there are also a couple of canine members of the team (Bella & Gracie), both are very used to meeting new people and will let you pat them - when they feel like it! We have, of course, booked for next year.

Possibly the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at - luxurious, relaxing, friendly and welcoming. Beautiful huge rooms, large infinity pool and perfect position between the sea and the lagoon. But it’s the brilliant staff team who make it so special!

Gloriously quirky with imaginative use of vivid colours. No grey or beige in sight. Immaculately clean with excellent service and easy going friendly atmosphere. The man himself, Nick Buckingham, is a most interesting character and engages individually with all his guests. The breakfast is "bottomless" and the cuisine is very satisfying classy with a varying menu. All in US$ and definitely not overpriced. Relax and enjoy the lovely pool and the surrounds. The bar is small but with quality beer, wine and cocktails. This is the perfect base to visit the Lagoon Bird Sanctuary. Go early in the morning and enjoy the glorious sunrise. Right in front of the hotel you may time it right to watch turtles coming ashore to lay eggs on the beach. Our second visit to BP and equally pleasant both times. My wife Rani inadvertently blended in with the decor on our first day there.

Of all the places we’ve stayed in Sri Lanka this sets the highest bar and we couldn’t praise it highly enough. From the greeting on our arrival, to the beautiful presentation of our room for our wedding anniversary, to the food, the views and the staff, everything was 100% perfect. We were personally approached by the owner Nick (an English man) on many occasions who took a genuine interest in all his guests. The staff were 100% attentive, knew the guests by name and took the utmost care with everyone. On the evening of our anniversary the staff had hung a ‘happy anniversary’ banner above our table, decorated it with flowers and gave us a handmade card signed by all the staff, a beautiful touch. The rooms are, as Nick described, a sanctuary for his guests and they a very roomy, very comfortable and styled beautifully. The bathroom featured an open air shower and a covered tub area. We had a balcony where we could sit and look out over the lagoon. We thoroughly enjoyed the live piano by Sanjaya a local musician and the atmosphere was relaxed. We truely felt like we were being looked after in the best way possible, everyone made us feel so comfortable and at home. We couldn’t recommend this place any higher, if we could give it 10 stars we would. Thank you so much Nick and the crew for making our time so enjoyable and special; we will be back!