Alternative to the Taj in Colombo would be Cinnamon Grand - in particular rooms on the newer part. Hilton is quite good though rooms are small. I used to like the Trans Asia. This has very recently been taken over and is now Cinnamon Lakeside so ought to be good. Certainly has the best pool in Colombo.

taj samudra is awful and more like a poor relative of the other Taj hotels in India. Taj exotica is a lot better but the food is terrible.

I agree. the teal fsactory is the ony one worth visiting, the others are relics and let down sri lanka a little. There are much better smaller hotels, more expensive I know, but cheap compared to world standards :

The Wallawwa

Kahanda Kanda

Era Beach

Tea Trails

Lavender House

Alankuda

If you stay at these, you will leave sri lanla and no doubt return next year!