We came here on a tour in 2007 and loved it so much that we came back in 2008 to get married.
Because we had been before the staff treated us like royalty and there was nothing they couldn't do for us.
The people are amazing, warm and attentive.
The room was clean with good air-con, you'll need it.
The food has been mentioned as bad which I would agree if you stick with the buffet every night but go for the al a carte and it is superb, you can pretty much ask for anything and they will cook it.

Highly recommend either staying here or using as part of a tour.

We had 3 days at the Deer Park, and at first I wasn't impressed. A lot of the rooms seemed not to have been used for months and it gave the place a rather forlorn look. The first night we stayed we were two of only 8 people staying- again sitting in an empty dining room isn't much fun. However for the last 2 nights the place filled up, developed a good atmosphere , and I ended up being sorry to leave.
We had an individual bungalow facing the lake, and it was lovely, with its own private lookout seating area. We loved sitting there watching the monkeys try and pull the straw off the roof. The gardens were beautiful, as was the swimming pool
We ate the buffet every evening, and it was completely different every night. My husband was able to eat red hot Sri Lankan curries while I tried milder fare. The breakfasts were good too
the staff were very helpful, and got our laundry done in double quick time as Emirates had lost our suitcases and we only had a very few spare clothes in our hand luggage
The hotel is perfectly placed for the Cultural Triangle- and I woul drecommend it
Contrary to previous reports there are no stray cats around to bother guests now

Fantastic hotel, Brilliant rooms especially if you have one of the outside bathrooms. Great staff. Very clean. Good location for cultural traingle. Stayed one night. Would have loved to stayed longer here.

We stayed at the Deer Park Hotel for 4 nights and had a fantastic time. The staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they made us feel at home. They were happy to adapt their service to us so that when we came home late they happily served us sandwiches in the bar rather than the set menu we were supposed to have.

For the first two nights there was a buffet dinner as the hotel was busy. The Western food wasn't great but the Srilankan curries were fine. There was also a wide range of fruit and desserts. The second two nights were quieter and so we had a set menu which was perfectly fine. I would say that the food was not the highlight but it was certainly perfectly adequete.

The grounds of the hotel were beautiful and we were also given an upgrade to a cottage on arrival. This was kept beautifully clean and the outside bathroom was a lovely touch.