I travelled round Sri Lanka with my sister on holiday and this was our third hotel (of 4). I had read the reviews on TA before booking so was aware the hotel was a long way out of Nuwara Eliya and the access road was going to be long and poor. We booked for 1 night and we were greeted at the door and immediately surrounded by staff each with a different aim: one wanted to give us a welcome drink; another a cold wet towel; another a tour of the railway carriage dining experience; while another wanted to give us information about the hotel; and another wanted to check us in! We felt thoroughly hassled and they could at least have waited for us to sit down in the reception area before offering us all these things. And after a long, wet drive from Kandy all we really wanted to do was check in and go to our room.
Hotel plus points: Views of the surrounding hills; English-style gardens and tea plantations with birds and wildlife; nice bar area; from the outside it looks like any other tea factory in the area; the building itself is amazing as in many aspects it is exactly as it was (industrial style but at the same time sensitively converted); working engines area operated at specified times of the day; separate vegetarian menu (the only one we encountered throughout our stay in Sri Lanka).
Hotel negative points: Only one restaurant (not counting the railway carriage which was attached) and it had a fairly basic buffet at breakfast (only with difficulty met our dietary requirements); service was bizarre in the restaurant at dinner - one chef came to ask us how were our soups after the bowls were put down in front of us and before we even lifted our spoons; and so the meal continued with at least 15 approaches by various waiters to ask us if our meal was good – all these interruptions during the course of a 70-minute meal consisting of two courses (we could not bear to stay any longer and felt so hassled by the staff that we could not get out of there fast enough). The coffee at breakfast was undrinkable; the breakfast options at the buffet barely met our dietary needs and the baked beans were cold (the chef seemed flustered when I complained about this, but did nothing); the access road (already mentioned) was long and with a poor road surface full of potholes, which made reaching and leaving the hotel uncomfortable (but nowhere near as bad as Amaya Hills in Kandy).
Room plus points: kettle in room; nice view of gardens and the surrounding area; heating; hot water; clean bed linen; comfortable with two comfy chairs, fruit basket; carpeted room floor; plenty of hanging space in the wardrobe.
Room negative points: old style (CRT) television; strange situation of bath next to a clear glass window so had to remain covered with a drawn curtain.
Despite our bad experiences in the restaurant, the positives at this hotel far outweighed the negatives and I would definitely stay here again if I was in the area. I would recommend it to others. It is feasible to visit for several days and there is a spa (not tried) as well as other activities such as hiking in the area. It would be suitable for a short (long weekend) break since the seaplane service is available from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya. The area has a much cooler climate than other areas of Sri Lanka we visited. We found it fascinating with crops grown such as tea, leeks, potatoes and carrots.
I booked this hotel through Booking.com and was pleased with their service (first time user), although it was a little confusing as I was not sure from the confirmation email if I had actually paid in advance or not.
