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Heroine In Heels is a top 10 London lifestyle blog aimed at the modern day woman. Covering things to do in London, restaurant reviews, hotels as well as where to go in the world when you want to escape London

Amari Galle, Sri Lanka Review

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Amari Galle Hotel Beach

Sri Lanka. That little tear drop shaped country at the bottom of India. Often over shadowed by its humongous neighbor, it has however been growing quietly in popularity over the last few years. I first visited the country last year and spent time around Kandy and Ella, but this year I headed back to exploring the southern coastal town of Galle.

Galle was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century and then occupied by the Dutch in the 18th Century as it was a key port for trade routes of spices. Of course Galle is most famous for the Galle Fort, which is something I will show you in my next blog post.

But for today I wanted to show you where to stay in Galle.

Amari Galle Hotel

The Amari Galle is a brand new hotel. It had only been opened 6 weeks when I arrived in the beginning of September. Amari are famed for their Thailand hotels, having a dozen properties across the country, but this was their first venture West.

Amari Galle Hotel Standard Room

Bedrooms at Amari Galle

The 4* hotel sits right on the beach and in fact has its own private small beach for guests to use, which makes it a prime spot if you are looking for some R&R

I was staying in the standard room, which had some really great features for a standard room as each have a small balcony that overlooks the central pool area and a sofa. The rooms are finished nicely with a cool, neutral-blue palette that reflects the coastal location. I particularly liked the incorporation of wood into the design. Oh and UK plugs! So handy for the multitude of tech I have. 

The bathrooms were a great size with a rain shower (no bath) and double sink. However, a couple of notes to make which let it down a little. The wardrobes were in the bathroom which I personally don’t like I, as if you leave the doors open a little then the steam and wet from the shower will hit your clothes. Also a point which I was disappointed with and quite surprised was that there are no miniature products in the bathroom. Instead a cheap looking shampoo-conditioner hybrid dispenser attached to the shower wall like you get at a leisure center.

Amari Galle Hotel Standard Room
Amari Galle Hotel BeachAmari Galle Hotel Beach
Amari Galle Hotel Pool

Amari Galle: Instagram Worthy Pool

Sri Lanka for the most part is a hot country (I’ll get onto the rainy season aspect in my next blog post) and so I spent a good portion trying to work on my tan (Hint: I’m ginger, I don’t tan). I’m not really a person who likes to lay about by the pool all day, however if there is one thing I do like it’s a drink, and so when the hotel pool gives you a personal buzzer so you can order drinks without moving an inch, I was definitely inclined to stay a little while longer. 

But also look at that pool! They really have gone all out of the pool area. Instagram worthy wouldn’t you say? 

Amari Galle Hotel Pool
Amari Galle Hotel Restaurant

Dining at Amari Galle

Personally I’m a big fan of going out and eating at local restaurants when abroad, and on the whole I’m not a fan of buffet style restaurants however the restaurant, Ahara, is extensive and offers lots of choice including lots of local Sri Lankan dishes which is what I ate the entire time I was there (No point eating bangers and mash in Asia is there!). I watched the chefs cook the curries and sambols and was impressed at how many fresh ingredients went into each dish. One curry I counted had 8 different spices in it! 

Amari Galle Hotel RestaurantAmari Galle Hotel RestaurantAmari Galle Hotel Restaurant

My absolute personal favourite Sri Lankan food which you have to try is Hoppers. Oh my are they amazing. They are sort of like a pancake I guess? Thin except in the middle where they are slightly fluffier, and shaped into a bowl where you can pile in curries and meat or even eggs for breakfast. They weren’t on the menu but if you ask nicely they’ll knock up a batch for you. Seriously, Hoppers whilst hearing the waves crash against the rocks just a few meters from you is heaven. 

Amari Galle Hotel RestaurantAmari Galle Hotel RestaurantAmari Galle Hotel Bar

Bommu Rooftop Bar

Never one to shy away from a good drink, they also have a rooftop bar that looks out over the beach and sea one direction, and thick jungle the other. When you are on the ground you don’t realise the roads and houses are actually surrounded by thick forests. Looking out from the rooftop really put some perspective on things, as it’s quite easy in a large international hotel to forget where you are in the world. 

Amari Galle Hotel Bar
Amari Galle Hotel Spa

Breeze Spa Amari

Of course no hotel would be complete without a spa. I’ve become a little addicted lately to getting body scrubs. Honestly, my skin just feels so much softer and smoother now. So with that in mind I booked myself in for one of their signature “Mood massages”. There are 6 mood massages and each one has a different end mood, so how you want to feel at the end. It’s a 90 minute treatment with a 30 minute scrub followed by a 60 minute massage. I chose the invigorated as I like my massages to be deep and really work out the knots. I asked for the pressure to be firm, although I found it not quite firm enough for me, however as a relaxing massage it was very good and the scrub really shifted that dead skin off me, especially my feet as she focused a lot there (sorry it’s the heels!)

Amari Galle Hotel Spa

The Amari is hugely welcoming which should be noted greatly. The staff are on the ball round the clock and everyone says good morning, good evening and generally asks how you are. The Amari also has a international feel which is both a good and bad thing depending on your likes and dislikes in a hotel. Whilst the hotel has everything you could and would need for your holiday, it is very “neutral” and doesn’t have many local features or design elements particularly. So if you like a real “authentic” designed hotel, this wouldn’t meet that expectation. 

However it is a fantastic place to come relax, switch off and spend some time recuperating by the pool, with a cocktail, a hopper or two and some warm Sri Lankan weather. Of course it also makes for a fantastic base to go out and explore Galle which I'll be showing you all about Galle in tomorrows blog post, as it's a fantastic historical gem.

2 comments:

  1. Ohh wow, this place looks amazing - that view! And that pool... A personal drink buzzer would definitely be something I'd be more than ok with too! xx

    Laura // Middle of Adventure

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  2. Galle is a fantastic place especially the Galle Fort . I was there in the first week of September. Amari sounds like a great hotel .

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