Badulla District Historic Hotel

"This property is incredibly situated with an amazing view down Ella Gap. The rooms are built into the side of the hill, with wooden doors and windows openingnupmon the view - so tjink more like a challet (or lodge!) than fancynjotel room. You will need your mosquito repellant. The staff are really lovely and can't do enough for you, helping to make plans for hikes, arranging transport, doing any washing you have- they are really spot on. The hotel is up Waterfall Road, which is essentialy a bumpy track, but Tuk Tuks can get up there easily enough. There is a little shortcut into town, walking along the railway (perfectly normal in Sri Lanka and if a train comes, you could easily outrun it!), then, especially at night, best to junp in a Tuk Tuk back up to the Alpine Lodge. It's a very relaxing place, easy to access hiking routes, and a world away from downtown Ella whoch is very touristy. I hoghly recommend a few nights here. "

"The only hotel in the world to cable car me in. And maybe my favourite hotel in Sri Lanka. Very relaxing as no internet in rooms and I read and listened to waterfall. Heaps of room to do yoga."

"Ella is a dream and this property was so nice! The whole ambiance is beautiful and calming. They even have a garden on the premises. Our room has a magnificent view great for watching the sunrise. I opted to watch from outside near the garden. It was so magical to watch the Sun rise while listening to the birds serenade in the background and faint Buddhist chants growing gradually louder as the Sun came up! I highly recommend this property for your stay in Ella and wish we could have stayed longer. I almost did not even come to Ella but so glad I took the 7 hour train right to get here from Kandy. Very amazing place!"

"Very conveniently located in Ella. Close to all the famous attractions and the hotel staff are very hospitable. Highly recommended."

"Stunning views, especially of the waterfall. Spacious and clean room. Our balcony was extra large! They served a very delicious breakfast for a good price. We actually enjoyed it more than when we ate in town. The internet was a problem though, it did not work or was so slow it was unusable, but thankfully we had a hot spot to take video calls for work. Would definitely recommend as long as you don’t need internet. "

"Overall a wonderful stay and would absolutely come again! Beautiful resort with absolutely stunning views and rooms. Spa is fairly priced and excellent. Location very near little Adam’s peak makes for a convenient sunrise walk. Staff all around very good and made the stay welcoming. Some things to be improved: While restaurant food is good, the prices are extortionate and we ended up eating majority of meals in local Ella for a fraction of the price. Due to the size of the resort, transport via buggy is often required and we found this service to be quite inconsistent (especially during periods of rain where everyone in the resort requires a buggy). While the hotel has umbrellas in the room, it would be nice to also get an umbrella if stuck in another location (such as the restaurant) during a downpour. "

"We had an excellent stay in that property (3nights March 2025) It located on the hill so the views from the balcony are spectacular. Still just a few steps from the center of town. Very good breakfast with lots of options. Exceptional stuff, especially the manager who was very informative, helpful and kind. The only down was the bathroom which I'd say needed some renovations and the noise coming from the construction going on at the front of the hotel but I understand at some point they have to do it. I would definitely recommend this hotel!"

"It was indeed a flower garden with breathtaking views!"

"Wow—best view on town! When I got to the property, I felt like “I don’t even need to go hiking, this view beats anything I could hike to.” You can literally see and hear a waterfall from the balcony! Super nice staff, good food, including a particularly nice breakfast spread. A little bit of a pain to hike up there from town, but doable in 10 minutes or a very short tuktuk. Room was perfectly good. Only quibble was that the walls (even though it was clear they had been padded) were very thin."