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Reviews of Royce Boutique Hotel

3 out of 5
Royce Boutique Hotel
8 Barnes Avenue, Mount Lavinia

Reviews

6.2
Rating 10 - Excellent. 5 out of 32 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 32 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 13 out of 32 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 32 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 32 reviews" "

6.4/10

Cleanliness

7.6/10

Staff & service

6.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

J, London

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A gracious Colonial house in a garden
For those who feel Colombo has lost its old world charm, this boutique hotel comes as a welcome surprise. Sit in a tranquil garden sipping gin and tonic in the cool of the evening or the tastefully decayed verandah in the day.

6/10 Okay

Ingrid, Brisbane, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Comfortable hotel
Did not like the room we were given but hotel staff kindly gave us another room downstairs. Breakfast was good. Prashan and Ajith were always obliging and helpful. The hotel needs a good facelift like a good coat of paint.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

More like a Bed and breakfast
Nice garden. Rooms are air conditioned, but not the dining area. Decent Breakfast. No daily room cleaning or towel replacement. Colonial style furnishings. Front gate gets locked by about 8 pm. If you come late (after 11 pm) it may take several minutes of ringing the bell before someone comes to let you in. In this situation ask the taxi driver to wait until the gate is opened, as it may be unsafe to be stuck in the street alone at night.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
This hotel is basically a bed and breakfast hotel.
The room was spacious. The Bathroom needed a makeover badly and was quite dated. The tap in the sink was wobbly. the Toilet seat needs fixing. The bed was ok the net over the bed was only for decorative purposes, and could not be used as a cover. The breakfast was OK. The furniture was sub standard. All in all it was Ok for a stopover.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Looks lovely on the outside but mixed review
Gorgeous garden and lovely photos on the website but didn't quite live up to them enough. Staff are very lovely and attentive. Our room felt damp, the bedding itself felt wet so wasn't comfortable. The bathroom was really rather gross. Breakfast menu had a number of options which was nice but nothing is that big... but still tasty. Beach is really close as is the main road so great location.

6/10 Okay

Inge

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good service with early breakfast when we left ear
A very nice place, nice staff, good breakfast

4/10 Poor

Ashish, Gurgaon

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Poor maintenance
The only thing good about this boutique hotel is its location cuz it is literally walking distance (5-7 mins) from the Mount Lavinia beach. I would never rate a place poor but this hotel brought me to it cuz the maintenance of the hotel is in extremely poor condition especially the floors and walls of the rooms and bathrooms. The whole area is covered with black mould and that makes the rooms stink a musty smell. We had booked a traditional King Room and this guy put us in a horrible standard room which was stinking and he insisted it was a Maharaja Suite!!! His Maharaja Suite had broken latches and bathroom had a rusted and completely corroded sink!! When I showed him the photos of the room I had paid for, he shifted us to the actual Suite. Here too, there were red ants in the bathroom and poor maintenance overall due to black mould throughout the room. When we asked for a change of Suite he first insisted there are only two suites (whereas there are five suites) and that the other one was booked (whereas besides us there was not a soul in the whole Colonial Bungalow except the staff)!!! Breakfast is made to order and thankfully their staff Mr Suren is a very cordial and professional person. Breakfast is fine depending upon what you order and food is prepared fresh. But overall the experience was absolutely bad due to the unprofessional behavior and poor maintenance of the hotel.

6/10 Okay

Lim

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Caroline, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wish we could pick it up and carry it around Sri L
We thought this hotel was great and a real find and other guests we spoke to and whom had done some research on foot in the area felt this strongly too! We loved it because it was a short walk to the dive centre (the only one in Colombo), on the beach smart, clean beautiful and friendly. We decided to stay extra nights and the price was very reasonable. The hotel was very quiet. An old colonial mansion with great sweeping four poster beds, which are large and comfortable. There is also old fashioned furniture and quaint British tea service around the hotel. Bathrooms is basic but has hot shower and it clean and functional. The staff are really accommodating and we arrived 8hrs before check in but they found us a room and let us move in. We also missed breakfast due to diving but they went out of the way to feed us. Great tea selection and breakfast choices. Aircon in room works well. Avoid massage place next door, it's poor service and over priced but there is a great little place for food down the road towards the beach and right at the junction. It's called Food Corner, lunch for £1.50. There are also cash points close by to the hotel on Galle Road and plenty of shops!

4/10 Poor

les, melbourne

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
pictures on internet terribly deceptive
I apptreciate the colonial look and the staff were friendly and helpful. We stayed for 3 nights and the room was never cleaned, bins never emptied and beds were not done or towels and sheets were never changed. In the room/ bathroom there was not even a place to hang the towels or clothes nor a soap dish in the shower. The biscuits that were meant to accompany the evening tea never came though it was always promised for the next day. so was the bacon at breakfast that was meant to be there if requested. Regret to say one of the worst i've stayed in.

6/10 Okay

Ada, Kuala Lumpur

Liked: Staff & service
Feel like home
First impression of this hotel, it has the whole colonial building look (100 years old if not mistaken), so don't expect a new building and interior because it is definitely old but not ruin I must say. When we step foot out of our taxi, the staff had come over and carry our luggage for us (that's a plus point). There a few staff at the entrance greeting us, so we went to the lobby for check-in. We had to wait for awhile as the check-in staff is not presented at the check-in table. Despite our early arrival, we had been given a room without question (another plus point). Room was clean and we loves the decor so much as it was white and pure and seem like our own room (if we can manage to make it look similar). The hotel interior decor was charming but overall, the garden is what takes the most of our attention. It seems 'English' if you know what I mean. And yes, they even have their own three wheeler ('tut tut') which was cute! We opt for breakfast which had to be paid a little bit more in our booking. Not much variety in their menu, you may choose either 1 of the 6 food option available on the menu provided (our favourite is no. 5, if i'm correct here it is the sri lanka omelette). Breakfast starts from 8am till 10am. You can also have complimentary tea with biscuit at the garden (upon request) but we didn't have it as we often go out early morning and came back late evening. The beach is about 5 to 10 minutes walk depends on how you walk.
Hotel Entrance
Lobby & Dinning area
The Garden
Hotel Tut Tut

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pleasant stay
Nice 3 night stay. Really helpful and organised airport pickup. Few ants in the bathroom but where doesn't in Sri Lanka?

6/10 Okay

SWAMIJI, INDIA

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
NICE PEOPLE NEED REPAIR CLOSE TO BEACH
PEOPLE IS OK,BUT HOTEL IS OLD LOOK SOME BATH ROOME DOOR NOT REPAIRED NEED SOME REPAIR

10/10 Excellent

doug, wa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quaint stay
Had a great stay. Owners and staff really friendly and couldn't do enough for us. Definitely recommend

6/10 Okay

K, Saudi Arabia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Quiet Hotel
This is a small hotel without a bar or a kitchen. It is a 5 minute walk to a beach which has approximately 10 bars and restaurants in the vicinity. I booked the room because it was ranked 4.2 by Trip Advisor but it is probably a 3 star hotel. However, the staff was friendly and helpful and the service was good which is probably the reason for the higher rating. I was allowed early check in and breakfast upon a morning arrival. The breakfast was adequate. My room was cleaned daily. The manager was also very helpful in arranging several day trips. I utilized the transport to and from the airport offered by the hotel and for other trips.Upon comparing rates, their prices were felt to be competitive.

10/10 Excellent

Jane, Perth, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Old world charm
I cannot believe that this hotel has a 3.6 rating. For the price we paid, we had an awesome room with every facility we needed. The staff were fantastic and nothing was too much trouble for them to organise. OK, this is not a "5 star"" hotel, but the service and care we received was personal. We did not feel as though we were a "room number", we were valued guests. If you like "up market and trendy", do not stay here. If you want somewhere to stay where you are treated as a guest, not a source of money, then you can't go past this gorgeous colonial style hotel.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
A comfortable but standard option when arriving in Colombo!

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Full of mosquitoes; I stayed in 3 different hotels in Colombo and this was the only hotel that I got bitten and excessively at that. There was no main lighting in my room so I had to use my phone torch light to find anything from my suitcase and doing my hair was an absolute 'no no' as could hardly see my face in the mirror (there were no windows to bring in natural light either). The man at reception was not helpful or friendly and did not say anything beyond answer any questions curtly. However, the non English speakers were very friendly and went out of their way to get me anything that I wanted such a power converter (again, this was the only hotel out of the 3 that didn't have the usual 3 pin power point).

4/10 Poor

richard, Laval Qc Canada

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not at all what we expected.
It s an old hotel and is in need of much TLC. It s close to the Mount Lavinia hotel and beach with nice restaurans all around.It is very unfortunate that during our stay we had to fight with an incredible amount of mosquitos as there are too many pools of stagnant water in an around the hotel. Sleeping under the mosquito net is A MUST, make sure to keep it closed even during the day. I would not return unfortunately. Also, lighting in room is seriously inadequate. We also saw large bugs at night. We stayed at guest houses in Sri Lanka and they, by far are a much better choice.

10/10 Excellent

Grant, Delhi, India

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A charming boutique hotel - a must stay.
The 5 nights my wife and I spent here were some of the best we've ever had at a hotel. The Royce doesn't feel like any other hotel we've tried - it's much more charming, warm, and comfortable. Bottom line: If you're looking for a nice, quiet place to stay during your time at Mt. Lavinia Beach, look no further. Food: The fastest way to my heart is through my stomach and the complimentary custom-made breakfasts are out of this world. The staff were prompt, courteous, and skilled. Good quality and portions. Room: The rooms have a simple and elegant design and layout complete with soft beds, hot showers, and a great balcony to sit on outside with your morning cup of coffee and a book. Our room overlooked the hotel grounds below, all of which are expertly landscaped with lush greenery and cement stepping stones charting the neat walkways. With a limited number of available rooms, the hotel never felt crowded. Service: I can't speak highly enough about the staff - each and every person we encountered was warm, kind, helpful, prompt, polite, and humble. It is clear that they take great pride in caring for the guests in their hotel. Location: It's just a few blocks from the beach and feels much more private and secluded than the hotels we saw on the beach. Most importantly, it was far enough away from the train that runs right along the beach so that we never heard it when we were at the hotel. We can't say the same for our time on the beach.

6/10 Okay

Nils, Jakarta

Liked: Cleanliness
Ok hotel
Hello, I found this hotel less inspiring than other people on tripadvisor. It is good value for money. Bathroom is very basic. Room ok, but no views. I left before breakfast was served, so cannot tell about that. It is about a 15 min walk to the beach. Service could have been better. Simple requests (cleaning some shoes) seemed complicated and went nowhere...

8/10 Good

Gayan, Gampaha

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice stay at Royce Hotel
Overall experience was good though in house dining facility is not there. A very few choices for breakfast and not really tasty. Walking distance to the beach, main road and shopping centers.

8/10 Good

Brian, London, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel with a friendly family atmosphere.
We wanted a base for our three week stay in Colombo visiting family. The hotel was ideal. We had a clean, comfortable room with air conditioning and ensuite toilet/shower room with hot water. Manager Ranjan and his staff were friendly and helpful, providing advice and information as required, and arranging tuktuks and taxis where needed. The hotel is in a good location a short walk from the beach (across the railway tracks - you'll soon get used to it!) and close to supermarkets, shops and cash machines on the Galle Road but far enough away not to be troubled by traffic noise. The hotel doesn't have a restaurant but there are plenty nearby. When we didn't want to eat out we could get snacks and 'short eats' locally and eat them back at the hotel - the staff were happy to provide us with plates, cutlery and pots of tea or coffee.

2/10 Terrible

Arne Lund

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
kan ikke anbefales
Chokende lav standard , billeder helt misvisende

10/10 Excellent

louise , dk

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Dejligt hotel med 2 minutters gang til strand
Super dejligt hotel og super sødt personale, meget imødekommende :) Alt i alt en fantastisk oplevelse :)

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

4/10 Poor

Alexander

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Abgewohnte Unterkunft
Hotel ist leider recht abgewohnt und schlecht gewartet. Schöner Eingangsbereich, die Zimmer eher einfach und in unterschiedlichem Zustand. Frühstück war nicht besonders.

6/10 Okay

Terje, Oslo

Disliked: Cleanliness
Hotell i slitt kolonistil
Hotellet er generelt slitt og trenger oppussing. Rolig beliggenhet med kort vei til stranden med flere restauranter.

8/10 Good

Kimmo, Lappeenranta, finland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rauhallinen hotelli
Hyvä aamupala, kiva sijainti rannan lähellä. Rauhallinen paikka, ei liikenteenmelua.

8/10 Good

Fumie, Yokohama, Japan

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
とても親切なスタッフのホテル
スタッフの対応がとてもよく、快適に過ごすことが出来ました。まず、エクスペディアで予約をすると、空港からの送迎の有無についてのメールが来ました。（コロンボの空港からは遠いため。）また、次の日に電車でキャンディに行きたいので、電車のチケットの予約をお願いすると、こちらもすぐに対応してくれました。（残念ながらお願いするのが遅かったため、希望時間のものは予約出来なかったのですが・・・。）また、到着後もいろいろと部屋について質問をすると、すぐに対応してくれました。部屋には水が1本ずつ用意されていたのですが、暑かったためすぐに飲んでしまい、フロントで新しいお水を購入しようとしたところ、お水はサービスと言って追加で1本ずつ無料でいただきました。このような細かいサービスがとても嬉しかったです。 場所はコロンボ空港や中心街から離れているため移動は面倒ですが、ホテルからビーチも近く、朝の散歩も楽しく出来ました。立地条件はあまりよくないですが、スタッフの方（特にマネージャー）がとても親切だったので、またコロンボに行く際は泊まりたいと思いました。※ホテルのレベルは普通で、清潔感のあるホテルです。朝ごはんのオムレツが美味しかったです。

6/10 Okay

Udo, Brandenburg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Kleines , gutes Hotel mir ausgezeichnetem Personal
Sehr gute , weil ruhige Lage , kein 5 min. zum Strand ; im Umkreis alles da ( Supermärkte . Restaurants , Geschäfte . Friseur , Bus ) .Ausserordentlich freundliches , hilfsbereites Personal . Funtionierendes WLAN im ganzen Haus , schöner kleiner Garten . Leider kein Schrank im Zimmer , ebenso kein Duschvorhang im Bad . Frühstück nicht so abwechslungsreich - Ei verschieden zubereitet, Toast , Marmelade ,Kaffee/Tee .

2/10 Terrible

Tina, København

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
beskrivelsen på Hotels.com passer ikke her.
Er vant til lidt af hvert og havde udelukkende valgt stedet på baggrund af de flotte anmeldelser på Tripadvisor...kan dog ikke forstå at dette "hotel" får så fine anmeldelser. Vi havde bestilt et superior værelse, hvilket vi ikke rigtigt kunne se. Ejeren oplyste at det var fordi værelset var udsmykket med kunst og møbler. Et maleri en figur og en stol og et lille bord. Wi-fi som der reklameres med virker stort ser ikke på noget tidspunkt. Hylderne v sengen var løse. Sengen var ok komfortabel. Værelset nogenlunde rent. Der var pletter på pudebetræk, gardiner og de 'egyptiske' lagner. Håndklæderne var plettede og tyndslidte. Der blev ikke fyldt op med toiletpapir, så vi måtte tage værelsets eneste frynsegode i brug - en pakke kleenex. På badeværelse/toilet mangler dørhåndtag. Da vi skulle i bad, faldt holderen til bruseren af og det samme gjorde tænd/sluk til den varme hane. Til morgenmaden sad vi på nogle klamme hynder med skjolder, men fik en udmærket omelet med toastbrød, yoghurt og papaya. Teen blev serveret i beskidte hvide kopper. Værelset havde balkon med trist udsigt til en gårdhave med et udslidt badekar. En anden gårdhave havde et næsten udtørret guldfiskebassin. Indgangen med guldbogstaver og de 5 minutters gang til stranden er højdepunktet for dette sted.