Saman Villas

What People are saying

Our 5th visit and we already booked our next

Beninu A on 07/11/2017 08:50

My wife and I have been travelling Sri Lanka for the last 15 years. about 4 years ago we discovered Saman Villas, and we were sold! Never since have we come to Sri Lanka without visitin Saman Villas for at least 4-5 days. As a matter of fact we've prolongued our stay with each visit to this paradise within paradise. Lsat visist was in October 2017 where we spent a week (which was our longest stay so far), but every time we leave we agree that we could easily have stayed several days more. So now we booked our next stay in febuary - which is one of the best times of thee year in Sri Lanka - and we reserved our usual villa for 10 nights.

Why would we want to stay for so long in just one place? Well, there are many reasons. First, one should know that we always stady 3-4 weeks in Sri Lanka, and having seen many parts of Sri Lanka over the years our need for at round-trip where you only stay 1-3 nights in each place are limited these days. We do still travel and stay 3-4 places while we are in Sri Lanka always starting in from either our private club in Colombo or from Galle Face hotel in the same area, where we settle in and do some of the formalities we usually have to get done with our attorneys and our bank when we arrive. When that is settled we visit one or two places we've not visited before and as the height of our journey we go to Saman Villas before returning to our club in Colombo where we stay a few days before returning to Denmark. We always put Saman Villas in the last part of our journey so we will always have the best to look forward to, should we be unfortunate enough to have booked something that turns out be a bit of a disappointment, since we know that Saman Villas NEVER let us down and there is NO way Saman Villas could ever disappoint us. On the contrary. By each visit we are genuinely surprised at how perfect this oasis in the southwest near Bentota really is.

Saman Villas is a rare gem amongst luxury resorts - not just in Sri Lanka, but in the world! They keep up a standard that is extremely hard to find the likes of in more than perhaps a handful of hotels in Sri Lanka. They certainly belong in the top 1% of luxury resorts, and we cannot put a finger on anything that should be improved or even COULD be improved.

I have reviewed Saman Villas 3 times before, and I urge you to also read my previous reviews covering my wife and my experiences with Saman Villas over the years. But to sum up a few of the things that makes us come back year after year:

The setting: Saman Villas is situated on the top of the cliffs built in harmony with the natural rocks high above the beautiful white beaches that strech as far as the eye can see on both sides of the rocky formation that is the foundation of this magnificent resort. It has been designed with the utmost respect for the nature upon which it is built, and to see how the stairs are a mix of tiles and the natural rocks is a true testament to how the architecst have paid attention to even the smallest detail. Just strolling the lawn over the pool area or walking down the little path to the beach on the north side or the lawn that streches almost all the way down to the beach on the south side is a wonderful experience worth your while - every day. The view is absolutely stunning from all areas on Saman Villas given the fact that it is elevated so high above all other things in this area. Wether you are at the large infinity pool area, in the bar/lounge, on the grand lawn streching around the restaurant and library building, or you are inside the restaurant built in two levels, you have a perfect view towards the ocean looking due west so you can enjoy the spectacular sunsets that are so characteristic for Sri Lanka.

The kitchen: Dining in Saman Villas is a whole chapter in itself. The chefs working in Saman Villas are hand picked among the very best, serving a wide variety of both local and international cuisine. My wife who is a vegetarian also find that there are plenty of wonderful vegetarian courses to choose from in the large but carefully selected menu. A trademark of Saman Villas are their ability to cater to any special dietary needs or whishes you may have. They will go to great lengths to make anything you desire and they are truly forthcoming should you have any particular needs or whishes for a special preparation of any of the dishes on the menu, wether it be the degree of how spicy you want your meal, if you want to combine one course with the ingredients of another, etc. etc. but also special orders will always be met with a positive and willing spirit. If you have special dietary needs or whishes it is advised to alert the hotel some time before your arrival as they will do their utmost to meet your wishes and needs, especially if they have a litte time to prepare for that. We don't have many dietary needs that are not already covered in the rich and delicate selection on the a la carte menu and in the in room dining menu. We do have a few particular things we want in our minibar when we arrive and they have stocked the minibar with a huge selection of all our favourite drinks and sodas - an information that they now have in their file so they know what to put in our minibar so it will be cooled and ready when we arrive.

The rooms: We've always chosen to stay in the cabins with private pool, which is one of the trademarks of Saman Villas. Most of the lovely little bungalows with private pools face north-west are situated on top of the cliff with a small infinity pool outside every villa where you can swim to the edge of the pool looking straight down on the ocean below the steep rocks that make up the natual edge of the lovely private pool. The private pools are cleaned evey day (and of course upon request should leaves have fallen into the pool, but I have never had that experience as the hedges around each of the small villas are neatly trimmed and well kept. Each of the villas with pool also comes with a little private garden on front of the house and a large roofed terrace with open sides that makes for one of the best spots to enjoy your in-room dining meals. Especially breakfast on the private terrace is a wonderful time of the day. The interior is second to none with suites furnished with the finest Italian Natuzzi leather sofas, large double beds, the most beautiful wooden panels, electric curtains and blinds that can all be controlled from the confort of your bed by a panel in your bedside table. There's also a small dining area on the plateau in the middle section of the villa, and a large walk-in wardrobe where there's also a large safe and a little wash basin with a mirror and a stool and table where you can make yourselves ready for a nice dinner in the evening in the fine dining a la carte restaurant.
The bathroom is almost a chapter in it's own right. It is very important to me that a bathroom is very clean an hygienic and spotless, and I must say that everything is so hygenic that I wouldn't be the least concerned to even eat my meals from the floors out there. I've never seen such a high standard of cleanliness and perfection in the way the bathroom is cleaned and arranged. There is always plenty of every thing from soap, shampoo, conditioner, loo roll, towels, etc. The details in the bathroom are so beautiful with "waterfall" faucets with water running from an open edge when you open the tap, and an open rooftop shower and bathtub where you can sit under the sky and watch the stars at night or enjoy a quick shower while watching at the treetops above your head. (Don't worry - noone can see in as it is only the roof that is open.) A small basin underneath the shower platform makes for the most wonderful atmosphere in the bathroom and sitting in the tub with a nice book and a candle makes for a perfect relaxing evenening. In the living room area in the villa there are the finest YAMAHA hifi and home cinema system you could wish for. You have access to several pay per view channels and should you have a private subscription for one of the large film and tv-series on demand channels such as Viaplay, Netflix, Blockbuster, HBO, etc. they are all accessible from the home cinema system in the villa, and all it takes is for you to log in with your personal acount and you are up and running with great entertainment should it be a rainy afternoon or should you just want a cozy night in your room ordering some of the wonderful snacks from the restaurant and just kickin' up your feet and relax with a good movie and a glass of nice red wine.

The spa: Saman Villas probably have the best spa my wife and I have ever visited, and we've been to many a wonderful spa on our journeys throughout the world over the years, but the one in Saman Villas is such a serene and unique place situated on a small man made island that you reach walking over a lovely wooden bridge crossing some of the many water basin areas inside the compound that contributes to the atmosphere of a serene almost temple like mood of the place. The staff in the spa are highly skilled in both traditional Sri Lankan medicinal treatments (ayurvedic medicine), but also in all sorts of world class treatments ranging from full body massages, head and shoulder massage, reflexology, hot tub treatments with flowers, foot rubs, hot stone treaments of sore muscles. Furthermore they offer a wide selection of beauty treatments such as manicure, pedicure, facials, scrubs, etc. which in particular caught the interest of my wife. :-)

The staff: Last - but definitely not least - the one thing above all that makes Saman Villas such a unique place where we return year after year is the always smiling, friendly, courteous and professional staff that do their utmost to make even the tiniest whish of yours come true. Nothing is too small or to much to ask. The hospitality and the professionalism of all the staff is second to none and way above anything else I've experienced in Sri Lanka. I've been many places where the staff was truly nice but at Saman Villas they are clearly very well trained, making for a very relaxed and comfortable stay where you will always feel safe and in good hands, knowing that the staff know how to handle any situation. That contributes to a nice feeling of being home away from home when staying in Saman Villas and the huge oak tree gate shutting out the rest of the world give a nice sensation of safety and security in this little oasis near Bentota.
The staff are very attentive and quickly adress your every need, but at the same time they know how to be discrete and they never "hover" making you uncomfortable or giving you the impression that they are waiting for you to tip them, like so many other places where this happen all the time. Actually you have to be quick if you want to tip the staff cleaning your room or serving your meals in the room as they hurry out of the room as soon as they are done with their tasks to leave you to your privacy as quickly as possible, so you will actually have to pay attention to mak sure you tip appropriately when the staff are taking good care of you. But I will also say, that if there was one place in Sri Lanka where a good tip is always well deserved it is at Saman Villas in Sri Lanka. They don't expect it but they certainly deserve a generous tip.

What I can say is that I have been to many hotels where the pictures seemed nicer in the brochure or on the official webpage that the surroundings in real life as they look when you arrive. This is NOT the case with Saman Villas. If anything I'd say that the pictoresque and breathtaking sights and views on Saman Villas along with the architecture an interior design are more beautiful than it is possible to show with a photograph.

If you are the kind of person that keeps a "bucket-list" Saman Villas definitely belongs on it. Don't live a whole life without trying Saman Villas at least once. But be careful - it's highly addictive. Me and my wife got hooked from the first day we set foot on the premises and we will never forget all our lovely hours of fun, romance, luxury and relaxation we've had at Saman Villas. As long as we live we will always return to Saman Villas whenever possible, and that is probably the only place on earth where we will continue to come for the rest of our lives. We just came home, and we've already reserved our next trip to Saman Villas, and my wife and I can't wait to get there again in 3 months.

This is the closest I will ever get to heaven on earth!

Christina F on 05/11/2017 20:20

We stayed at Saman Villas for the forth or fifth time and for six nights. When we go back on 11th February we will stay for ten nights.
Saman Villas is like nothing I have ever experienced before and I do consider myself a seasoned traveller, especially in Sri Lanka, where I have probably been around 25 times.
The staff are friendly and very proud of 'their' hotel. They have the perfect blend of friendliness and discression.
We always try to stay in one of the villas with a pool. No 19 is our absolute favourite, but no 21 and 23 are also great.
Before you arrive you are asked if you have any dietry prefrences or if there is anything special you would like.
When you arrive, you are met by one of the managers or guest relations and Raj!
Raj is a very special person who makes the most beautiful things to hang round your neck as a welcome and all sorts of other wonderful things out of palmleaves. Take a couple of minutes to have a chat with him and see what he does. He is brilliant.
Our room staff were all great as well. Special thanks must also go to Indika Silva, who cleaned our pool. He taught us a lot about the school system in Sri Lanka.
Everyone speaks exellent english due to the fact that the staff at Saman Villas have English lessons one a week.
I could write a long paper on the Spa at Saman Villas, but instead of singing it's praises I would advise you to try some of their treatments. I an especially partial to reflexology, green tea facial and Indian head massage. My husband loved their massages and reflexology. They also do a great mani/pedicure.

Sumptuous Saman Villas!

Hermesians on 01/11/2017 10:55

We arrived early afternoon and received a wonderfully warm welcome from Lakshan who was to be our butler for our 6 day stay. Lakshan was superb throughout - attentive, thoughtful, and with incredible attention to detail. Nothing was too much trouble and he was always smiling! A real credit to the resort. The hotel has a great location with both a north and south beach. Facilities first class! The infinity pool has a stunning view out over the Indian Ocean, as do the restaurant and bar. Food was excellent with a good selection of local and international cuisine.
We had a fab villa with its own private plunge pool which overlooked the beach and Indian Ocean.

Fabulous Relaxing getaway

ascemom on 23/10/2017 16:10

This is our second time here. We first stayed here in April 2017 and loved it and so We decided to come back for a birthday/get away vacation. It was even better than the first time. It was so relaxing and enjoyable. Very quiet location, amazing views and very attentive staff. This time we stayed in Villa 5. Which is simply luxurious with a private pool, outdoor tub and shower. The upstairs bedroom has incredible views. Very close by is a quiet beach. We had all our meals in our villa as the outdoor dining area was very romantic and has outstanding views. Life is short make the most of it. I highly recommend this beautiful property. The food is excellent. The spa is very serene and the water feature adds to a great ambience, the masseuse was amazing!

Unforgettable experience !!

AMZHouston on 22/10/2017 02:33

This was our engagement place, and it was so perfect ! The endless beaches on both sides look so beautiful from the hotel, which was built on top of a small cliff.

The views from our room were amazing. The room itself, so beautiful and clean. The open shower room, so spectacular.

Service was great, all the way from Amith, the very helpful and kind front desk manager, through the chef and waiters, to the housekeeping staff. We will never forget Rushan, the guy who served our meal during our engagement dinner. He was so happy with the news of our engagement !

There were very few people on the beaches, which made them more enjoyable The infinite pool is so relaxing. The hotel was not crowded at all, most guests were couples like us, seeking a quiet, romantic site.