Galle Face Hotel or Intercontinental Colombo?
 

I am accompanying my husband to Sri Lanka in October for his work and his hosts have suggested putting us (and my 16 yo daughter) up at either the Galle face hotel or the Intercontinental. Have looked at them both on the internet and they look to have quite different "feels." Can anyone offer recent advice please?

The Galle Face is a gorgeous waterfront property and would hands down be my choice except for one caveat - the hotel is under renovation, indeed only one wing is currently open. Ask your hosts whether there will be any noise o0r incovenience associated with the work. If the answer is negative definitely choose the Galle Face - preferably a sea facing room.

Thanks hobbes, after looking at them both on the net, I really liked the 'colonial' sort of look of the Galle Face but didn't know anything about renovations! Will ask our hosts as you suggest.

I LOVE the Galle Face Hotel. I stayed there a few years ago in the Ursula Andress Suite. It was so charming and as we say in Stepney, "oldy-worldy." I was wondering if there was any damage to the hotel after the tsunami last year?

This is off-topic, but before your trip (or on the plane) you may enjoy reading Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher. It's a delightfully long, charming novel spanning the 1940s and 50s. The main character, a young English girl, grows up in Colombo and the Galle Face Hotel is featured in the book. Later, she attends boarding school in England, soldiers on through WWII, falls in love... It's highly evocative of a certain time and place. I highly recommend it. Your daughter might like it too!

Thank you petitepois! How thoughtful of you. Both my daughter and I are avid readers and many years ago I went through a bit of a Rosamund Pilcher phase but never read that one. Will 'suss' it out!

If you like Rosamund Pilcher than you will love this book... I think it's her best. It's also very long (but in paperback!) so you can really sink your teeth into it. Only small portions of the book take place in Colombo, but they are memorable scenes, particularly one in the Galle Face Hotel. When I saw it mentioned in your post I immediately thought of the book.

Happy travels, and happy reading!