Castle Hill is beautiful home with great view, but I found it overpriced for what we experienced. Home could be gorgeous with some updating and the staff could be more friendly and helpful. I have no specific complaints, but I just didn't enjoy my stay. There is definitely a lot of potential and for the price, the experience should be better.

This is in such a great location set up in the hills. You're a 5-10 minute walk from Kandy Lake or a 2 minute by tuk tuk. Beautiful gardens which are very well maintained stretching out the front of the property just heighten the visual experience. There are 4 enormous bedrooms. The 2 bedrooms on either side at the front come with lake views and your own private patio. The bedrooms are massive - mine had 4 beds, table and chairs and there was still plenty of floor space.
Although you're removed from the madness of Kandy and the temple you can still hear it clearly - so not good for light sleepers or bring your ear plugs!
I love the all the carefully collected pieces of retro furniture, it really makes this guest house stand out from the rest and has a really unique feel. Plus they have amazing sausage dogs who potter about - a word of warning they tend to bark at night.
I can highly recommend dinner at the nearby Sharon Inn. You need to book this in advance as it's a buffet cooked for booked guests only.

Castle Hill Guest House is in an old family home with colonial atmosphere situated in beautiful gardens offering unbeatable views over Kandy lake, looking down onto the temple. You are well above the hustle and bustle of the town and you can hear the monks chant during their prayers. Still, you are within easy walking distance of the centre.
The staff is very friendly and helpful. The cooking is superb! We definitively recommend the halfboard option in order to enjoy mouthwatering rice and curry in the evening.
The rooms are dark and spartan. Furniture is dated. Standard fan and mosquito net provided. Towels could be newer and thicker. Cleanliness of bedroom and bathroom leaves plenty of room for improvement.
Neither WiFi nor computer for guests.
If you just look at the room the guest house is overpriced. However, taking situation, views and quality of the food into consideration it's well worth staying there while in Kandy.

This is a great place to stay – we spent three nights here at the start of our two week tour of Sri Lanka and it was a time that will be impossible to forget.

The house is set in beautiful peaceful gardens in an incredible spot up above the hustle and bustle of Kandy with views over the lake and the Temple of the Tooth. The sight of giant fruit bats silently flocking over the lake at sunset is magical. You can still hear the city chatter and the haunting morning and evening chants from the temples, amidst dazzling birdsong. Light sleepers may wish to take ear plugs, but you will miss these incredible sounds when you are back home!

Some other reviews of this place are poor, but are in contrast to our experience. The rate we paid included breakfast and was, frankly, a complete bargain. If you are hoping for five star luxury then you may be disappointed – yes the towels are not brand new and there may be a few ants in the bathroom (also an obliging gecko) – but there is nothing you won’t find in countless other guesthouses in Sri Lanka. The food is good and plentiful, don’t hesitate to take dinner here but make it known if you like it spicy as the cook cools it down for tourists.

Thank you to Ayoni and her lovely team for a wonderful stay at Castle Hill - it was the perfect beginning to our holiday in Sri Lanka and we absolutely loved it. The house is amazing, the bedrooms cavernous with good mosquito nets, the food was great and the staff made us feel very welcome and at home, it was very difficult to leave! We hope to return one day.

We had a good driver arranged through Ayoni who picked us up at the airport and made things easy for the next few days taking us to the temple sites, elephant orphanage etc. If you do the same just be clear with your driver where you want to go and where you don't, eg if you would rather change money at a bank rather than a street merchant., or eat at a local cafe rather than an expensive tourist restaurant.