The hotel looked good. There was some construction work going on in some parts of the hotel. On arrival, we were given a welcome drink. Checkin formalities completed in quick time and we were taken to our room. I sat on the bed as soon as I entered the room and heard something fall on the floor. When I looked down, I saw that a plank of wood which had been kept beneath the bed to support it had moved out of its place and fallen down. Lifted the bed and I saw that some of the supporting planks were not even nailed properly to hold them in their places. Called the reception and asked someone to be sent to fix it. They tried fitting the same plank again but it would not hold. Then got a new plank which was slightly
longer and it stayed in place. Next was the TV. Within few minutes of switching the TV, it would go off automatically. Got someone again to get it fixed. The person suspected some problem with the power point and got the TV plugged to a different plug but again the same problem. Finally he agreed to replace the TV and got another one. This TV worked but the remote control did not. After some failed attempts to fix the remote control, the staff gave me another remote control which worked. By then, my impression about the hotel had changed. The room was spacious and had a basket of fruits. The fruits
were fresh and tasted good. Good range of toiletries were provided in the bathroom.The hotel has a nice little swimming pool. The pool was clean and well maintained but it was the location of the pool that put me off. It was right in front of the hotel and anyone walking on the road can have a direct look at the pool. The hotel is located away from the main town and not much of choice in terms of eateries nearby. The dinner menu at the hotel was very limited. Breakfast at the hotel was also equally limited. There was no buffet. The waiter asked us what we wanted and brought them one by one. The idiyappam (stringhoppers) served for breakfast was good. The Srilankan side dishes given with the idiyappam was delicious.
The hotel is located on a hill on the outskirts of the city.The view from the room and from the restaurant is really nice.
Autorickshaws or tuk-tuks, as they are called here, can be arranged for going down into the city for shopping / eating. A couple of souvenir shops are also available within a few minutes walking distance from the hotel.
Contrary to some bad reviews I had read about the hotel, my opinion is that it is a OK kind of budget hotel with limited choice for food.
- Senani Hotel Kandy