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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Cinnamon Wild after undergoing a brand enhancement is more than a resort; it is an extension of the Yala National park and is intended to be part of the National park. It is designed to represent rustic luxury, resembling a game lodge. Cinnamon Wild Yala exceeds guest expectations with interiors that give the camp look and feel, embedded with large trunk boxes, old vintage furniture, director's chairs and indigenous artwork.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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Cinnamon Wild Yala is lauded by guests for its clean, spacious rooms that boast a natural aesthetic and stunning views, though a few note they could be larger or require more thorough cleaning. Nestled in wilderness close to national parks, the hotel's location is perfect for wildlife enthusiasts.
The serene, rustic ambiance of the hotel offers a tranquil retreat, complemented by attentive service and exceptional hospitality that guests frequently commend. While some find it pricey, others believe the unique experiences and comprehensive amenities justify the cost.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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Fantastic stay with lots of animal visitors .Cery calm and peaceful stay.Near the lake the breeze is something to die for.Amazing saffari tour was provided by the hote.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lashanthan Gopalan, General Manager at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 28 July 2024
Dear Chamila, Greetings from Cinnamon Wild Yala. Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that your stay at Cinnamon Wild Yala was so relaxing and enjoyable. It's fantastic that you had the opportunity to encounter wildlife so closely. Our location provides a unique chance to immerse oneself in nature's beauty. The refreshing lake breeze is indeed a delightful perk. We're glad you enjoyed our safari tour as well. Our team strives to provide unforgettable experiences. Thank you for choosing Cinnamon Wild Yala. We hope to welcome you back soon! Yours sincerely, Lashanthan Gopalan Resort Manager Cinnamon Wild Yala
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As a family, our visit to Kataragama was long overdue and after being locked up at home for 3 months, we really needed to get out of Colombo. We've always wanted to visit Cinnamon Wild so when fate conspires with you, one must seize the opportunity.
We were at the hotel a tad earlier than the check in time so we were asked to have lunch until they prepared our room. Cinnamon seems to be following CV19 rules assiduously with all the staff covered with face masks and the food displays are covered in glass. The chefs behind the covers will serve the food for you but the service at Cinnamon, whichever the resort you may be, was superb as always. Staff are friendly and ever ready to be helpful.
One negative thing needs highlighting, for improvement, if Cinnamon Wild reads these reviews. We booked a Jungle Chalet. The bed is covered by a cloth roof, of sorts, which is directly under the fan. The vents in our AC were jammed and with the cloth roof over the bed, the heat was oppressive in the night. Sadly, our attempts to contact the reception, around 10pm, was unsuccessful so we had to sleep with the heat. After a few hours, the AC did manage to cool the room to get some sleep but not being able to sort the problem was irritating. We were only staying one night so didn't want to make a fuss.
The food is very important to me and after our visit to Habarana Village in December, we really noticed that the food spread has been downgraded along with the types of food. Bacon for breakfast, Lamb/Pork chops during dinner was missing. This is something that we, as Sri Lankans, must accept and understand. Given the prices that these hotels are offering to bring the clientele back, I really don't think their making money. I'm not complaining but stating that I understand the reason why.
We must be cognizant that these hotels and most importantly, their staff, are dependent on the revenues that comes from these special prices. We can still have a good holiday but complaining about the lack of fancy meats or big spreads won't do any good for these people. We're one people and we must help each other.
We look forward to returning to Cinnamon Wild sooner than later.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pradeep Ekanayake, Guest Services / Front Office at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 20 July 2020
Dear Guest, Greetings from Cinnamon wild yala Thank you very much for the wonderful review with five stars following your stay at Cinnamon Wild Yala. We are glad to have served you on your wonderful holiday and making your stay at Cinnamon Wild Yala an interesting one. We appreciate that you recognized our staff and our hospitality. Looking forward to welcome you again at Cinnamon wild Yala for a better experience in future. Thank You
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Four of us spent three nights at Cinnamon Wild Yala from 8th to 11th September 2020 while visiting Yala National Park. It was mandatory to observe the Covid health guidelines during our stay at the hotel. On arrival at about 1030hrs on the 8th, we were required to wash our hands. Our temperatures were checked at the entrance and a welcome drink offered. After a friendly, quick, courteous check-in, we were ushered to our chalets 129 and 130, along with our baggage. The chalets are located within the large hotel compound and well separated from one another. There was a notice on the entrance door confirming that the rooms had been sanitised. The air conditioned, adequately lit room was quite spacious (around 25 sqm) and included a comfortable king bed with clean sanitised bedding complete with mosquito netting, TV, fridge, kettle with tea and coffee bags, a cupboard for clothes, an overhead ceiling fan, baggage racks and a sitting table and a chair. Wi-Fi was available and free. The bathroom too was spacious, neat, and clean. Provided were white sanitised towelling along with soap, conditioner etc. There was hot and cold water available at the shower. The dining room located upstairs over the reception area was quite spacious. The dishes in the buffet service were not directly accessible to the diners to prevent food contamination. One could see various dishes through a transparent sheet. A chef, on the far side of the transparent sheet, served one’s choice of various dishes on to a plate before handing it over to the guest. Though Sri Lankan cuisine was predominant, there were western and eastern dishes too along with salads, breads, soup, fresh fruit, and sweets. The wide variety of food available was tasty and wholesome. The staff at the restaurant were courteous, helpful and ever ready to attend to our needs engaging in conversation too, if you are so inclined. The staff requested us to give them a feedback of our experience. I hope these comments would motivate them further! There is a large swimming pool located by the reception and the bar. A health spa too is available. The hotel can also arrange guided safari tours into the nearby Yala National Park. We however, did not make use of this facility as we had made alternative arrangements. All of us agreed that we had a comfortable stay! Thank you for looking after us so well!!
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Date of stay: September 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Different types of chalets and bungalows available.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First impressions did not get us off to good start. The dirt track road from the main tarmac road to the reception is a vey undulating surface with big dips and some seriously wet parts after rain. Not at all suitable for a Toyota Corolla, at best only suitable for 4wd safari jeeps.
The good parts.
Escorted to our dwelling whenever we asked in darkness unlike the difficulties others encountered. It is a nice setting but not a patch on South Africa. The dwelling was spacious.
Not so good
The beach dwelling is misleading as whilst next to the beach the beach can only be seen through thick bush and no chance of seeing the sea. The room was very dark as teak like most in Sri Lanka but better lighting would have obviated that issue but sadly only a few dim bulbs. The buffet food is very mass market and lacks any individuality and is like the fast food places at home. The best options were hand made salads and the stir fry. The rooftop bar for happy hour is similar very dark and difficult to see each and the the bar tenders are painfully slow
Not sure if the hotel is linked to the safari but the safaris were very very poor and again are mis-leading in our opinion. We saw 2 elephants and what looked liked a leopard wrapped around a tree branch in the distance. The queueing is horrendous. There are far too many jeeps in the reserve and far too little animals unless you like to look at lots of water buffalo, peacocks and storks
Our final disappointment was our departure. After hours of torrential rain our guide asked for safaris to take us and the luggage to the road so he only had to drive the car. After agreeing to this at the last minute the management withdrew this offer. When I asked to speak to someone about it I was advised no-one was available to speak with me. The behaviour of very selfish company. We have no hesitation not recommending this place for people visiting Sri Lanka, give it a wide berth
The establishment seriously under delivered to the marketing gloss.
A very disappointing place and easily the worst of 5 different hotels we stayed in in Sri Lanka
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Don't bother paying for the better rooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PRADEEPEKANAYAKE, Front Office Manager at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 14 Feb 2020
Dear Oakmead, Greetings from Cinnamon Wild Yala Thank you very much for your review and for taking your valuable time to give us this feedback. We have noted all your other inputs and will definitely work towards improving the same. Thank you for having chosen to stay at Cinnamon wild Yala and We look forward to welcoming you again. Thank You
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Spent two nights here, so did get to enjoy some of the amenities & enjoyed the stay. We were greeted by a hare and porcupine on our drive into the lodge, and our group was checked in quickly. Dinner was enjoyable with many vegetarian options, but some items were unfortunately mislabeled. Menu items changed daily for breakfast and dinner on the buffet and a la carte lunch was enjoyable as well. Curry leaf mojito by the pool was refreshing but the same price as a lunch item. Pool was skimmed often as its location was shaded by trees and did not smell of harsh chemicals; it enjoyably overlooked the lake/watering hole. We enjoyed safari and a nature hike to the ocean at sunrise. Guides and staff were very enjoyable and catered to our every need proactively. Rooms were comfortable with very nice air conditioning and comfortable lounging furniture on the porch to enjoy nature. The lodge did an amazing job of blending into the environment and even suggests and offers a guide to escort you to your room in the evenings to avoid any alarm of animals. We were not so fortunate to see leopard on our afternoon game drive but did enjoy the overview in the lobby and recent sightings. Water in the shower was warm and enjoyable as well. Gloves and lots of sanitizing protocol available, Solid 4.5 out of 5 from us; could just use some additional polish to make it a 5 star but certainly an enjoyable stay - we would happily return and recommend.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sahan Thabrew, Guest Services / Front Office at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 1 Mar 2022
Dear Pam, Greetings from Cinnamon Wild Yala! We thank you for the valuable time taken to express your views about Cinnamon Wild Yala. We are delighted that you enjoyed our facilities, and experienced hospitable service from our team. It was a pleasure to have you with us and we all look forward to seeing you again soon. Thank you.
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We stayed at the hotel in March 2020 just as the coronavirus started in SL and the first thing I noticed was how well the staff at the hotel were prepared. This was well before the curfew was implemented on the island and before any health regulations were issued by the govt. But the hotel had hand sanitizer everywhere, all the staff members were wearing masks and there was clearly a sense of wanting to make sure the guests were taken care of.
The rooms were great, we booked a general room but the next night we were upgraded to a larger room, both were beautiful.
The hotel itself is very much situated in the wild, there are wild boar roaming sometimes and you come across other animals. The hotel has a very strict policy of not walking around at night unless accompanied by a staff member which is great. The proximity to the park is really the draw of this hotel, your safari jeep comes to pick you up and within minutes you are in Yala. I recommend you arrive around 2pm so you can catch the evening safari and the next morning catch the morning safari as well. On our safari we saw 2 leopards and a herd of elephants along with the other typical animals.
The spa was a small room and could have been better appointed but the massage was relaxing.
The staff were extremely friendly and professional, the buffet was a huge spread of food and they have some great hoppers one evening.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pradeep Ekanayake, Guest Services / Front Office at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 11 July 2020
Dear Guest, Greetings form Cinnamon wild yala Thank you very much for the wonderful review with five stars following your stay at Cinnamon Wild Yala. We are glad to have served you on your wonderful holiday and making your stay at Cinnamon Wild Yala an interesting one. We appreciate that you recognized our staff and our hospitality. Looking forward to welcome you again at Cinnamon wild Yala for a better experience in future. Thank You
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On arrival the staff greeted us in a warm friendly way, offering the customary flannel and cold drink before being shown to our lodge. The lodge was spacious with all the facilities that we needed including a seating area outside the lodge. We were here on a half board basis with trips arranged early in the morning so we arranged a packed breakfast on the first morning to take on our safari. The food was amazing providing a wide choice of different cuisine. After 18:00hrs or darkness you were advised to ring reception to arrange collection or being escorted back to your lodge due to wild animals. On our first evening we were held at reception due to an elephant being between the reception and our lodge, after a short period we were taken on a slight detour but could see in the torch light the rear of the elephant, very exciting. During our stay we had a troop of grey Langur monkeys, wild boars with 6 babies. In the lake there were crocodile, buffalo, stork, bee eaters and pelicans. The reason we chose this hotel was due to the closeness of the national park and our interest in wildlife. We were not disappointed.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PRADEEPEKANAYAKE, Front Office Manager at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 14 Feb 2020
Dear Wayne, Greetings from Cinnamon Wild Yala Thank you very much for visiting Cinnamon Wild and we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us on Trip Advisor. We are delighted to read your comments with regard to your recent visit to our hotel and we are looking forward to your next visit and assure you of our excellent service at all times. Thank You
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We had arranged a driver to take us to Yala from Ella and after a long drive we were frustrated with the quality of the entry road to the hotel. Granted it’s a national park, but our car couldn’t get through the thick mud. We called the hotel to ask if someone could collect us with our bags to which they said no. Luckily a tuk tuk drove past and our driver asked if he would take us the rest of the way (adding to our cost of the journey). When we arrived at the hotel, no one apologised, in fact we were told to sit round the corner from reception and a trainee came over to check us in. I don’t have a problem with a trainee but when you have a lot of queries and they keep needing to ask management, it is frustrating and management should just come over themselves. We were shown to our room and told between 6pm-6am you need an escort due to the wild life. This was fine but I then called from the room to ask for someone to take us to the bar and the lady at reception just told us to walk (when we’d been told it could be dangerous). Someone then came and we went up to the roof top bar. There was no bartender as they were preoccupied with setting up the buffet so I had to go and find someone. We then went to the restaurant but as we’d had a big lunch, didn’t fancy the buffet and opted for a small bite from the a la Carte. It was a very small menu and the only thing I fancied wasn’t available. The following morning we had a safari booked. I booked this via trip advisor so can’t comment on their own excursions. The hotel did however provide us with packed breakfast and lunch. Although we were sat waiting for our safari driver at 5:30am in reception unaware all drivers wait round at the service entrance, again frustrating. To top it off, we had arranged a driver to take us to Hikkaduwa after our safari through the hotel. This was already 15,500 rupees and when we got back from the safari and asked if we could bring it forwards they asked if we minded if the chef got a lift with us as well. Wouldn’t have minded, but when we asked if they could make it cheaper they laughed! The room was ok but for the cost compared to the rest of Sri Lanka you would expect quality service.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PRADEEPEKANAYAKE, Front Office Manager at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 19 Jan 2020
Dear Guest, Greetings from Cinnamon Wild Yala. Thank you very much for taking time to post a feed back of your stay at Cinnamon Wild Yala. Please accept our regrets for any inconveniences and dissatisfaction you experienced during your stay and your feedback has been taken constructively for improvements and for trainings. We look forward an opportunity of welcoming you again to Cinnamon Wild Yala. Thank You
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We chose Cinnamon Wild to celebrate our first anniversary. It was a big mistake we booked here as we were quite disappointed when all of the requests we made were ignored.
At the time of reservation we were informed that a complementary cake would be provided on the day of our anniversary and the room would be decorated as well, but this was not done at all. When we inquired this from the reception we were advised that there were no such remarks for our booking.
Though we booked on half board basis for the first night, we had to check in late night (12:00am) and we were told that kitchen is closed at 10pm and there's no way that they can get us something to eat. We were ok with that as the delay was from our end.
Check in was quick and the staff were pleasant but the room they provided us was filthy with blood stains on the curtains. This was informed to the reception and they were kind enough to change our room the next morning. However, the basic amenities like toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. were not provided in either of the rooms. We noticed that mini shampoo bottles, body lotion were half used.
The buffet breakfast and lunch was average but food was not refilled and most of it was over unless we went early as soon as it opens up.
The only positive thing we found in this hotel was the service we received from the Bar. The guy who prepared our drinks was very friendly and provided us with a very good service.
We had high hopes having a good quality time at this hotel but we were really let down by the poor service levels.
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Date of stay: December 2019
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PRADEEPEKANAYAKE, Front Office Manager at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 17 Jan 2020
Dear Janitha, Greetings from Cinnamon Wild Yala, Thank you very much for your review and taking valuable time to give us a feedback. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience and discomfort you may have encountered. We have made note of your concerns and experiences which will be taken into serious consideration of the management team. we look forward an opportunity of welcoming you again to Cinnamon Wild Yala. Thank You
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Room : Stayed at the jungle chalet, lovely room (once you get used to the cinnamon fragrance in the room) Restaurant and Staff : The staff is very good and accommodating, they customized our pasta, dished up a salad as per our recipe! Service is a bit slow, but since there is nothing much to do, we didnt mind that! We didnt opt for the dinner bbq buffet (quite pricey). Delightful appam (hoppers) for breakfast..its a must try! Beach : The property is on the beach but not advisable to go in the waters there OVerall : Since most people head for the morning safari, call the staff well in advance to escort you to the reception On the 2nd night the staff informed us there was an elephant on the premises...!! The mud road from the main road to the hotel is very bumpy! We enjoyed our stay here!
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from PRADEEPEKANAYAKE, Front Office Manager at Cinnamon Wild Yala
Responded 5 Feb 2020
Dear Guest, Warm Greetings From Cinnamon Wild Yala....! It was a pleasure to have you with us and thank you very much for comment you posted in trip advisor. Hope you enjoyed a lot while staying with us.Please do visit us for another memorable stay in near future. Thank You.
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There are more places to choose from in the Palatupana area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$451 - AU$765 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
chaaya wild yala hotel kirinda, yala village kirinda, yala village hotel kirinda
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Chaaya Wild Yala
LOCATION
Sri LankaYala National ParkPalatupana
NUMBER OF ROOMS
68
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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