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Thaala Bentota is a 75-room beach resort on the sand at Bentota, designed by Geoffrey Bawa with long tiled roofs in the spirit of 18th-century Dutch architecture. Known for years as the Serendib Hotel and later as Avani Bentota Resort, it was relaunched by Browns Hotels & Resorts in 2023 under a name that means "rhythm", and it has two swimming pools, an Ayurveda centre and lawns running down to the beach.
The resort describes its rooms as ocean-facing, and the five names below are the ones you will see when you book. All rooms are air-conditioned, with a minibar, a safe, tea and coffee making facilities, cable TV, Wi-Fi and in-room dining.
If you want a particular floor, a bathtub or a specific view from the Superior rooms, tell us when you book and we will pass it to the resort.
Breeze is the poolside restaurant, serving Sri Lankan dishes, seafood and international food with views over the pool to the ocean. The Brick Lane Coffee Lounge in the lobby, open from 10 am to 10 pm, has freshly baked cakes, tarts and éclairs with coffee and smoothies. The Loft is a beachfront bar with a DJ, wines, premium spirits and cigars, and Chatters Bar sits on the lawn by the beach with drinks, comfort food and poolside snacks. For a special evening the chefs will set up a private dinner on the beach with a menu built around you.
Besides the beach, there are two swimming pools, a gym and a children's play area. The Ayuwása Wellness Centre is led by a resident Ayurvedic doctor and offers consultations, traditional herbal treatments and packages from a four-day detox to milk-bath rituals. The resort also runs yoga sessions and can arrange water sports such as jet-skiing and banana-boat rides, about ten minutes from the hotel. A doctor is on call.
The resort is about two kilometres from Bentota town, where the Bentota River meets the sea. Inland, Geoffrey Bawa's country estate at Lunuganga is about 15 minutes away and Brief Garden, the garden of his brother Bevis Bawa, about 19 minutes. Along the coast are the Kosgoda turtle hatchery (about 17 minutes), the boat safari on the Madu River (about 25 minutes), the Beruwala lighthouse and the mask museum at Ambalangoda. Galle Fort is about an hour away.
The resort gives the distance from Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake as 106 kilometres and describes itself as about two hours from the airport. The easiest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Thaala Bentota, which takes you straight to the hotel. By rail, Bentota station is on the Coast Line south of Colombo.
It suits couples and families who want a full-service beach resort with pools, a spa and several places to eat, in a building with real architectural pedigree, and it makes a good base for exploring Bentota's river and the Bawa gardens. For more choice on this stretch of coast see our places to stay in Bentota, or the other Browns Hotels & Resorts properties.
Bookable activities, tours, and tickets within a 25 km radius.
Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
