Somerset Mirissa Beach

Somerset Mirissa Beach is a small boutique hotel with 15 air-conditioned rooms facing Mirissa Beach, on the main coast road at Bandaramulla in southern Sri Lanka. It is a simple, beach-first place to stay: balcony rooms, an open-air restaurant on the top floor, and the sand of Mirissa Beach just in front, with whale-watching, snorkelling and surf lessons arranged at the desk.

What are the rooms like at Somerset Mirissa Beach?

All 15 rooms are air-conditioned, with a private entrance, a private bathroom and a balcony. The hotel sells four room types; the names below are the ones it uses itself, so quote them when you enquire.

• Deluxe Double Room – around 31 square metres with one bed, for two guests. The balcony looks over the garden or gives a partial view of the sea, so if a sea view matters, ask for the sea-view category below.
• Deluxe Double Room with Balcony and Sea View – around 32 square metres with one bed and a balcony facing the sea, for two guests.
• Deluxe Triple Room – around 33 square metres with two beds and a sea-view balcony, sleeping three.
• Family Room with Sea View – the largest room at around 35 square metres, with two beds, a television with cable channels and a balcony with sea views, sleeping four.

Families are welcome, and the hotel describes itself as kid-friendly. Check-in is from 2pm; early check-in and late check-out can be requested, subject to availability.

What is the food like?

The restaurant and bar is open-air and sits on the fourth level of the building, with daylight through the day and a quieter, softly lit feel in the evening. It seats up to 50 and is open from 6am to 10pm. The kitchen cooks a mix of Sri Lankan and international dishes using locally sourced seafood and produce, there is a show kitchen, and the catch of the day is prepared the way you ask for it. A casual menu of burgers, snacks and tropical cocktails covers lunch and sunset drinks. The dress code is casual.

What is there to do in Mirissa?

The beach is the reason to stay here: you can walk straight out for an early swim, a stroll or the sunset. The hotel can book whale-watching trips, snorkelling and surfing lessons for you. Whale-watching boats leave from Mirissa Fisheries Harbour at the western end of the bay, and the whale-watching season off the south coast generally runs from about November to April. Close by are two of Mirissa's best-known spots, the palm-topped headland of Coconut Tree Hill and Secret Beach. The surf town of Weligama and Weligama Beach are about 5 kilometres west in a straight line, and the ramparts of Galle Fort are about 34 kilometres away, an easy day out.

Are there other Somerset hotels in Mirissa?

Yes. Somerset Mirissa Beach shares its reservations team with two sister hotels a few minutes away in Bandaramulla: Somerset Mirissa Blue, on the hillside with a rooftop pool and an Ayurvedic spa, and Somerset Mirissa Eco, a 13-room hotel set back among greenery with an infinity pool. Somerset Mirissa Beach itself has no pool; its advantage is being on the beach.

Can I arrive by train?

Yes. Mirissa Railway Station on the coastal line from Colombo is about 1.8 kilometres away in a straight line, and Kamburugamuwa station is about 3.4 kilometres away. A tuk-tuk covers the last stretch in a few minutes; ask the hotel or us to arrange a pick-up if you have luggage.

How do I get from the airport to Somerset Mirissa Beach?

The hotel is about 152 kilometres in a straight line from Bandaranaike International Airport, and the hotel puts the drive from Colombo at around two and a half hours on the Southern Expressway. The easiest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Somerset Mirissa Beach, which takes you to the door.

Who is Somerset Mirissa Beach best suited to?

It suits couples, families and solo travellers who want a clean, uncomplicated room right on the beach and are happy to spend their days on the sand and out on the water rather than by a hotel pool. Families of three or four have dedicated triple and family rooms. For more choice along this stretch of coast see our places to stay in Mirissa.