Thaproban Beach House is a small timber-and-ochre hotel on the sand of Unawatuna Bay, with a beach restaurant and several rooms looking straight out to sea. Its rooms use carved antique canopy beds and plenty of dark wood, and it sits in the busy heart of Unawatuna, a few steps from the reef where the bay's snorkelling and diving begin.
All rooms have air conditioning, a flat-screen satellite television, a minibar and an en-suite bathroom with hot and cold showers. What changes from one category to the next is the bed, the size of the outdoor space and, above all, how much of the sea you can see. The names below are the ones you will see when you choose a room.
If a view of the water matters, book a Penthouse Suite or a Superior Sea View room; the Superior rooms give you a glimpse of the sea, and the Deluxe and Standard rooms do not promise one.
The restaurant opens onto the beach and cooks Sri Lankan dishes alongside Western ones, with an à la carte menu of salads, meat and poultry and plenty of seafood: flamed red lobster, grilled prawn kebabs and sea bass with lemon are among the house dishes. There is a wine list and a bar for cocktails at sunset, and the hotel holds beach barbecue evenings on its open-air terrace. Room service runs around the clock.
Not at the beach house itself, which is all about the sea. Guests can use the pool at the sister hotel, Thambapanni Retreat, which is about five minutes away and is also where the group's Ayurveda and yoga centre is.
Unawatuna Beach is right in front of the hotel, and the renowned Unawatuna reef offshore is good for snorkelling and diving among corals, parrotfish and angelfish. The temple on the headland and the Japanese Peace Pagoda on Rumassala hill overlook the bay, and the UNESCO-listed ramparts of Galle Fort are a short drive away, best walked at dawn or dusk. Further along the coast are Koggala Lagoon and the harbour at Mirissa for whale watching.
Yes. The Coast Line from Colombo runs along the sea through palm-fringed bays and takes about three hours. Unawatuna railway station is the nearest stop, and Galle railway station, where all coastal trains call, is a short tuk-tuk ride away.
Most of the drive from Bandaranaike International Airport is on the Southern Expressway, which bypasses Colombo and runs down to Galle, a few kilometres from Unawatuna. The easiest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Thaproban Beach House, which takes you all the way to the hotel.
It suits couples and families who want to be on the beach itself, with Unawatuna's restaurants and bars on the doorstep and the sea in view, and who do not mind some bustle around them. If you would rather sleep somewhere greener and quieter, with a pool on site, look at Thambapanni Retreat, or browse all our places to stay in Unawatuna.
Brought a group of 15 and had a great time. Beautiful views right in the ocean, nice vibes, delicious seafood. Highly recommend.
Very clean place , FOOD expectacular !!! The staff is very friendly a the best manager of the Hotel because always he is present and being sure the guess is having a good time .
Amazing hotel, fabulous location with restorable on the beach, the food is fabulous and the staff friendly and welcoming. The rooms are immaculate and very comfortable.
Ratings and reviews provided by TripAdvisor for Thaproban Beach House.
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