The Grand Kandyan Hotel is a five-star hotel on a hilltop in Kandy, the old royal capital of Sri Lanka's hill country. It opened in October 2014 and has 100 rooms and suites, five places to eat and drink, and a rooftop pool on the fifth floor with wide views over the forested hills that surround the city. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the centre of Kandy are both around 10 minutes away.
The address is 89/10 Lady Gordon's Drive, on a hill above central Kandy. Its height gives the hotel its panoramic outlook across the green ridges and mountains around the city. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is about 1.3 km away, roughly 10 minutes by car, and the shops and markets of the city centre are a similar short drive.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) lies to the west, near the coast, and the road to Kandy climbs inland into the hills, so the journey takes several hours depending on traffic. There is no direct air link, and trains to Kandy leave from Colombo rather than from the airport, which makes a pre-booked private transfer with a driver waiting at arrivals the most comfortable way to reach the hotel after a long flight. Book the Colombo (CMB) Airport transfer to The Grand Kandyan Hotel.
The hotel has 100 rooms in five categories: Standard and Deluxe rooms, the Deluxe ones with a balcony, Junior Suites of 60 square metres with their own living and dining area, Honeymoon Suites with a king-size bed and a balcony over the hills, and the Presidential Suite with two bedrooms and a separate living room. Interiors are ornate and colourful, with carved furniture and chandeliers, and rooms include a minibar, a safe, a flat-screen television and free Wi-Fi.
Tamarind is the all-day restaurant, Lemongrass serves Thai food and Indigo serves Indian cuisine. Opera is the café in the lobby, and Sky Bay is the bar beside the rooftop pool, a good place for a drink as the light fades over the hills.
The rooftop pool on the fifth floor is the hotel's signature, with open views in every direction. There is also a gym and a beauty salon. The hotel is a popular venue for weddings and events: its largest ballroom, the Royal Peacock, can host up to 1,000 guests, and the Golden Eagle, Flamingo and Falcon halls suit smaller gatherings. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important Buddhist shrines in the world, is close by, next to Kandy Lake. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya lie just outside the city, and the forest reserve of Udawatta Kele rises behind the temple. Kandy is also the natural starting point for the scenic train journey through the tea country to Nuwara Eliya and Ella.
Bookable activities, tours, and tickets within a 25 km radius.
Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
