Cinnamon Bentota Beach is the resort that Geoffrey Bawa designed in the 1960s on a rocky point where the Bentota River meets the Indian Ocean, and one of the first beach hotels built in Sri Lanka. Closed in 2017 and rebuilt under the architect Channa Daswatte, it reopened in early 2020 with Bawa's stone base, courtyards and art restored and the rooms made new. Today it is part of Cinnamon's Signature Selection, set in 11 acres of gardens with the beach on one side and the river on the other.
The resort stands on Galle Road in Bentota, on the south-west coast, on a strip of land between the Bentota River and the sea. The beach runs along the ocean side, and the river side is where the boat trips into the mangroves begin. Bentota railway station is only a short walk away, and Colombo lies about 80 km to the north.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is about 110 km from the hotel, and the drive usually takes around two hours on the airport and Southern expressways, depending on traffic around Colombo. The simplest way to arrive after a long flight is a private airport transfer booked in advance with Lakpura: an English-speaking driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you straight to the hotel in an air-conditioned car, van or coach sized for your group, from 2 up to 15 guests, at a fixed price for the whole vehicle rather than per seat. The same service works in reverse for your departure flight. Book the Colombo (CMB) Airport transfer to Cinnamon Bentota Beach.
Bawa set the hotel on a massive granite base, like a fortress, with the rooms arranged around open courtyards above it. The rebuild kept and restored the art that made the original famous: Ena de Silva's batik ceiling at the entrance, recreated panel by panel, Laki Senanayake's brass peacock sculpture from 1967, Barbara Sansoni's handloom ceiling in the Peacock Salon, and Ismeth Raheem's painted wall panels.
There are four room categories, each around 53 m² including a private terrace: Premium Room Terrace with garden views, Premium Pool Access, Luxury Beach Access and Luxury Seafront facing the ocean. There are also 16 suites, each named after and decorated around a Sri Lankan theme by commissioned local artists, with river views, sea views or both. The largest is the Geoffrey Bawa Suite, which looks over the ocean and the river.
Zest serves Asian dishes in the evening, Sea Meats Spice specialises in seafood, and L'Incontro is the resort's Italian restaurant. Drench is a swim-up bar in the pool, and Fuze is the lounge bar for cocktails and light bites. The hotel also offers private dining set-ups around the grounds, dinners with the chef and 24-hour room service.
Kurundu Wellness & Spa offers Ayurveda-inspired treatments, and there is a gym, several pools set in the gardens, and a kids' club with a playground. The in-house Artisan Village brings local craftspeople to the hotel, with sessions in pottery, mask carving, puppetry, drumming and beeralu lace-making. For celebrations and meetings, the ballroom holds up to 300 guests.
The river and the sea are the main attraction: water-skiing, jet skiing, windsurfing, stand-up paddling and boat rides through the mangroves of the Bentota River, plus river fishing and seasonal deep-sea fishing. Lunuganga, Geoffrey Bawa's own country estate, is about 15 minutes away, and Brief Garden, created by his brother Bevis, is also close by. Further along the coast are the turtle hatcheries of Kosgoda, the Madu River with its mangrove islands, the mask makers of Ambalangoda about 25 km south, and Galle Fort, an easy day trip. Lakpura can arrange private transfers and day tours to all of these from the hotel.
Bookable activities, tours, and tickets within a 25 km radius.
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Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
