Chez Lanka: A Hidden Retreat in the Kandy Highlands

Chez Lanka — or Chezlanka as its owners affectionately spell it — is the dream realised by Anne Marie Laspeyres Lankatilake, a native of south-east France who spent many years in Switzerland working as a hotelier. It was there, at a Hotel Management Institute in Montreux, that she met Sujeewa Lankatilake. The two went on to manage a restaurant together in Payerne, Switzerland for fifteen years before discovering this secluded corner of Sri Lanka, embraced by the Victoria reservoir and the Knuckles mountains.

The property sits within the 500-acre estate of the Victoria Golf & Country Resort, deep in Sri Lanka's central highlands. It looks out over the Knuckles range and across what is described as one of the most panoramic par-3 holes on the course — the 4th hole. Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, lies roughly forty minutes away by road, while Bandaranaike International Airport is approximately 120 km from the property.

Accommodation

Chez Lanka offers three double rooms and one twin room, each individually decorated and furnished with old mango wood pieces and overhead fans. Every room has an en-suite bathroom equipped with hot and cold water shower and a hair dryer. A few steps from the rooms leads guests to the property's own private pool.

The Swimming Pool

The pool at Chez Lanka stretches 25 metres in length and reaches a depth of 7 feet throughout. After a round of golf on the neighbouring course, a dip in the pool has proven a favourite ritual among many visitors to the property.

A Personal Vision

What sets Chez Lanka apart is the story behind it. Anne Marie and Sujeewa's combined background in European hospitality infuses the retreat with a warmth and attentiveness that reflects decades of professional experience — brought quietly to life in a hidden highland paradise far from the bustle of the city.