The Bandarawela Hotel is a 33-room

British colonial The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

two-star hotel located in

Bandarawela Bandarawela ( Sinhala : බණ්ඩාරවෙල, pronounced ; Tamil: பண்டாரவெல) is the second largest town in the Badulla District which is away from Badulla. Bandarawela is away from Colombo and about away from Kandy, ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. The century-old British-built property is associated with the development of the hill-country railway and is situated within walking distance from the railway station. Bandarawela Hotel's origins date back to the turn of the 19th / 20th century when the railways were being extended by the British from Nanu Oya to the southern highlands as a Railway Hotel. The foundation stone for the building was laid in 1893 for a tea planter's club. It was subsequently converted into a rest house and was used as a sanitarium by British soldiers and officers recovering from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1938 there was a refurbishment and extension of the building to its present capacity. The hotel had a 'European Only' policy until Sri Lankan independence in 1948. To this day, it remains locked in time somewhere between the 1930s and 1950s and is an alternative to some of the more modern facilities in the area. The hotel shows the influence of British architecture during the period of colonial era in this region. The Bandarawela Hotel is situated over above sea level and is Sri Lanka's first mountain resort hotel. The hotel consists of 33 colonial rooms with British furniture. Currently the Bandarawela Hotel is managed by the

Aitken Spence Aitken Spence PLC ( si, එයිට්කින් ස්පෙන්ස්; ta, எய்ட்கின் ஸ்பென்ஸ்) is a Sri Lankan blue chip conglomerate with operations in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacif ...

group.

Facilities

* Restaurant (70 seats) * Swimming Pool * Conference Facilities * Lounge bar and public bar * Badminton court * Tennis court * Golf course

References

External links

Official web page of Bandarawela HotelThe twin attractions at Bandarawela
Archaeological protected monuments in Badulla District Hotels in Badulla District Rail transport in Badulla District Railway hotels Buildings and structures in Bandarawela Heritage hotels in Sri Lanka {{Asia-hotel-stub