A new experience in Bentota, the refurbished Surf Hotel

By Royston Ellis

I checked in to stay at The Surf Hotel in Bentota with a certain amount of trepidation. Newly-opened in December 2010, it was formerly the late, and unlamented, Lihiniya Surf Hotel.

I have known the property for over 30 years, watching with sadness its gradual decline from a premier beach resort to the worn-out package hotel it became.

So it was a delight to discover that my apprehension at whether I would enjoy the experience of returning there, or not, was misplaced.

Rejuvenation

The hotel has benefitted from rejuvenation and has become an important part of the Galle Face Hotel group of properties with the Chairman, Sanjeev Gardiner, taking a personal interest in its refurbishment.

The level of service standards that have improved obviously has the stamp of veterans in the industry headed by Chandra Mohotti and Chethiya Perera. The property is managed by Shazad Rafeeq.

As a result, the comfortable, contemporary atmosphere of the hotel is evident from the moment guests arrive.

The experience begins as the entrance gate swings open, from the side road running parallel to the Bentota Railway Station platform, into a courtyard.

Warm welcome

Their guests are decanted from their vehicles and a bellboy with the manner of an old retainer greets them and discreetly takes care of the luggage.

A charming young lady in a sari requests guests to take a seat in the air-conditioned lobby lounge to fill in a registration card, so guests no longer have to queue at a reception counter.

A glass of iced tea and a cool towel are proffered. This introduction indicates that this is the sort of hotel where one is not a ‘pax’ but a welcome guest.

The lobby lounge is huge, with floor to ceiling glass walls, and a glass panel in the high wooden ceiling, letting in light.

The pillars supporting the roof are made from tree trunks. It is the social centre of the hotel since drinks and snacks are served there at any time of day, and it has an access by stairs down to the long restaurant.

Brilliant décor

Formalities completed, guests are guided to their rooms by a member of the front office staff.

As the door opened into my room, I gasped with surprise. For a moment I thought I had somehow been transported to an upmarket resort room in the Maldives.

Through the wide glass doors onto a huge balcony, I could see the lawn, the beach and the surf lapping the golden sand.

But it was the brilliance of the room’s décor that I found stunning.

The king-size bed draped in top quality white linen had a shawl of fashionable red and grey stripes laid across it, and two matching red cushions enhancing two plump pairs of pillows. This was complemented by a painting of abstract, but pleasing, design above the bed.

On the opposite wall there was a flat screen television that the staff member switched on with pride to show how it worked.

I switched it off the moment he left the room so I could explore my new surroundings. To my delight there were sufficient sockets for my laptop and phone charger on a vanity desk below a bold, wood framed mirror.

There were reading lamps hanging at either side of the bed as well as plenty of ceiling spotlights.

Moreover, the light switches were simple and easy to find, as was the air-condition control with variable temperature. I turned that off too and slid open the sliding doors to the balcony to let the breeze billow in.

Inviting beach

This may be the time to visit the east coast beaches on the opposite side of Sri Lanka, but there was nothing unseasonal about Bentota beach.

It stretches for miles as a broad swathe of sand and even at this time of the year is safe for swimming, albeit with caution.

The beach at The Surf is particularly inviting, where the well-manicured lawn segues beautifully to the golden sand, with no ugly wire netting or fence preventing guests from enjoying it.

The room

Back in the room I discovered the door to the bathroom seems to be part of the wardrobe.

There is a clothes closet on one side of it and, a welcome extra, a proper kettle, two bottles of complimentary mineral water and the complete ingredients for do-it-yourself tea or coffee, and a mini bar, on the other side.

The door splits in two, like opening another cupboard, and gives entry to a bathroom designed with the care and elegance of a top market property. Marbled glass blocks have been set into one wall, allowing natural light to flow in and brighten up the face mirror.

The hand basin is contemporarily shallow, but totally practical.

The shower is tucked behind a glass screen. There are plenty of shampoos and gels in pots, and toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc., as complimentary amenities.

Dining delights

This superb accommodation is matched by the neat presentation of meals. While some are buffets, there is a simple a la carte menu that gives the chef a chance to display his talent.

My pepper steak that evening looked like a work of art, presented on a palette-shaped plate with modern cutlery.

The wine list is excellent, and the cocktails perfectly made, and low in price too.

I dined on the restaurant’s veranda to the soothing sound of the surf, but for breakfast indulged in room service, gazing out at the beach and sea as I enjoyed my fried eggs, bacon and baked beans. Lunch was a buffet of rice and curry with plenty of starters and also vegetarian choices.

Even though it is by the sea, The Surf has a swimming pool, edged with a timber deck and a pleasant corner bar giving a view of the complete length of the hotel and the beach stretching into the distance.

The Surf has all the attractions of major beach properties with, mercifully, room rates that are pitched lower than at similar establishments.

Bentota – A transit destination

Bentota itself is much more than the beach for which it is famous.

While the area has benefitted from the development of the National Holiday Resort set up there in the 1970s, a rural, village lifestyle is within a few minutes’ walk, or ride by rented bicycle.

There are three-wheeler taxis too that specialise in village tours, introducing visitors to coir production, cinnamon peeling, mask carving and toddy tapping to bakeries with wood-fired ovens making delicious bread.

There are shops selling rustic antiques, as well as reliable gem merchants.

The influence of the Bawa brothers, Geoffrey and Bevis, is everywhere; even the railway station and the bridge that deposit pedestrians in the middle of the beach road were designed by Geoffrey Bawa.

Brief, the world-renowned garden created by Bevis Bawa, is a short drive away from The Surf, as is Lunuganga, Geoffrey Bawa’s bungalow and garden extravaganza.

Guests can cruise along the Bentota River on a catamaran paddled leisurely by a boatman to drift through shadowy glades of mangroves, watch cormorants perched on rocks drying their wings, and water monitors foraging.

There are motorboats for hire too to visit inland villages or to go fishing for giant prawns.

Visitors can even take a ride on a pontoon pulled across the river by a rope attached to each bank.

When I checked out of the hotel after a relaxing few days on the beach and discovering the attractions of the Bentota byways and backwaters, I realised how fortunate I was to stay at The Surf before it becomes so popular for guests on holiday that it could be difficult to book a room there.

For reservations please contact Ceylon Travel Bureau on 011 5585858 or 5235124.