Waterside Bentota in Bentota

A luxury villa situated in an iconic location. The timber-floored backyard lounge extending towards the river is a wonderful hideaway where you could spend the entire day relaxing. The property is secluded enough from the outside environment to provide a strong sense of privacy, allowing you to enjoy peaceful and quality time with your family. If you ever get bored, you can simply sit back in the lounge with a hot cup of tea and watch the water activities on the Bentota River.

The staff are attentive to your meal requirements and will gladly assist upon request if you provide the necessary ingredients. The property is well maintained and kept very clean. The rooms are spacious and equipped with all the comforts and luxuries you would need for a relaxing getaway.

This is one of our favourite hotels in Sri Lanka. We liked it much more than many of the more expensive hotels we stayed in and in fact are returning to it again at the end of our trip we liked it so much. When we arrived they told us to ask for anything we needed as the hotel was now our home and indeed the service is excellent and really friendly with really special staff. This location is idyllic, peaceful and quiet. Set on the river banks you see wonderful birds including eagles and water monitors in the water as well as monkeys sometimes behind the property. We went on a water safari they offer there right from the river bank with their own boat and it was a wonderful experience meandering through the mangroves with abundant wildlife. They also arranged for us to walk up the hill to visit the local Buddhist temple where one of the monks spent some time with us discussing Buddhism and guiding us through two types of meditation. This was another highlight of our whole trip. They have a tuk tuk and will drop you off to beaches and restaurants. There are stunning, quiet beaches very close and also some fabulous places to eat. As well as a small village you can walk to with a few shops. It is all wonderfully clean and calm and we can highly recommend this fabulous little hotel.

Beautiful location and close to all amenities. Great staff . Very supportive. Must visit place. Enjoyed the communist theme at the property.

Staff was absolutely kind and helpful everybody also had big smiles. The rooms were clean, the pool was big and super fun. Overall everything was very good

Villa Republic Bentota offers an experience that blends laid back luxury with warm, Sri Lankan hospitality. From the moment I arrived, it felt like a serene escape from the usual bustle, yet it didn’t compromise on comfort or style. The villa itself is beautifully designed contemporary with subtle traditional touches. The rooms are spacious, well maintained, and thoughtfully appointed. I particularly appreciated the attention to detail, from the quality of the linens to the elegant decor that felt both homely and refined. The location is another standout. Set along the river, it offers stunning views and a sense of calm that’s hard to find elsewhere. I enjoyed sitting out in the garden and by the pool, especially at sunset when the atmosphere becomes truly magical. It’s also close enough to the beach and other attractions, which made it convenient for short outings. The service was genuinely impressive. The staff struck the right balance. Always available and attentive, but never overbearing. Meals were a highlight, with fresh, well prepared Sri Lankan and international options. I liked that they were open to customizing meals and accommodating preferences, which added a personal touch to the stay.

We had a very enjoyable three nights at Waterside. Beautiful location and excellent staff. We enjoyed the food - both breakfast and dinner were of high quality. We took the opportunity to go out on an early morning river safari. It was well worth it. It is about a fifteen minute walk into the village and a further ten to the beach. Very much recommended.

Clean, cozy, we were there for office outing. Night stay. 5 rooms with one spacious master bed room overlooking Benthara river. Pool is 4.5ft deep. Beech is bit away. We had our party box time untill 3am with no issue. Small garden around swimming pool with spacious deck along the river. Garden may enough for kids to run around only.

Wonderful team of staff who did their best to ensure we had a lovely stay, which we did. We enjoyed chatting with them and they went over and above with customer care. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious. We also ate evening snacks with beers one night on that they delivered to our balcony. And we shared a nice but small seafood platter one evening too. The location is lovely and peaceful and right on the riverbank with so much local wildlife around. We saw so many bird species, langur monkeys, and monitor lizards. Massive pool and lots of space. A surprisingly big place considering there’s just 6 rooms. The rooms are big with great balconies and comfortable chairs, tables and good beds. It’s easier to get to the beach if you have your own transportation as it’s a few kilometres away. We did the river boat safari which was wonderful- the boat is right there on site and we went early in the morning but a cup of tea was ready for us before we went out which was lovely. We saw and hand-fed the very gentle and lovely purple-faced langurs (monkeys) which was very special and saw lots of other wildlife. So serene on the river in the early morning. We really enjoyed our stay here and would highly recommend. Moragalla Beach is great for snorkelling too.

We had a wonderful stay here, the hotel is in a beautiful tranquil spot overlooking the Bentota river but just a short tuk tuk ride or walk to Bentota village. The food is amazing and the staff were so incredibly friendly and helpful. All the rooms overlook the lovely pool and the river. I wished we could have stayed longer at this fabulous place!

First I would like to give feedback about the staff. The moment our car arrived there were people to welcome us. This was a great experience. This hotel has 6 Villas. Villas are exactly located opposite to the Bentota river. There is a beautiful but medium sized swimming pool sufficient for the guests staying here. Nuvaan is one guy who treated us really well. Another couple of guys who gave great hospitality. Even the owner of the property Kamal met us during our breakfast time to see if everything was fine. Staff were very friendly and asked us what to prepare for Breakfast and Dinner. Overall I enjoyed the Service here. Room: View is very good. In-room view is also very neat. However some essential stuff like Coffee maker, Kettle are not kept. I advise owners to arrange this. And the hair dryer, Iron box should also be given too. Since there is no screen between the shower and the washbasin the floor might get wet soon. So I advised the management to take care of this. Any more suggestions: When staff asked for dinner we asked for something which can be eaten with drinks. But later they added this to our bill saying this was not part of the package. This disappointed us. Water can be provided even from the filter as well. So anything provided additionally, better inform the guests about it. We felt bad as we asked the staff to prepare fewer items for Dinner and breakfast to save their time/money. But shocked to see they charged for a small dish prepared even though this was part of dinner. When Visitors are paying a big amount for the stay which includes Dinner and breakfast It is also important to provide water and the dishes with no extra cost. This is my honest opinion. So I am reducing one star! Let the management learn the importance of some small things. Otherwise I am fine to recommend this to anyone who wants to stay.