Joe's Resort Bentota in Bentota

The hotel is conveniently located with a good geolocation. However, the beach area is not very suitable for swimming, and its cleanliness is insufficient.

The level of service is average, and the staff’s attitude did not leave a particularly positive impression.

The condition of the room was unsatisfactory: the bathroom facilities are of low quality, and the furniture is outdated. There was an unpleasant smell in the room.

The cleanliness of the bedding and blankets was poor, and some of the towels were torn and had an unpleasant odor.

Although tea and coffee were provided, overall I do not believe the hotel offers good value for money. This is my personal opinion.

We had an extremely unpleasant experience at this so-called ‘4-star’ hotel. From the unhygienic conditions to zero accountability from the staff and management, this stay was a complete disappointment. Check-in & Service – No Concern for Guests • Arrived at 9 PM due to heavy rain, yet no one offered dinner options or even checked if we needed anything. • No phone in the room meant we had to keep running down to the reception for help. • WiFi was weak, and it took multiple follow-ups past midnight just to get the router fixed and toiletries provided. Lizard Infestation – No Action Taken • The room had visible gaps, allowing lizards to freely enter and exit. • On Day 2 at 6 PM, we spotted a baby lizard in the room. Brayan (front office staff) arrived with Mortein, but after a quick look, he left. • By 7:30 PM, a larger lizard appeared on the ceiling (too high to spray), along with another on the wall. • Despite spraying 1/3rd of the Mortein bottle, lizards kept appearing. • Between 8 PM – 10:30 PM, we spotted three more. At this point, Brayan stopped answering calls, leaving us to handle the situation ourselves. • My asthmatic mother had to sit outside because the Mortein fumes made it difficult for her to breathe. Lack of Support from Management – No Empathy • At 11 PM, with no response from staff, I had to go to the lobby myself to find someone. • Another staff member came, acknowledged the lizards but did nothing to remove them. • We requested a room change, but staff initially refused, claiming the hotel was full. • Only after insisting on speaking to the manager, Mr. Laxman, did he offer to move us—to an “Out of Order” room. • Instead of apologizing, Mr. Laxman asked his team to check the dustbin for the lizard’s dead body, as if we were making it up. Room Change – Another Setback • We hurriedly packed and moved, but when we requested the key to our old room (in case we had left anything or needed the fridge/bathroom), we were told: “You’ve chosen the Out of Order room, why do you need the old keys?” • The new room had a non-working AC, no mini fridge, non functioning lights, a broken shower faucet, and a broken toilet seat—making it impossible to even take a proper shower. • Bedsheets were dusty and itchy, making sleeping uncomfortable. • Didn’t sleep a wink all night, with no alternatives as this was a prepaid trip part of a package by #MakeMyTrip Check-out – No Apologies, No Staff Present • The team didn’t bother to check on us in the morning or acknowledge the inconvenience we faced. • Not a single apology from any staff member. • There was no one at reception when we left—we just picked up our bags and walked out. Breakfast – Poor Quality & Unhygienic • Day 1: No buffet. Limited à la carte options (omelet, toast, dosa, fruit juice). • Day 2: Buffet, but most dishes were nearly empty when we arrived, and nothing was replenished. • Fruits were swarming with fruit

We booked a suite with a sea view. One of the most expensive rooms.
Arrived at the hotel. We waited about 45 minutes for check-in. We went into the room and it turned out that there really was a sea view, if you jump out from the balcony.
But that's just the beginning. The room is large, but completely dirty. Don't believe the photos.
Several lamps were out. There was no fan.
We decided to refuse the room, because it was different from the room in the photo.
But the hotel did not want to confirm the refusal. We waited in the lobby for almost 2 hours. They pretended not to understand anything, but in fact they ignored us. They wanted us to cancel the reservation ourselves. But then we would have lost money.
In the end, we agreed to check into a dirty room.
The shower in the bathroom did not work. The towels had dirty stains.
We travel around Sri Lanka and stayed in other cheap hotels, but this one turned out to be one of the dirtiest and most expensive.
In the evening we went to dinner and it was the poorest dinner. There were no drinks. Even tea was extra. It's terrible!
The furniture in the restaurant is all wicker and dirty. It's impossible to clean such furniture!
The breakfast was the poorest in 10 days of staying in Sri Lanka.