Deal of the month:
| Galle Fort Hotel, Galle |
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 The Galle Fort Hotel remains one of Sri Lanka's biggest success stories, and standards remain as high as ever, but Red Dot's reputation has an established reputation for conjuring up special deals at the best hotels that Sri Lanka can offer. Red Dot travellers can get three nights for the price of two on BB basis until 31 October, 2008. The Galle Fort can be a wonderful base for a south-coast holiday, so why not slow down and rest a while in one of its most acclaimed properties.
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Luxury options:
| The
Fortress, Koggala |
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 This
wonderful new five-star hotel is available
until October 31 at a giveaway price. The
Fortress, a new boutique hotel on the broad
sands of Koggala, received rave reviews before
Christmas from senior cricket journalists
covering England’s tour of Sri Lanka
– and they will be the first to admit
that they are a hard market to please! At
between GBP £110/120 per double room
until the end of October, it represents unmissable
value. Sea-view rooms or suite rooms have
also been substantially discounted. But the
staggeringly good news is in an exceptional
free rooms offer: stay three nights at these
prices and get three nights free, and so on
up to a maximum of ten nights. The Fortress
lies a few miles south of the historic city
of Galle and is managed by the world-renowned
Per Aquum Resorts & Spas, a group most
famous for their luxurious properties in the
Maldives and Seychelles. Just go there and
chill. This is beach value to rival anything
in the world.
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| Kahanda Kanda, Galle |
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 The latest top hotel that Red Dot can offer
at considerable discount is the much-acclaimed Lighthouse
Hotel, a 5-star coastal hotel on Galle's southern outskirts.
Unil the end of July, a deluxe twin will cost around GBP
£70 a night, and a suite room about twice that.
That is about 50 per cent off normal April rates - proof
again that Red Dot leads the way in offering the best
holiday deals to Sri Lanka at the places you want to stay.
Free room nights are also available for long-stay guests.
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| Lighthouse Hotel, Galle |
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 The latest top hotel that Red Dot can offer
at considerable discount is the much-acclaimed Lighthouse
Hotel, a 5-star coastal hotel on Galle's southern outskirts.
Unil the end of July, a deluxe twin will cost around GBP
£70 a night, and a suite room about twice that.
That is about 50 per cent off normal April rates - proof
again that Red Dot leads the way in offering the best
holiday deals to Sri Lanka at the places you want to stay.
Free room nights are also available for long-stay guests.
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| Royal
Palms, Kalutara |
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 If
long stays at traditional beach 5-stars are
your thing then seriously consider Royal Palms,
in Kalutara, for a fantastic Red Dot offer
until the end of October 2008. Royal Palms
is a stately beach hotel with well-appointed
rooms and an expansive swimming pool - one
of the largest in Sri Lanka - as its striking
centerpiece. Its twin-room price of about
GBP £60 until end October is a hug reduction
on its normal price -- and what's more, if
you stay five nights you get five nights free
on a room-only basis. Work that out: that's
10 nights BB for two people in a five-star
hotel in August for less than GBP £700
+ flights and transfers. A real Red Dot money-saver.
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| Aditya,
near Galle |
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 We
defy anyone to find better value in the luxury
beach market for the start of 2008 than our
special promotion at Aditya. Small hotels
of this quality are often out of reach of
all but the most affluent traveller, but we
are offering this splendid boutique hotel
until July 31, 2008 at little more than GBP
£75 a room – an extraordinary
deal that surely ranks as one of the most
spectacular offers not just in Sri Lanka but
in the entire region. Aditya, a 12-suite hotel
completed in early 2006, sits on a secluded
stretch of beach in Rathgama, midway between
the hedonistic beach resort of Hikkaduwa and
the historic old town of Galle, and oozes
class and style. A triumph – and one
that we recommend you sample while you can.
A minimum three-night stay is required.
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| The
Privilege |
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 The
Privilege Hotel offers classy boutique accommodation
alongside Kalutara beach, about 80 minutes
south of Colombo. Twenty luxurious if noit
particularly large suites offer an ideal retreat
for those seeking style and high levels of
personal service within range of the capital.
Half-board deals are now down to just over
GBP £90 a night. |
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| Ambalama,
near Galle |
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 Sri
Lanka’s luxury beach villas have never
been more affordable. Ambalama is a smart
four-bedroom beach villa situated on a pristine
beach, a few minutes drive from the historic
city of Galle. Large teak double doors lead
directly to a swimming pool with uninterrupted
views of the beach and Indian Ocean. There
is an in-house cook and hoursekeeper and many
restaurants nearby. Thanks to a Red Dot special
promotion, You can have all this from June
1 to November 30 (excluding August) for approx
GBP £76 per room per night.
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| Apa Villas,
near Galle |
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 Apa
Villas is a small seaside boutique hotel consisting
of three separate stylish beach villas. It
lolls on an idyllic stretch of beach just
eight kilometres from the historic town of
Galle. For May, June and July, it is offering
a reduction to about GBP £130 BB per
night for any available suite at the beach
villas. Red Dot can advise on your choice.
Confirmation by April will be rewarded with
a complimentary Apa Villa rice-and-curry meal
for two on the first evening stay. Guests
will be pampered in true Apa Villa style.
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| Taj
Exotica, Bentota |
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 Stay
more than four nights at Taj Exotica until
April 30 and get the same number of nights
free. That represents out finest ``free night’’
deal of the peak holiday season. Normal prices
for this beach 5-star start as low as GBP
£85 per room, so the free rooms deal
offers astonishing value. The top-of-the-range
Taj Exotica is situated on its own rock headland,
with glorious views over Bentota beach, one
of the most expansive beaches in Asia. The
Taj group is intent upon spreading its reputation
for 5-star service from the city to the coast.
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| Blue
Water, Wadduwa |
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 We regularly monitor the prices at Blue Water, which can fluctuate hugely for the independently-minded traveller seeking just a one or two-night stay. Until the end of October, their prices represent extraordinary value: roughly GBP £50 until the end of October for a twin on BB basis, except for August when the price is about GBP £60. Alternatively, there are appealing free ``extra night’’ offers for long stayers. Wadduwa is highly convenient, too, lying barely on an hour south of Colombo, so saving on transport costs and tiring journeys for those wishing to seek out a long-stay deal. A commute to the airport from here (depending on the time of your flight) will average about two-and-a-half hours. If you like water, you'll adore Blue Water: mini-ponds, streams and fountains are everywhere and its swimming pool is one of the largest in the world. Another creation of Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most celebrated architect – and here is a chance to enjoy one of his finest hotels at a steal of a price.
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| Max Wadiya |
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 Max
Wadiya offers two modern beachside villas
in the small coastal settlement of Ambanangoda,
the mask-making centre of Sri Lanka, just
south of Bentota. The two villas have extensive
gardens and vibrantly-decorated interiors,
perfect for two families travelling together.
Red Dot can offer reductions of 15 per cent
from July 15 to Sept 15, and 10 per cent Sept
15 to Nov 15. |
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| The
Beach , Negombo |
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 The
Beach, Negombo’s first 5-star, is a
chic hotel offering great luxury and a warm
and attentive level of service. For those
seeking a luxurious base in one of Sri Lanka’s
youngest and most vibrant coastal resort.
Deluxe-room prices have been reduced to around
GBP £45 per twin room until July 15,
and about GBP £75 from July 16 to October
31. Stay six nights and you also get a night
free.
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Mid-market deals:
| Amaya
Reef |
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 The
Reef’s successful refurbishment tells
of Hikkaduwa’s new-found confidence.
Its 54 bedrooms are bright and simple, its
swimming pool lies alongside a golden beach,
and it exudes contentment. A good-value traditional
hotel now available at under GBP £40
for a twin room until the end of October --
a discount on normal Red Dot prices of more
than 20 per cent. There are also free room
nights for the same period: stayt five nights
and get another two free.
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| Thambapanni,
Unawatuna |
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 Thambapanni
is not a beach hotel as such, lying in its
own mini woodland, about a five minute walk
above the golden horseshoe bay of Unawatuna.
But its cheapest twin rooms until April now
come at around GBP £25 a night, a considerable
saving on its normal rates. Deluxe rooms are
about twice as much and for a hotel that was
hailed as bringing new standards to Unawatuna’s
mid-market properties when it opened a couple
of years ago, that is stunning value.
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| Dickwella
Resort, Dickwella |
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 Dickwella
Resort is a perfect choice for the school
summer holidays. It lies within the south
coast dry zone, so even if the weather becomes
a little unstable the chances of glorious
sunny days are excellent. Childfren also relax
easily in its informal atmosphere. Twin room
prices for a standard cabana are about GBP
£50 per room until the end of October
– rising to GBP £70 for August.
There are also free room nights for thoser
who stay longer than five nights (August excepted).
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| Kani
Lanka, Kalutara |
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 Kani
Lanka is a traditional beach holiday hotel
in Kalutara, the gateway to the west coast
beaches, and has recently had a successful
boutique makeover. It now represents an attractive
option among Sri Lanka’s west-coast
hotels. Twin rooms are under GBP £45
until the end of October and there are also
free room offers until the end of June. In
our estimation, this is the best mid-market
option on the west coast for those wishing
to keep their travel to sensible levels. Kani
Lanka is about three hours from the airport.
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| Serendib,
Bentota |
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 Serendib
has just reopened after a temporary closure
for refurbishments, and that has caused a
fall in its package market with big companies
wary about whether it would open in time.
Ity has -- and the result is an appealing,
tried-and-tested 3-star at excellent rates
until October 2008. The Serendib would not
claim to be the largest, or the most ornate
hotel in Bentota. But it offers all the basic
facilities and there is a hospitable feel
to this simple, serene hotel that charms many.
An envied position on the heart of Bentota
beach certainly helps. A twin room between
about GBP £30-40 until the end of October
offers the chance of a great-value beach holiday.
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Best budget:
| Garden
Beach Hotel |
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 Sri
Lanka attracts many repeat visitors and Garden
Beach has proved a particular attraction for
travellers on a tight budget, who are seeking
a small, serene hotel with good levels of
comfort, attentive and professional service
and reliable food standards. Garden Beach
also has an enviable location. It is one of
only two hotels on the west-coast turtle beach
at Kosgoda, where turtles regularly come ashore
to lay their eggs. This small hotel has a
gleamingly modern feel, and if facilities
are limited, its standards are not. Its 2007/8
peak-season prices could barely be better
if they offered the rooms free of charge.
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Other luxury special offers:
| Amaya
Hills, Kandy |
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 Amaya
Hills is a 4-star hotel lying on a tranquil,
wooded outcrop above the hill-country capital
of Kandy. Its panoramic views delight many,
but we also value its authentic Sri Lankan
feel. Rates have been clipped by more than
20 per cent until the end of October 2008
-- leaving a twin room outside Perehera
time under GBP £40 a night. Even during
Perehara, it is only around GBP £50.
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| Amaya
Lake |
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 Amaya
Lake is a hotel of four-star standard, which
enjoys a peaceful and beautiful setting
by the banks of Dambulla lake. An excellent
eco hotel, with simple low-level cabanas,
offering luxurious calm to those seeking
tranquillity. Rates have been clipped by
more than 20 per cent until the end of October
2008 -- leaving a twin room under GBP £40
a night.
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| Illuketia,
Galle |
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 Illuketia,
set in a 10-acre plantation estate about
10kms from Galle, is a botanical wonderland:
a secluded haven of colourful flowerbeds,
undulating lawns, mazy paths and tranquil
waterways. The Summer Special is about GBP
£90 for a double room. Additionally,
there is a complimentary rice-and-curry
dinner on the first night for a booking
made by April. Experience the luxurious
retreat of a mansion set in acres of winding
paths, beautiful trees, lotus pond and a
hideaway swimming pool.
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| 41
Lighthouse Street |
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 Astonishing
value in the centre of Galle Fort. The Sri
Lanka luxury villa market has been particularly
resistant to price cuts even at a time when
supply outstrips demand, but Red Dot has
secured a special deal at 41 Lighthouse
Street until November 30, 2008, which is
sure to bring heavy demand. Reduced prices
do not mean compromises on quality. This
is a beautifully renovated 300-year-old
Dutch house inside the walls of the UNESCO-protected
Fort and is is a perfect location to explore
Sri Lanka’s wonderful palm-fringed
beaches. This deal – available on
request – is highly recommended.
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| Trans
Asia |
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 Name
us an Asian city where you can get a top
5-star for under GBP £40 a night.
Colombo for start. TransAsia has been overshadowed
of late by the ackinowledged market leader,
the Cinnamon Grand, but it now shares the
same ownership. TransAsia enjoys a private
location alongside Biera Lake and offers
excellent all-round facilities and good
restaurants. |
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| Vil
Uyana |
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 If
you like luxury eco dwellings, sprawling over
a large area of wetland then Vil Uyana is
magnificent value until the end of October
with Red Dot negotiating huge 50 per cent
discounts on normal rates. Large individual
cabanas – and we mean large –
blend into a revived rural wetland. An atmospheric
delight in the heart of the cultural triangle.
Additionally, if you pay for three nights
at the reduced rates, you get another night
free. |
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