Water Garden

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Destinations

Sri Lanka

Accommodation

Water Garden

Few hotels get both design and location right, but Water Garden is one of them.

This very comfortable and spacious 30-bedroom hotel is located in the Cultural Triangle with enviable views of Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Accommodation is in comfortable, elegant and contemporary villas, scattered across 35 acres and set amidst a water garden. Water Garden, in our opinion, is one of the finest properties in the Cultural Triangle, and is spread across a vast area, once occupied by rice terraces.

It was conceived by renowned Sri Lankan architect, Channa Dasawatte, who was a student of Geoffrey Bawa, and is a tribute to the ancient water gardens that occupied the lands surrounding the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. The accommodation is tastefully furnished and varies from Deluxe Villas to Villas with private pools. We feel it ticks so many boxes; an excellent location, spacious villas, good food and seriously special views.

What we love

The views are divine
It's low rise and well designed, so it slots into the landscape well
The staff are friendly and welcoming
The selection of food is great, and we find it reasonably priced compared to some other luxury hotels on the island
The rooms are a fantastic size, and we enjoyed the buggy rides to get to them

It's not cheap, but the standard is good and it’s a special place to treat yourself

Service isn't always on point, but it is offered with a smile. This is common in Sri Lanka

Families are very welcome here and the Duplex Villas are a good choice. There's a great kids menu and kids will love climbing Sigiriya Rock nearby

Water Garden is located in the heart of the cultural triangle with views of the iconic Sigiriya Rock. This spot is perfect for site seeing and exploring.

What our travellers say

We went to Sri Lanka as a three-generation family of three. The superb trip was organised by Samanthie and the team and it's difficult to see how it could have been bettered.

Roy Wood (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

Red Dot organised the most wonderful 3-week holiday for us. Samanthie built a trip around the amazing sights we had requested visiting, together with her own suggestions and a wide mix of hotels, which gave us the flavours of both traditional Sri Lanka and the sleek, stylish contemporary version of the country. Our Driver made the whole experience incredibly special for us.

Alie C (February 2026) Read the whole review here Trip Advisor

I can’t thank Cherylle and the Red Dot team enough for their meticulous planning of our family holiday to India travelling through Rajasthan over Christmas. As a family of all adults, every suggestion from daily activities to hotel choices was simply perfect. We travelled through Delhi, Ranthambore (an unforgettable tiger safari!), Jaipur and Agra and I truly feel we experienced the very best of each destination while moving at a relaxed, well thought out pace

Daisy Stanton (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

My partner arranged a holiday trip at fairly short notice to Sri Lanka with Red Dot on a recommendation, Samanthie was so patient & helpful with her suggested itinerary which we followed with some minor amendments. On arrival at Colombo we met Manjula our chauffeur/guide who was absolutely brilliant!

Andrew S (February 2026) Read the whole review here Trip Advisor

Dulmini and the Red Dot Team arranged a fantastic trip for us around Assam and North East India. Faultless service. I cannot recommend them more highly.

Martin Thomas (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

Wonderful company. Our holiday in Sri Lanka was perfect. Local knowledge made all the difference

Sandra Nicholson (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

We looked up, and communicated with umpteen tour operators. Though Red Dot seemed to have offices in Sri Lanka and the UK, they seemed to have the best reviews. We were fortunate enough to correspond with Cherylle, who not only assured us of the safety of our friend, but created a personalised, and flexible, itinerary which we could not have done ourselves.

Jayant Banerji (February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

A 14-day tour with Red Dot Tours was the perfect antidote to the bleak UK winter. After a glowing recommendation from a friend, we contacted Red Dot Tours and were not disappointed. Our consultant, Lahiru, curated a seamless itinerary. Throughout the planning phase, Lahiru was incredibly responsive; the final itinerary—delivered via a user-friendly 'Guest Portal'—was impressively detailed, covering every hotel stay and excursion.

Phil Blair ( February 2026) Read the whole review here Google

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