Taj Samudra, Colombo

The hotel is wonderful, with a truly amazing location. Yes, it is an older property, but it has been maintained with grace, care and a quiet sense of pride. The walls may carry history, but the experience feels alive. For me, however, the real magic was not just the property. It was the hospitality. There is a kind of warmth and care here that is becoming rare in many hotels. In most places, one may remember one or two people who made the stay special. Here, almost everyone added something beautiful to the experience. A special shout-out to the Duty Managers, Mithoon and Avishka, for their attentiveness and support and to Renoza Hameed, the breakfast host, who ensured smooth, thoughtful and gracious service. But the person who truly made the difference for me was Bernie Nicholas. She understood my multiple 'maybe 'irritating' requests (like checkout time), guided me with care and that one interaction became the beginning of a deeply hospitable stay. Sometimes hospitality is not about grand gestures. It is about making a guest feel seen, heard and cared for. Bernie did exactly that. And of course, no hospitality experience is complete without food. At Taj, Chef Vipin Singh does not only create food with taste, he brings heart to the table. His desire to connect with guests, have conversations and make the dining experience personal is what turns a meal into a memory. Thank you to the entire team for making the stay so warm, graceful and memorable.

It was Friday night and it was so noisy in my room (room 280). I managed to fall asleep at 10:30, but was woken up abruptly with a loud noise at about 12:40 am. I called the duty manager and all I got was “sir you wait you wait you wait for another 15 minutes” and he dropped my call. There was no empathy, just * what do you want* attitude at the other end of the line. I was like hey, I’m the one who got disrupted from my sleep in a hotel room. I called back again to the duty manager line, this time round another fellow answered the call. Same thing. There was no apology at all, and he just mentioned there is an event going on sir. I voiced out my displeasure and the only reply I got was “okay okay I will call the event stuff now. “ It is super bad attitude, super super bad service from the duty manager. The next day I went to the front desk and asked for a room change. The front desk asked me to wait… I waited, and waited and waited…..

Had a pleasant stay. Amazing breakfast. Good restaurants. Good location. Great service by Tushar Adhikari and Shyamang during the dinner service at the Navratna restaurant.

It was an amazing experience with Taj Samudra, and i would love to give the credit to all the staffs of Taj Samudra from the entrance of the hotel till the end, however would like to mention few names Mr Dilhara, mr Dileka, mr Gayan and Sanjeewa, Ms Madhu and Asanka and Mr Pires. Really appreciate your hospitality. Looking forward to visit again soon.

Here’s a polished and balanced version of your review: Our stay at Taj Samudra had both disappointing and positive experiences. We arrived around 4 AM after a long 16-hour flight and received a very warm welcome from the staff, which we truly appreciated. However, once we entered the room, we were disappointed with the cleanliness and condition, especially the bathroom where there was visible mould buildup in the bathtub and between the shower tiles. The balcony also did not feel safe, especially with children. We informed the staff the next day, and although housekeeping cleaned the bathroom again and mentioned the room required renovation, we felt this should have been addressed before guests checked in. Unfortunately, despite being offered a room change, it did not happen until our final night. During our stay, we also experienced issues with water dripping from the walls, wet floors, and fogged mirrors due to humidity. On the positive side, Mr. Chaminda Dehiwatte, the Front Office Manager, handled the situation professionally once he became aware of our concerns. He sincerely apologised and arranged for us to stay in one of the Taj Club rooms on our last night, which finally met the standard we expected — clean, comfortable, and welcoming. The duty manager on that day was also extremely kind and helpful. Food was excellent, and all the staff throughout the hotel were warm and welcoming. It would be even better if there were more authentic Sri Lankan food varieties available. Special thanks to Mr. Dehiwatte and the duty manager lady also special thanks to Jessica Shedden for make elephant out of towel and kids was very happy for making our final day much more pleasant. Thank you to all the staff for your hospitality.

must visit to this hotel.... staff Dilhara,Gayan,Madhu,Dasun/Reshan, Ruwan/Saumya are very nice...

We had a wonderful stay at Taj Samudra. The hospitality and warmth of the team truly made our experience special. A heartfelt thank you to Chef Vipen, Chef Amit, Chef Digambar, Athauda, Keshan, and Dilahara for their exceptional service, kindness, and attention to detail throughout our stay. The chefs prepared everything with such care and perfection, and the entire staff went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and welcomed. Truly memorable hospitality — looking forward to visiting again soon.

Entering into the Taj was breathtaking . With friendly staff and the most delicious welcoming drink. Our room was spacious and clean however there were guests who were smoking a few rooms from us and the smell lingered, like a dirty secret for a few days. Breakfast is an absolute feast, with the assistance of Induhlin, the Supervisor, who guided me to try the local Sri Lankan food. What a wonderful ambassador to the Taj and to Sri Lanka, I think he should be promoted! The pool was perfect after a day of sight seeing and the staff attentive. Do try the bar area for a light dinner, I had the fish and chips, which was fresh and delicious. I can highly recommend the Taj Samudra, for the service and the food