Arne's Place The Friendliest Hotel

Fantastic location which was close to the beach.

How rustic the cabana was.

Misleading photos that need updating, rats running around the room at night, situated next to a music bar that plays very loud tunes til 3AM

Arne's Place is your typical Sri Lankan hotel: nice and comfortable rooms. Mostly, it's only 10 seconds away from the inviting blue sea, which you can gaze at from the garden's day beds. Except this hotel is like no other, as it truly tells the story of the four Princes of Arugam Bay: four brothers who will welcome you into their land and make you feel at home. At Arne's, you'll be hosted by Haleem, the manager. Haleem is the kindest man we have met during our whole trip. He was consistently there to give us the best advice, take us to the greatest spots, happy to share his culture with us, and became our true friend. While you're hanging out at the hotel, you'll most likely meet Muba, the entrepreneur, always eager to joke around with his Aussie accent and share with you the story of Arne's and his many other great projects in "ABay". By the time you read this, he might even have some exquisite handcrafted Sri Lankan treasures to show you ! Dive even deeper into the Sri Lankan roots and nature with Hanas, the youngest and yet so wise. Hanas can take you on a safari trip to Kumana. We got to see so many wild animals, elephants, a bear, and even two leopards! Make sure to bring Haleem and his sharp eyes for leopards along the way! 🐆 And last but not least, if you're going to Arugam Bay, chances are, you'll be surfing! Once again, Arne's got you covered with yet another brother: Mahir, the free spirit. Mahir will give you the best surf lessons, providing you with transportation, boards, and suits if needed. From beginners to more experienced, truly, the only thing left for you to do is to: "PADDLE NOW"! 🌊 In any case, let's just say that if you're planning to stay a couple of days - or weeks - at ABay, go for more than a hotel, go meet the Princes for yourselves 🤴🏿🙌 P.S: If you pay close attention, you'll even see their King watering its plants.

Amazing! The location was incredible, close to the beach to watch the sunrise, good restaurants nearby. But the best part was the staff, they were so kind, friendly and helpful. It's a family run business and makes the stay more worthwhile and homely. Haleem was great at communicating with us, and took us on a lagoon safari which he was very knowledgeable about. Breakfast options were great, and all tasted amazing. Definitely recommend!

It was very hot in Arugam Bay over the days we were staying and it meant the room was very hot at night.

The day beds with ocean view was fantastic feature. We were offered a room upgrade for the same cost . Staff was very nice.

The staff is very friendly, rooms were clean, place feels very relaxed!