Tea and Experience Factory - Thema Collection

Calm windy environment to spend a relaxing time close to the nature. Misty clouds around the tea estate. Peaceful location. It's an old tea factory converted to hotel. Clean and spacious room with bathroom. Meals were so delicious. The staff is exceptionally helpful and friendly, felt a warm welcome. They offer a tea experience tour to the factory. The booking process was smooth and did it online.

We slowly wind our way through a breathtaking twisting mountainous road guided by Vinath who met us at the last turn off. We head to the northeastern foothills of Lanka’s highest peak Pidurutalagala, A tea factory comes into view overlooking the valley of Mandaramnuwara. And we soon realise that it is our destination. An abandoned tea factory built hundred and seventy-five years ago, during the infancy of growing tea in then Ceylon, now converted into a hotel. It is mid-day and the Sun peers out of the clouds whisking past touching the mountain ranges. Mist keeps coming in and out giving us a performance as the views open and close. Temperatures feel cool compared to hot and humid planes we left only a couple of hours ago. A lady from the plantation Tamil community welcomes us and invites us to light a lamp and places a red coloured dot of ash on our foreheads, signifying that this is an area where the majority are from the Tamil community. A community whose ancestors were brought by the British from South India to clear the lush primary forests of the hills and plant coffee first and then once coffee was wiped out to plant tea in its place. We then meet the rest of the staff all with welcoming smiling faces and eager to interact with us While the hotel has no frills, it is cosy and neatly kept. The rooms are spacious enough with views of the valley and rugged mountain peaks. We had a mix of authentic local and western cuisine during our stay lovingly prepared by Chef Morgan and his team. Sasanka, Ramesh and Randika the stewards and Dumindu in the front office were always at hand to meet our needs. Akash and the rest at housekeeping kept our rooms spotless. What is unique about the place is the mini tea factory complete with the traditional machinery to produce black tea inhouse. The flavour and aroma of the freshly manufactured tea is hard to beat. In fact, the aroma from the manufacturing process permeates across the hotel adding to the romance of the place. The affable, knowledgeable and versatile naturalist Lakshan doubles up as the person in charge of tea production and we learnt some hitherto unknown facts about growing and manufacturing of black tea from him. He is assisted by Selvaraj, the lovable teamaker. Lakshan accompanied us during our two days of travel in the vicinity experiencing the stunning views and the multitude of waterfalls. The terraced paddy fields and vegetable plots of the valley are still worked the traditional way as the slopes are too steep for machinery. All in all, the eight of us had a lovely time. “Here soars our island-summit. Here I stand In spirit, as in body once I stood Long years ago, in love with all the land, This peerless land of Beauty’s plenitude.” - From Lanka from Pidurutalagala by Walter Stanley Senior

Wonderful experience , traveled with a group of friends . From the accomodation to the food and service was nothing but excellent. Location was five star , the naturalist at the hotel Lakshan comes highly recommended. He could not do enough for us , organising our tours and staying with us from start to end . I would recommend a visit to Mandaram Nuwara with Lakshan visiting all the local water falls .

The Tea & Experience Factory offers one of Mandaramnuwara’s most memorable stays—an authentic, beautifully crafted blend of history, culture, nature, and relaxation. It’s ideal for tea lovers, honeymooners, or travellers seeking eco‑luxury in Sri Lanka’s hill country. The staff… professional yet warm… the infinity pool… stunning… watching the tea‑making process was truly eye‑opening.

We had a lovely time with my family..Nice rooms delicious food..friendly staff..especially mention sasanka,ramsha,and randika. Supper happy with there overall hospitality experience..and looking forward to visit there again

It was a pleasant stay we had at Tea & Experience Factory on 13th June 2025. From booking to leaving from hotel was a smooth process without any hassle. You will not realize that it is a hotel until you walk into the premises as it is a tea factory from outside which converted to hotel in 2019. The entire team at the hotel was so caring, very help full and attending to every need with no hesitation. Vinoth guided us from the day prior to we visited the hotel. Dinidu went out of his way to help our mother who had difficulties in climbing stairs. The road to the hotel is not the best but you will have to expect it as it is situated in a tea estate. Recommending using a vehicle with good ground clearance and drive with patience. You will have a decent spread of food for all three meals, and the kitchen crew is doing a fabulous job to maintain good taste in every dish they offer. Rooms are spacious and clean. The only drawback is they are not fully soundproof, so you can hear all the noise from outside. One of the best experiences you could get is to know about a bit of history of tea industry in the world and Sri Lanka. You also can get experience of total orthodox tea manufacturing process from withering to packing. Lakshan is well equipped with knowledge and explains to you about the entire process & clears out any unclear area in the process.

Stayed here during a trip to Mandraramnuwara with some friends and their families. The booking process was smooth, and I did it online. They have a pretty functional web site and are very responsive with the phone. Location It's located in the famous Mandraramnuwara area for its beautiful waterfalls, crazy weather swings, cold climate and beautiful views. The hotel is situated inside a tea state so getting there is bit difficult due to the road conditions, but you can easily negotiate the road even with a small car if you are careful. There were two small cars (Vitz and a Passo) while we were there. Hotel It's an old tea factory converted to hotel. The place has lot of history because its one of very first factories built in Sri Lanka in 1800's. There is a functioning tea factory in the same premises. Welcome We received a very nice traditional welcome inspired from Hindu culture. We received a pottu on our foreheads at the end of the small ritual. Afterwards we received snacks and Cinnamon infused tea which is produced in the factory next to the hotel. Accommodation We booked two rooms which are Sinna Dorei Family and Periya Dorei Family. They can accommodate 3 and 4 people respectively. Rooms had barn doors which are common in industrial facilities. Walls are made of corrugated metal sheets which is very common among tea factories. Walls are double layered probably with some insulation in it. Sound proofing is not great, but we have no complaints. After all it's a tea factory. The room had all the amenities required including an electric heater which is quite good. Tea making facilities a d supplies were available, and all the toiletries were available. The walls were decorated with old posters depicting the history. Both rooms were great and loved it. Mine was in the downstairs overlooking the garden area. Food We made our booking on full board basis so stayed for all three meals. Since the hotel partially occupied, we didn't receive a buffet. This was confirmed during the booking, so we were expecting this. The options provided for meals are limited but we found food items matched to our liking in all three meals. The portion sizes were good and filling. We tried pumpkin soup, seafood broth soup, fish balls, salads, baked chicken, fried rice, eggs cooked in various ways (poached, fried etc...), pasta, kottu, backed fish, curd, watalappam, cut fruit, fruit salad during our meals. All were good and tasty. Only complaint is that the kottu was very spicy even for Sri Lankan standards. They replaced it promptly after notifying about it and apologized. The service received during meals were great. Service We received excellent service from the hotel staff. The staff was extremely friendly and quite happy to attend to our requests and was ready to provide detailed explanation of the aspects of the hotel we questioned about. Loved the great service from the friendly staff. Tea experience They offer a tea experience tour covering every aspect from leaf to cup. Everything starts from tea plucking session. The person in charge of the tour is extremely knowledgeable and provide us details of plucking process and answered our question in very detailed manner. Afterwards the factory visit started. There we got to know lots of details of the tea manufacturing process and the science behind it. They demonstrated all the steps of the process using the machines that are being used for the actual production explaining lots of things going behind the scenes. We got to know how tea is made, how they taste different, how they are graded and so on. The final step is a tea tasting session which was great and visit to the old power room. Don't miss this tour. During our stay we used the pool table which was nice. Wasn't able to use the nice swimming pool because of the weather. There are a few nice excursions available. Overall, we loved the stay at the hotel. It's an excellent place for families or groups of friends to have a relaxing time with little adventures and great tea experience.

We had the most amazing experience at the Tea and Experience Factory Hotel in Mandaramnuwara. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the friendly and attentive staff. The hospitality throughout our stay was truly exceptional – they went above and beyond to make us feel at home. The location is absolutely breathtaking. Surrounded by lush green hills and misty mountains, the views are simply magical. It’s the perfect escape for anyone looking to unwind and reconnect with nature. The rooms were incredibly cozy, clean, and beautifully designed with a charming rustic touch – every detail was thoughtfully curated. Waking up to the view from our room was a dream come true. The food was another highlight of our stay. Every meal was freshly prepared, full of flavor, and served with so much care. You can taste the love in every bite! This is hands down the best hotel I’ve ever stayed at. The unique concept, serene setting, warm hospitality, and exceptional service make it a place I’ll never forget. We’re already planning our next visit – I could come here again and again without hesitation. ☕️🌱

We absolutely loved our stay at Tea & Experience Factory — it turned out to be one of the most memorable getaways we’ve had in a long time. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we had stepped into a quiet, peaceful world surrounded by green hills and fresh mountain air. The whole place has a lovely charm to it. Staying inside a restored old tea factory was such a unique experience. Our room was clean and comfortable, with just the right amount of rustic style to match the setting. It was so calm and relaxing — all we could hear was the wind and the birds. The guided tea tour was one of our favorite parts. It was really interesting to learn how tea is made, and the staff made it so engaging and easy to understand. They were friendly and helpful throughout our stay. The meals were simple but delicious, and we enjoyed every bite while looking out over the beautiful landscape. It’s a great spot if you’re looking to relax, unplug, and take in the beauty of the hill country. We’d definitely love to come back again someday!