Giritale Holidays from £1,073

We went for this hotel based on the trust in the Riu brand, location, all inclusive basis and general good reviews. Overall the hotel was very good. We’d stop short of rating it as excellent based on some of the amenities looking / feeling slightly tired - probably on the basis of having been worked hard. Some key thoughts; We visited during the Middle East war / crisis and consequently the hotel was much quieter than normal. Therefore everything felt more spacious, less crowded and easier to access. We wondered how our very good experience might of been if the hotel had been close to full as we were told is the normally the case. The food was outstanding - particularly for an all inclusive. The choices were broad and quality excellent. The themed restaurants were also superb and easy to book. The Pan Asian and Sauté restaurants were particularly good. The staff were brilliant, so polite, helpful and curtious - a real credit to the hotel and Riu. There were 3 big pools but only one with an easy bar access which was also strictly (and enforced) adults only. That suited us but with parties including under 18s may be an inconvenience and something to consider. The rooms were big, clean with functional facilities and simple decor designs. The hotel is right on a stunning public beach. You can swim but need to take care due to big waves and strong currents. Overall, we’ve done lots of all inclusives and this one is defiibately up there as one of the better we’ve experienced!

Spa was professional.

This is a truly stunning hotel in a beautiful location. The staff look after you impeccably throughout your stay and are clearly very proud of their workplace and Sri Lanka itself.

The journey from the airport to the resort was long and extremely bumpy, which made it quite unpleasant. While the resort is located near the tea plantation, there wasn’t a meaningful walk-through to experience tea picking or interaction with the tea pickers. The resort itself was acceptable, though I experienced some unusual issues in my room on two occasions. On the first night of my check in, my luggage could not be unlocked until the next morning. There’s also another particular evening whereby each time I yawned, all the lights would unexpectedly switched off. It was strange and inconvenient. On a positive note, the dining options were relatively good and enjoyable. The serving staff were very hospitable and pleasant as well. Overall, the stay was average and did not fully live up to expectations.

Whilst there were some issues with our booking in relation to the details within the advert for the hotel which we have now resolved with Expedia, we still want to leave a positive review. The staff were absolutely amazing and were so accommodating, and in particular Arutha (food and beverage) delivered the best customer service we have experienced in a long time. We really felt like he could not do enough and was a pleasure to be around each day. It was my friends 50th and they pulled out all the stops for the evening even though it was New Year’s Eve. They made an amazing cake and decorated the room which was really lovely and I’m grateful to the manager for his/his teams efforts. The beachside bar and pool is in a beautiful location and the beach is amazing. It’s about 15 minutes in the shuttle to get there but is worth a visit. The chef made some really tasty food and as a vegan I appreciated the extra effort he went to. Whilst the fixed menu wasn’t really what we had hoped for, I have to say most of the dishes were lovely. The chef took the time to come and speak to us which again was appreciated. Whilst the Ayurveda treatments were not what we wanted, the manager assisted us as much as he could, and for that we were grateful and believe the hotel deserves a positive review for the time, effort and service the staff gave us.