Jetwing Lighthouse
A Geoffrey Bawa hotel on a rocky promontory just north of Galle Fort, open since June 1997.
The photograph shows the region, not the hotel.
- Architect
- Geoffrey Bawa, described as one of his last major projects
- Commissioned
- 1995, by Herbert Cooray for his travel company Jetwings
- Opened
- 7 June 1997, as the Lighthouse Hotel
- Site
- A rocky promontory about 1.61 km north of Galle Harbour, just north of Galle Fort; once the site of a Circuit Magistrates' bungalow
- Size
- Opened with 60 rooms and three suites; a 2013 wing added twenty rooms and two suites. The page gives 85 rooms and 5 suites today, although 60 plus 20 is 80
- Facilities
- Three restaurants, two outdoor pools and a spa
- Owner and operator
- Owned by Lighthouse Hotel PLC and operated by Jetwing Hotels
What it is
Jetwing Lighthouse began as the Lighthouse Hotel. Herbert Cooray commissioned it in 1995 for his travel company, Jetwings, and Geoffrey Bawa designed it. Wikipedia describes it as one of Bawa's last major projects. It opened on 7 June 1997.
It stands on a rocky promontory about 1.61 km north of Galle Harbour, just north of Galle Fort, on the site of a Circuit Magistrates' bungalow. It is a five-star hotel run under the Jetwing name and owned by Lighthouse Hotel PLC.
How it has grown
The hotel opened with 60 rooms, three suites, two restaurants and a pool. In 2013 a new wing added twenty rooms, two suites and a restaurant. It now has three restaurants, two outdoor pools and a spa.
Wikipedia states 85 rooms today, although the original 60 plus the 20 added in 2013 make 80, and the page does not explain the gap. Ask the hotel for the current figure.
Outside the fort
Our Sri Lanka itinerary lists this hotel as the option just outside Galle Fort, on a headland a few minutes from the walls. The fort hotels, Amangalla and Fort Bazaar, are inside them. The choice decides whether you walk out of your door into the old town or drive a few minutes to reach it.
Rooms and the rate
Expedia's German site showed that, as of 10 September 2026, a one-night stay for two adults on 14 September 2026 started from EUR 166, including taxes and fees. Other listings give other figures for other dates, and the range is wide.
Our itinerary prices its Galle nights at Fort Bazaar, not here, so this page does not feed that total.
Who it suits
It suits travellers who want a Bawa building with pools and a spa near Galle, for a few nights on the south coast, and who do not need to sleep inside the fort.
It is less suited to anyone who wants to wander the fort's lanes at night from the hotel door.
| Rate | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Room for two adults, from, one night on 14 September 2026 (read on 10 September 2026)Taxes and fees included. A single-date snapshot; the page does not name the room category. | EUR 166 | Expedia (Germany), Jetwing Lighthouse |
Published prices read on 11 October 2026. They are not quotes: rates change by date, room and availability, and may exclude taxes and service charges. Ask us for a quote for your dates.
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- How many rooms and suites are there today, and which are in the 2013 wing?
- How far is it on foot or by tuk-tuk to the fort gate?
- Which rooms face the sea?
- Is the spa open to guests only, and what are the pool hours?
- What are the current rates for our dates, with taxes and service charge?
This page is compiled from the sources above. A detail they did not give is left out, not guessed.
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