Taj Samudra

What it is

Taj Samudra stands in Colombo directly opposite Galle Face Green, facing the Indian Ocean. Wikipedia gives it 300 rooms and suites with ocean or city views and calls it one of the oldest five-star hotels in the city. It does not give an opening date for the building. It says only that the owning company was incorporated in 1980 and listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange in 1982.

The hotel reopened in March 2018 after a renovation costing US$20 million, in which 71 rooms and 15 suites were refurbished.

History to know

Wikipedia records a suicide bombing outside the hotel on 16 November 1992, which killed the commander of the Sri Lanka Navy while the New Zealand cricket team was staying there, and notes that in the 2019 Easter bombings one bomber failed to detonate his device at the hotel's breakfast buffet. We include them because they are part of the record, not to alarm you; they say nothing about the hotel today.

Where it sits

Our Sri Lanka itinerary lists it, with Shangri-La Colombo and Cinnamon Grand Colombo, as an option for the first night, after the airport transfer, and describes it as across the road from Galle Face Green. Shangri-La is the hotel we price.

Rooms and the rate

Kayak's US listing showed a standard room from about US$134 a night on a late-December snapshot, with no year given on the snippet we read. Other Kayak listings showed rates of the same order for other dates, and fees are included while taxes are not. It is a rough guide, not a quote.

Who it suits

It suits travellers who want a large hotel facing the sea and the Green for the first or last night in Colombo.

It is a poor fit for anyone who wants a small or historic hotel: it has 300 rooms and suites and has been through a large renovation.