Heritance Kandalama

What it is

Kandalama is a Geoffrey Bawa building. The Sri Lankan architect designed the hotel to wrap around a cliff above the Kandalama Reservoir, and its entrance is a cave-like porte-cochère. Wikipedia gives three different dates for when it was built, so we state them rather than choose: 1995 in the infobox, 1991 in the lead and 1992 to 1995 for construction.

Bawa designed the entry so that the view of Sigiriya is revealed only after you enter the lobby. It is the sort of detail that makes people go to a building for the building's sake.

A green hotel before the term was common

The hotel won recognition for the way it is built and run. Wikipedia says it was the first LEED-certified green hotel in the world, certified in 2000 as a pilot project, and the first hotel in Asia accredited with the Green Globe standard. It was named best five-star hotel at the 2010 Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism, the third consecutive year it won, and took the gold award at the 2011 National Green Awards.

These are awards from a particular period, and the hotel has had decades since. They tell you about the design and its intent, not about the condition of the rooms or the service today.

Where it sits

Kandalama is about 11 km south-east of Sigiriya, near Dambulla, on the shore of the reservoir. That makes it a base for Sigiriya. Our 14-day Sri Lanka itinerary lists it first among three hotels for two nights in the Sigiriya area, and prices those nights at this hotel.

Rooms and the rate

The hotel has 152 rooms and 15 suites. The rate in our itinerary is US$197 a night, from a listing of five-star hotels in the Sigiriya area. Ask which rooms face the reservoir and which face the forest, since the setting is much of the point of the building.

Who it suits

It suits travelers who care about architecture and want a base for Sigiriya and Dambulla, with a night or two to enjoy the building.

It is a poor fit for anyone who wants a small hotel: with 152 rooms and 15 suites it is not one. Because the building wraps around a cliff, ask about walking distances inside the hotel if mobility is a concern.