For a laidback and extended stay in a Geoffrey Bawa-designed city-home. Finding beauty and joy in humble architectural gestures is the main draw. The tranquillity and the immaculate home-away-from-home setting are added bonuses.
As our taxi pulls up in front of a compound wall laden with flowering golden trumpet vines, we peer out, unsure whether we have arrived. The unassuming entryway to this home is like any other on this quiet street in central Colombo . A few steps inside, though, is all it takes to reveal the architectural gem that awaits.
The first glimpse of the main room – an airy, double-height salon with a pitched roof and courtyards on two sides – fills us with a sense of ease. This voluminous yet intimate space, bathed in soft shades of white, invites guests to unwind in the shared sitting and dining areas – think slipcovered sofas on one end and a lace-cloth draped dining table on the other. It’s rare for a stranger’s house, much less a hotel, to evoke a mood that’s reserved for visits to grandma’s. And therein lies the genius of its creator.
Designed by famed Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa for corporate honcho Ratna Sivaratnam in 1979, the home remained with the family till it was put on the market and acquired by Jetwing Hotels in early 2024. “We couldn’t bear the thought of it being demolished to make way for a high-rise,” shares Hashan Cooray, Director of Marketing and Development at Jetwing, the family-owned Sri Lankan hospitality enterprise whose portfolio includes three other Bawa-designed properties: Jetwing Lagoon and Jetwing Beach in Negombo, and the iconic Jetwing Lighthouse in Galle.
Doubles from Rs5,600-7,400, depending on the room. Address: Jetwing Ratnam Residence, 410/6, Buddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka
Architect Vinod Jayasinghe, Bawa’s protégé and long-time Jetwing collaborator, was roped in to adapt the family home into a four-key boutique property , which opened towards the end of 2025. The intervention has been intentionally restrained to only where necessary – for instance, an ensuite added to one room, and some missing furniture pieces in another. Much of the house retains its original character, furnishings including lampshades and wooden screens, and even the luxuriant courtyard gardens.
Stepping away from the spotlight, Bawa sets the stage for dappled light and lush foliage to be the heroes that shape spaces across the entire house. Three double ensuites, tucked away behind saloon doors for added privacy, carry forward the minimalist, tropical -modern aesthetic. With white-washed walls, vintage wooden furniture, and crisp bed linen, there are no superfluous details here and yet the rooms don’t feel sterile.
The largest is a Deluxe Attic, in what was originally the home’s primary bedroom. It sleeps four across two levels under a sizable pitched roof, and is perfect for families. The two Standard Rooms at the back, one with its own courtyard, were previously the children’s bedrooms. Here too, picture windows frame views of the dense vegetation, and the generous roof heights make for an airy stay despite the compact size. A fourth ensuite, equally pared down, is accessed separately from a staircase in the house’s first courtyard. Fronted by its own terrace, this Deluxe Room offers the most seclusion, making it ideal for lengthy stays and working remotely. Each room can be booked individually, with prices starting from Rs5,600.
The residence sits in a leafy bylane within the affluent Colombo 7 neighbourhood, home to several cultural institutions and embassies. A couple of supermarkets, bakeries, and restaurants are a short walk away. The city’s prime sights and the seaside Galle Face Green can easily be reached by cab or tuk-tuk.
Being more of a guesthouse than a hotel, there are no in-room phones or a front desk. However, two caretakers (their staying quarters are on-site) are available 24 hours, as a shared butler service between all guests.
While freshly-prepared tea and coffee can be requested at any time, there is no other food or beverage service. For meals ordered in, the caretakers lay out the dining table in the main room. There’s a fridge available in the pantry.
Jetwing Ratnam Residence is best suited for architecture lovers keen to spend a few nights in a Bawa-home at an affordable cost, soaking in details and moods that aren’t possible on conventional visits to his other projects. It’s also apt for visitors seeking a longer stay in Colombo with the convenience of a serviced apartment and the spaciousness of a bungalow, and for small, design-conscious groups who'd want to book the entire home for themselves while exploring the city.
Connect with Condé Nast Traveller India
© 2026 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service (updated April 1, 2021) and Policy and Cookie Statement (updated April 1, 2021). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.
Loading comments…