To satisfy your inner aristocrat in the grandeur of Sri Lanka ’s most storied hotels, a 17th-century building where Dutch Golden Age architecture meets British Victoriana with a Sri Lankan accent. Its pillared verandas, high ceilings and patterned 19th-century floor tiles are set in the 500-year-old Fort Galle district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the kind of place where guests who want the look of the old but the cushy feel of the new can have their cake and eat it: owners Aman Resorts have held fast to the vintage features while adding modern spa indulgences, and a gorgeous swimming pool .
The warm greeting by crisp, white-linened staff at the entrance verandah is incredibly opulent. One is immediately hit by the main hall’s airy, generously proportioned atrium, cooled by ceiling fans, with antique trunks here, potted palms there – a movie-set backdrop that brings in honeymooners and couples who appreciate simple elegance that doesn’t oversell itself. Even non-guests go out of their way to come and get a taste of Amangalla's old-school, tropical glamour. Sitting in antique rattan chairs by the verandah’s balustrades, they enjoy cocktails or afternoon teas while watching the world saunter by along the banyan-tree avenue.
Built by the Dutch in the fortified town of Galle in 1684, this former military headquarters sits in Fort Galle, a 96-acre site first built by the Portuguese and ringed with rampart walls overlooking the Bay of Galle. The British took over the building and used it to house their soldiers. Constructed in an era when utility and style carried equal weight, the graceful building was repurposed as a hotel in 1863 and became the New Oriental Hotel, frequented by parasol-wielding Europeans who arrived by horse-drawn carriage. In 2005, Aman Resorts took over the iconic property, renamed it Amangalla, and extended the building to accommodate more rooms, a spa, a library and a swimming pool.
31 doubles are divided between the main building and modern annex. The rooms in the annex contain balconies overlooking the gardens or swimming pool. Rooms in the original building feature tall, arched windows looking out onto the Fort and harbour (aim for a corner suite – it faces the sea, the Dutch Reformed Church, and has views of the lighthouse in the distance). The spacious, white-walled rooms give off an uncluttered stylishness that whispers rather than shouts. The beauty is in its antiquity: lofty ceilings, four-poster beds, a chaise longue, 150-year-old teak doors and floors that spring beneath the weight of history. Modern features are assimilated into the timeworn look, such as the grooved wooden ice box, or the power points installed in the desk recesses where an inkwell once might have been. There are bluetooth speakers and air conditioning for a refreshing Arctic blast. Fruit bowls contain all the local produce (mango, guava, pineapple, avocado, grapes, watermelon) from Sri Lanka’s incredibly fertile soil.
Breakfast includes fantastic egg hoppers and good cappuccinos. The evening menu includes Sri Lankan dishes and Western quintessentials that don’t get lost in translation. Starters like gotu kola sambol with tuna tartare are divine, while standout mains include seared cajun spicy sea bass with lump rice, crab risotto, and the pork black curry.
Afternoon teas on the veranda are a big draw, with non-guests stopping by for facefuls of pineapple gateau, coconut cake, and scones with homemade clotted cream.
The cocktail menu is loaded with the old classics as well as Sri Lankan signature tipples such as the Arrack Ginger Sour (arrack, lime juice, ginger, sugar, syrup). Deciding where to have your drink is half the pleasure: in the early evenings, guests can settle on the top floor ‘Sunset Balcony’ while watching monkeys clambering over the clay tile rooftops, and palm trees darkening against blushing sunsets.
The five-suite spa is the best in the region. An in-house Ayurvedic physician provides bespoke therapies and nutrition plans, while the signature treatment includes a cleansing scrub and wrap of native cinnamon and lotus, followed by a full-body Swedish, deep-tissue massage. Two hydrotherapy suites contain hot and cold pools, and a steam room, plus there’s a retro-style barber, and hair and nail salon. Yoga sessions can be taken either in the garden pavilion or on the ramparts at dawn.
Fort Galle heaves with history and has an impressive number of centuries-old buildings. First built by the Portuguese on a promontory in the Bay of Galle and ringed by thick stone ramparts, the Dutch took over the 96-acre district and then the British, who, along with the Sri Lankans, have left their melting-pot tidemarks in the form of faded, shuttered-windowed mansions, an old Dutch Reformed church, and Buddhist temples among narrow, cobbled streets. Brightly robed monks stroll through archways still emblazoned with the Dutch coat of arms, while at the water’s edge, locals practise yoga or swim and fish in the surprisingly clear blue waters. The old mansions are now occupied by boutique hotels, restaurants, museums and jewellery shops where blue Ceylon sapphires and other gems are cut and sold.
Beyond the fort, guests can have a candlelit dinner on a beautiful paddy island accessible through farmland dotted with peacocks. Excursions, including whale watching, can also be arranged.
Quiet but twinkly-eyed formality. A good staff-guest ratio means service is prompt and very attentive (they organised on-the-spot laundry when I spattered curry on my trousers). The knowledgeable butlers give guided tours of Fort Galle.
Bed linen is washed only on request.
As it’s an old building, there is no elevator, and the high ceilings make for steep staircases, but guests with limited mobility can get first dibs on ground-floor rooms.
The back garden’s heliconia flowers, frangipani and mango trees make a great venue for wedding parties . Guests can also rent a privately-owned house adjacent to the swimming pool.
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