Galle Fort Villa 1394

Once the home of a Scottish spice merchant, this colonial house built in the 1860’s has been converted into a small hotel which exudes a country house atmosphere. With 7 highly individual bedrooms, it is well known for its fine dining, its privacy, its eclectic collection of artwork, books and furniture. Perched high on a hill yet only a 5 minute stroll away from the centre of the seaside town of Galle, the house offers panoramic views of the Galle and the world heritage site of Fort Galle.

Here we offer our guests the ideal chance of being transported back to the relaxed life styles of the planters, when a day began with a hearty breakfast and finished with a cocktail at sunset.

This glorious house has been renovated to maintain its colonial charm and elegance. The large central living area is the heart of the house. A place where, at the end of the day, our guests can browse through the eclectic selection of books, sink into a relaxing sofa, listen to whatever music takes their fancy while enjoying a pot of up-country tea or perhaps something a little stronger like the famous “Sun House Sour” or let our barman mix up a surprise cocktail at Dick’s Bar, nominated as one of the best cocktail bars in the world and now Galle’s meeting point of choice..

There are two beautiful tropical gardens; The fragrant frangipani (“temple tree”) garden, leading to the swimming pool, and the mango garden which faces a stunning view of Galle harbour. The gardens are an idyllic and serene place for guests to relax, read, write or sunbathe.

Delicious fusion cuisine is served and meals can be taken in either the dining room, on one of the house’s airy verandahs or in the garden under the mango tree. Dick’s bar offers a more simple menu of salads, soups and pies.

The house is a peaceful retreat offering a friendly and relaxed environment with service that is discreet yet efficient.

It is the perfect spot to explore the area and most importantly relax, unwind and eat well!

Bedrooms

The house has seven highly individual bedrooms. There are 3 standard rooms, 2 deluxe rooms and 2 premium suites.

All rooms are filled with colonial antique furniture, dreamy four poster beds and each has an elegant bathroom. 

Here we pride ourselves on attention to detail. We have a firm belief that the “difference is in the detail”. All rooms have the finest quality bed linen and bath towels, stunning tropical flower arrangements and plenty of interesting reading material. The soft furnishings have been chosen to suit each individual room and its surroundings.

Cuisine

Renowned for some of the best food in Sri Lanka, The house offers contemporary gourmet cuisine with a focus on the highest quality ingredients fresh from the local markets each day.

The dinner menu changes daily with a starter, main course and a choice of three delicious desserts. The cuisine is predominantly seafood with influences from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia and the Mediterranean. Our chefs are equally at home making some of the most delicious & innovative Sri Lankan curries, string hoppers and sambals.

For those wanting a hearty start to the day, there is choice of an English or Sri Lankan breakfast. Delicious light lunches & snacks are also served throughout the day. Dick’s bar serves a simple menu of salads, soups and pies.

Meals are served in either the dining room, on one of the house’s airy verandahs or in the garden under the mango tree.

Our newly opened Bamboo Bar and Grill specialises in al fresco dining in the main courtyard and hosts regular evenings throughout the year.

Each year the house has a resident international guest chef come and conducts cooking classes for all those food enthusiasts and to train our own chefs on the finest fusion cuisine.

Location

The house is located on Sri Lanka’s exotic south coast which is quietly becoming the Riviera of choice for the world’s most discerning and inquisitive travellers. Conveniently located to the UN World Heritage site of Galle Fort, Buddhist temples, rainforests, lowland tea plantations, wildlife reserves and some of the most fabulous beaches in the Indian ocean. Set high on a hill overlooking Galle Harbour, the house is the perfect place to base yourself and set off exploring the local & chaotic markets and villages of the Southern Province.

Getting Around

During your stay here we recommend that you use one of the local Tuk Tuks to get around in & explore the surroundings. Our staff will arrange this for you on request.
The house is within walking distance of the centre of Galle and the Galle Fort. Walking around the Fort is the best way to soak in its history and to explore the narrow streets, laneways and historic ramparts.
Also available is our superbly restored vintage Rover.

Getting There & Away

Distances between locations in Sri Lanka are not that far, yet the time taken by road to reach a destination can be a somewhat tiring experience. Our team can arrange transfers for you by either chauffer driven air conditioned vehicles, sea plane, steam train or helicopter. The hHouse is a 4 hour drive south from Colombo’s international airport or for guests coming from the centre of the city of Colombo, it is a 3 hour drive.