The Kandy House

Kandy House
General information
LocationKandy, Sri Lanka
Other information
Number of roomsnine
Website
Kandy House website

The Kandy House is a nine-room,[1] 200-year-old[2] manor house which was built by the last Chief Minister[3] of the Kandyan Kingdom in 1804. It was fully restored and opened in 2005 as an upmarket boutique hotel,[4] situated 20 minutes from Kandy.[5] Described as a "showcase of the island's architectural renaissance",[6] it has established a reputation as "the best small hotel in Sri Lanka".[7]

History

The Kandy Hotel is also known as "Amunugama Walauwa" or "Ratwatte Walauwa"[1] was built in 1804[8] by the Chief Minister, Ratwatte Adigar, to the last King of Kandy. The kingdom at that time forbade any but the royal residences to use roofing tiles but the ambitious Ratwatte Adigar, had the nerve to build himself a replica palace with two sprawling stories of terracotta tiles. Two hundred years on, Geoffrey Bawa's protégé Channa Daswatte began work on a sensitive restoration[9] that has kept the essence of the villa intact but brought it into the 21st century. [10]

Notable guests

Facilities

  • Swimming Pool [8]
  • Inhouse dining facilities[11]
  • Yoga Lessons [12]

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b Loftus, Barbara (17 October 2009). "Serendipity in Sri Lanka". The Irish Times.
  2. ^ Spowers, Rory (13 October 2007). "Sri Steps to Heaven". The Guardian.
  3. ^ "Le Sri Lanka: Une Peninsule Epoustouflante", Marie Claire Maison, 28 June 2010, archived from the original on 23 July 2011, retrieved 2 July 2010
  4. ^ Kurlantzick, Joshua (25 December 2005). "The Rebirth of Sri Lanka". The National. Archived from the original on April 14, 2010.
  5. ^ Beyfus, Drusilla (4 February 2010). "Sri Lanka: Senior moments on a yoga retreat". The Daily Telegraph.
  6. ^ Beehner, Lionel (26 March 2010). "Sri Lanka a Heady Mix of Beautiful Beaches". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012.
  7. ^ Charlton, Gill (28 January 2010). "Sri Lanka's Calmer Shore". The National.
  8. ^ a b Ellis, Royston (9 March 2008). "A House You Wish Was Yours". The Sunday Times.
  9. ^ De Lisle, Rosanna (8 April 2006). "As Smooth as Silk, as Sweet as Tea". The Daily Telegraph.
  10. ^ Wijewardene, Rannish (2005). "The Kandy House". The Sunday Times.
  11. ^ Jaffrey, Madhur (22 September 2006). "I could settle down and live here". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2016.
  12. ^ De Lisle, Rosanna (20 January 2007), "Travel Special: April to June", The Independent, archived from the original on December 4, 2008