Following a recent, 30-month process to refresh and refurbish, Galle Face – perhaps Sri Lanka’s best-known hotel, which first opened in the mid-1800s – now boasts an updated looks and feel, without sacrificing the colonial stylings that root the hotel to its sense of place and history (something furthered by the hotel’s on-site museum). Superior rooms with ocean views have natural wood finishes, while studios err contemporary in style and the 8 suites, inspired by the “Persons of Substance” that have stayed here over the years, sprawl to multiple beds, balconies and dining areas. A handful of in-house dining, bar, pool and spa options are present, plus the beach and Indian Ocean on one side, Colombo’s Business District the other.

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