November 08, 2024
The Galle Face Hotel
Royal Dutch Suite

Once again, it was an unpretentious little Tuk Tuk that delivered me to the grandeur of the Galle Face Hotel. It felt more than a bit underwhelming to arrive at such a grand old palace in a Tuk Tuk and then have a uniformed doorman assist me from the cramped confines of the tiny vehicle. Then again, I experienced similar contrast on my first Tuk Tuk ride when I was dropped off at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport prior to flying First Class aboard Cathay Pacific up to Hong Kong. Maybe riding in Tuk Tuks is a good thing for me, as the ride has typically been followed by quality travel experiences.



The Galle Face Hotel
Imagine arriving here in a Tuk Tuk
Photo credit to Galle Face Hotel


I love the gracious hospitality of historic old properties like the Galle Face Hotel. If it were practical, my preference would have been to arrive in seemingly more respectful attire – a light linen or seersucker suit, or go really retro with a safari suit complete with pith helmet and monocle. As it were, the best I could manage was to change into a nice forest green oxford button down shirt to go with my Dockers.



Galle Face Hotel Lobby
Photo credit to Galle Face Hotel


Galle Face Hotel Lobby
Photo credit to Galle Face Hotel


For their part, the front desk staff couldn’t have been more gracious. I’d splurged and booked a Heritage Sea View Suite but after working our way through the formalities of the check-in process, I was informed that I’d been upgraded to a Presidential Suite. Right on!

Lofty though the name may sound, the Presidential Suite is still a couple of levels down from the hotel’s finest accommodations. Still, I was thrilled to have the upgrade and followed with patient anticipation as the bellboy led me down a beautifully carpeted hallway to an ornate wooden door with a bronze plaque reading “Royal Dutch Suite” on the wall to its right.

Once again, although veteran readers of my trip reports might associate my travels with budget accommodations and airport floors, I’ve stayed in my share of swank properties, so upon entering the suite it wasn’t like I was overwhelmed by the luxury. The style of the suite was older, but, per my tastes at least, quite elegant. We stepped into a modified kitchen type area with a counter, sink, cupboards and a fridge (including a wet bar loaded up with expensive goodies). A large antique looking table with seating for four filled much of the floor space.

My bellboy inserted the key card into a slot on the wall, thereby activating most of the electrical appliances – mainly lamps. I’m a huge fan of lamp light over harsh overhead lighting, so I immediately appreciated the ambiance. As for the air-conditioning, either it was always on, or someone had thoughtfully turned it on in advance of my arrival, because the room temperature was very comfortable when I arrived.

Just beyond the dining area was a sitting room with a comfortable antique looking couch and overstuffed chair set around a low coffee table. On the wall across from them was a nice looking credenza made of dark wood, atop which sat a 50” flat screen TV. I really love the old style elegance of rooms like this, modern television notwithstanding.



Royal Dutch Suite Sitting Room


Old School Comfort


Through a doorway off to the right was the bedroom. A king sized bed was topped with large pillows and cushions. Twin lamps with individual reading lights were on each side of the bed. Another big screen TV and a writing desk completed the ensemble.

Well, not quite. The other thing I really liked was the high ceilings and the old wooden floors topped with beautiful woven area rugs. I couldn’t help but wonder how old some of these furnishings were. Though I like antique furniture and rugs, I’m no connoisseur. Who knows? Perhaps these rugs were made in the past twenty years. The wooden floors however appeared to be original issue.



Royal Dutch Suite Bedroom


Royal Dutch Suite Bedroom


And finally – the bathroom. It was huge, with a spacious glass walled walk in shower, a marble topped counter with two sinks and a separate large room for the toilet. Just outside the bathroom was a large armoire stocked with two plush terry cloth robes and slippers.



Royal Dutch Suite Bathroom Entrance


Given the late hour and the fact that I hadn’t had a proper meal since breakfast, I didn’t spend much time checking out my new digs. There’d be plenty of time for that later. The front desk staff informed me that a limited menu was still available at the Veranda – an indoor/outdoor bar restaurant just off the lobby, so I headed down there straightaway to see what might be available.

First – something to drink. How about a gin and tonic? My request was met with a question. What type of gin would I like with my drink? A choice of four were available. And tonic? A choice of two were available. Lime? Yes, please!

As for food, my waiter recommended the Club Sandwich. With French Fries. Sounds good. Let’s do it.

I had really been looking forward to a sumptuous feast in the hotel’s formal dining room but alas, my late arrival had scuttled those plans. And tomorrow, I was flying off to Kuwait. It also would’ve been nice to check out the poolside bar for a late night cocktail. Here’s what I missed:



1864 Restaurant
Photo credit to Galle Face Hotel


King of The Mambo Bar
Photo credit to Galle Face Hotel


Poolside Bar
Photo credit to Galle Face Hotel


In any event, the club sandwich was as good as any club sandwich I’d ever had (with the possible exception of the ones I remember having poolside at the Valley Ho Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona when I was a kid) and that G&T really hit the spot. Cheers to Chalkie if you’re out there!

Back in the room, I caught a good night’s sleep on the comfortably firm mattress of my king sized bed. Being a late riser, I enjoyed an invigorating shower before taking advantage of the room service for a filling breakfast of Eggs Benedict and a pot of hot coffee. Good coffee, too, this time. I took my plate of food out onto the huge patio outside my room where I enjoyed the sunshine, the view and the light breeze.



Inviting Morning Balcony View


Eggs Benedict Breakfast Presentation


Looking Left Off My Balcony


Looking Straight Out Off My Balcony


Looking Right Off My Balcony


What a marvelous way to start the day! My only regret is that I don’t have two or three more full days to spend enjoying the bars, restaurants and other facilities of this wonderful old hotel. A proper return visit is definitely sitting near the top of my bucket list for upcoming travel adventures. The same holds true for the Hotel Majahapit in Surabaya. And the eponymous Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe.

Check out time was at noon, but since I’d made arrangements with the front desk for a car to the airport at 230pm, they graciously extended my checkout until 1:00pm. I could store my bag for an hour or so while stopping by the Veranda Restaurant for light refreshments and a cocktail or two. I’d perused the extensive bar menu last night, and had my eye on a couple of tasty cocktails I wanted to check out.



Patio Seating at The Veranda Restaurant


Traveler’s Bar at The Veranda Restaurant


Tropical Delight at The Veranda Restaurant


At 2:30pm on the dot, my airport car arrived – this time a spacious and blissfully air-conditioned SUV as opposed to the ubiquitous Sri Lankan TukTuk. My driver spoke good English and was relatively well traveled. He’d been to Europe and twice to the US where he had relatives in Virginia. We had a good time trading travel stories on the 45 minute drive to the airport, and I was pleased to discover that Sri Lankan Airlines had a separate drop off area for its Business Class clientele. Interestingly, the entrance wasn’t part of the main terminal complex, but rather was well off to the side, looking more like a utility or freight entrance than a fancy Premium Class entryway. Once inside however, things became considerably more businesslike in all the best ways.