Hilton Colombo {LKA}
Oct 3, 2017, 6:11 am
Oct 3, 2017, 10:59 am
Oct 3, 2017, 12:16 pm
much cheaper than taxis....i think from the airport to the city an uber cost me under $12....
Oct 23, 2017, 8:17 am
As a HH Diamond I was upgraded to an executive room on an exec floor. The room smelled damp, in the toilet some cigarette smoke and clearly it hand't been renovated since the early 80s.
The only accessible power outlets were located on the desk where an extension cord had been installed. The bathroom was equipped with single bathrobe and slippers for 2 person stay and is in its original condition. Check out this hairdryer! (to be fair the room was equipped with another one as well)
Once I decided to check out the exec lounge I was turned away wearing a collared shirt, closed shoes and dress shorts. As there was no mention of a dress code either in the material provided at checkin or verbally given at any point I asked to speak with the manager. He was only available by the phone and explained that since they renovated the lounge they only accept long trousers for men.
Ok, fair, just don't be so cheap you can't print out or even teach the staff to make this things known to guests. The kicker is they had no problem giving access to a guy in his gym trousers and slippers.
As it has been said before the management here clearly aims to cash out with the abysmal guest rooms as long as they can. Would not stay here until they get renovated.
Last edited by AnttiV; Oct 23, 2017 at 8:25 am
Mar 19, 2018, 8:08 pm
Can anyone clarify a few things? I'm considering a visit, as I have never been, could use some AA EQD, and there's a decent CX fare now out of ORD.
- How much of a concern is the Dengue Fever situation? If we stay in the city do we need to wear long sleeves, long pants, and treat everything with DEET?
- How long is the swimming pool? 20 meters or more (for lap swimming)? Is it outdoors, and if so, would there be mosquito concern?
- Is the lounge entirely non-smoking? There were reports of it being split, with one part smoking.
- As someone with a bad tobacco smoke sensitivity, would staying here be a problem, if even the supposedly non-skiing rooms are smoky?
- What are the mattresses like? Do they provide good support, or are they worn out, saggy, etc.?
Mar 24, 2018, 12:20 pm
It's a good place for the last night before a flight. Plenty of reasonable hotels for a night.
May 26, 2018, 10:10 pm
Can anyone clarify a few things? I'm considering a visit, as I have never been, could use some AA EQD, and there's a decent CX fare now out of ORD.
- How much of a concern is the Dengue Fever situation? If we stay in the city do we need to wear long sleeves, long pants, and treat everything with DEET?
- How long is the swimming pool? 20 meters or more (for lap swimming)? Is it outdoors, and if so, would there be mosquito concern?
- Is the lounge entirely non-smoking? There were reports of it being split, with one part smoking.
- As someone with a bad tobacco smoke sensitivity, would staying here be a problem, if even the supposedly non-skiing rooms are smoky?
- What are the mattresses like? Do they provide good support, or are they worn out, saggy, etc.?
Currently at the Hilton CMB.
Rooms have not been renovated yet but a lot of the hotel grounds have been renovated recently or are currently going through renovations.
The new lounge just opened and its located on the 2nd floor replacing the one on the 17th floor. Lounge is very nice with relatively decent breakfast spread. Only downside is I don’t see eggs on offer, but they have plenty of other protein options. Lounge is not split and is entirely non smoking.
It’s raining nonstop here and I am only spending a night, so can’t comment on the mosquito issue.
Pool is outdoors and oval — ill post a picture later. Definitely wider than 20m.
The mattresses are not the Hilton standard mattress - its more firm and basic. Not uncomfortable but not what one would be accustomed to when staying at a Hilton.
Don’t see or notice any smoking issues. I am also someone who cannot stand the scent of cigarettes or tobacco. Smoking floors are only floors 4 and 19.
So many cranes up - certainly giving NYC a run for its money.
Last edited by golfingboy; May 27, 2018 at 7:58 am
May 27, 2018, 3:39 pm
Currently at the Hilton CMB.
Rooms have not been renovated yet but a lot of the hotel grounds have been renovated recently or are currently going through renovations.
The new lounge just opened and its located on the 2nd floor replacing the one on the 17th floor. Lounge is very nice with relatively decent breakfast spread. Only downside is I don’t see eggs on offer, but they have plenty of other protein options. Lounge is not split and is entirely non smoking.
It’s raining nonstop here and I am only spending a night, so can’t comment on the mosquito issue.
Pool is outdoors and oval — ill post a picture later. Definitely wider than 20m.
The mattresses are not the Hilton standard mattress - its more firm and basic. Not uncomfortable but not what one would be accustomed to when staying at a Hilton.
Don’t see or notice any smoking issues. I am also someone who cannot stand the scent of cigarettes or tobacco. Smoking floors are only floors 4 and 19.
So many cranes up - certainly giving NYC a run for its money.
Oct 24, 2018, 1:33 am
Hilton Colombo
2 Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha Colombo, Sri Linka LK 00200
Hilton Colombo = Aging Hotel but Renovated Executive Lounge (9 Photos)
Hilton Colombo
There is not much competition in Colombo from international hotel chains so rates at Hilton Colombo are generally quite high, however I found an attractive BRG of $70 for a quick stay recently. At this price it was a no brainer but given that I am not a frequent guest of Shangri-La, I would have probably booked Hilton even at a higher price to get the Diamond status benefits.
Location
The hotel is quite far from the airport. It took 30 minutes to reach the hotel without traffic. The taxi did not have a meter but I paid flat rate 2500 LKR ($15 USD).
Room
The hotel is aging and far from being a new and modern hotel as we can find in other parts of Asia, and this is particularly true for the room. The good news is that I was upgraded to a corner suite without asking, despite booking the basic room and having a low BRG so it looks like this hotel is quite generous with Diamond upgrades. However I would note that the hotel might not have known that I had a BRG when they gave me the suite upgrade, because I had to ask them to fix the pre-BRG rate upon check-in. Even with a corner suite, there is nothing wow with this room. The furniture is relatively old and there are no strong features in the room. The windows had a lot of condensation and obviously have something wrong with them. There are no convenient power plugs by the bed side and I had to unplug a lamp behind the night table to charge my phone. There is strangely also no power near the working desk and all plugs are UK-style rather than international style. The bathroom is relatively old with a shower in the bathtub which I do not particularly like. On the plus side, the bed was comfortable and I had a nice welcome gift waiting for me in the room.
Dining
The strong point of the hotel is the executive lounge. They recently closed their lounge on the 16thfloor and opened a new one on the 2ndfloor in the last few months. Obviously since they just opened the lounge, it looks great and has several attractive seating areas. In many hotels I prefer to have breakfast in the restaurant because lounge breakfasts can be limited, but here the breakfast in the lounge was quite good and very peaceful because there was hardly anybody there.
Overall
Overall the Hilton is a decent choice especially for those with Diamond status because you have good odds of a suite upgrade and the lounge is nice at this hotel, and honestly, what are the alternatives? I would consider returning there instead of booking at Shangri-La because I would not want to forego the free lounge access as a Hilton Diamond. However note that Sheraton will open in 2019 so given that the Hilton is quite old there is potential that Hilton might be left in the dust if the Sheraton is half decent.
Oct 25, 2018, 1:13 am
Regarding the Hilton, it is a tough pill to swallow for the old rooms and pretty high rates (for Sri Lanka). I'd go there because Diamond status, but otherwise hell no.
Oct 25, 2018, 3:02 am
Oct 26, 2018, 8:16 pm
Oct 27, 2018, 11:22 am