Our guest-home ratings

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Each guest-home hotel we recommend has been individually reviewed so you know exactly what to expect. To ensure a standard measure we have developed our 3 gem rating scale, evaluating each property across three categories that are most important to us while booking a place to stay. Why award gems?

Facilities & Cleanliness

Below our standards. Infested with bugs & roaches, dirty floors, toilets, and we certainly wouldn’t sleep on the sheets. Some of the equipment provided doesn’t work (TV, telephone, etc).

No visible bugs & roaches, but not the cleanest. Rooms maybe a little dusty, damp or a few scoffs on the floors. All equipment provided works.

Clean room, free of bugs and good toilet facilities. Just a few minor scoffs on the floor or wall, likely because it is a slightly older property.

Double thumbs up! Very clean — Free of bugs, clean floors and toilets sanitized and sealed. Most importantly great bedding!

Hospitality

Poor service with rude hosts unwilling to accommodate even the simplest requests. Likely don’t speak a foreign language.

Mediocre service and hospitality. The hosts are occasionally cheerful and may accommodate some requests. Able to speak little English or another foreign language.

Friendly hosts willing to accommodate most of your needs, but also giving you your privacy without being “overly friendly”. Good concierge service or the staff is able to help you with tips on thing to-do. However, could be a larger hotel property lacking the homeliness of one-to-one interactions of a smaller guest-home.

True example of Sri Lankan hospitality! Friendly hosts going out of their way to chat and get to know you, speaking English or at least one foreign language. Hosts also have some great tips of things to-do in town.

Location & Accessibility

Not used.

Could be great for a quiet getaway — the property is isolated from most major attractions (more than 5 km). Transportation is not very easy to find, so be sure to bring your own.

Most major attractions are a little away (more than 5 km) and not just a “walk”, however finding transport to get you there is quite easy.

Right in the thick of things, most of the major attractions are just a short walk away.

Why Award Gems?

Gems are a natural resource that have had long history in Sri Lanka. The Italian explorer, Marco Polo (1254 – 1324), wrote that the island had the best Sapphires, Topazes, Amethysts, and other gems in the world while records from other ancient sailors refer to brining back “jewels of Serendib”.

For a weary traveler nothing is more precious than a clean and warm place to stay, and therefore it is appropriate to award our guest-home quality standard with gems, specifically the Blue Ceylon Sapphire. Ceylon Sapphires are reportedly unique in color, clarity and luster compared to blue Sapphires from other parts of the world. The “Heart of the Ocean” necklace from the 1997 Hollywood blockbuster, Titanic, features a 170 carrot heart-shaped Ceylon Sapphire as its centerpiece.