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Hotels In GalleGalle Fort Hotel Winner of 2018 Experts’ Choice Award
February 23, 2018
Galle Fort Hotel has been selected as a recipient of the TripExpert Experts’ Choice Award.
The award is based on over 1 million reviews from 85 publications and recognizes the best hotels around the world. TripExpert takes a new approach to ratings by using only expert reviews in travel guides, magazines, newspapers and other respected sources.
With positive reviews from sources like Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet and The Telegraph, Galle Fort Hotel is one of the best rated and best hotels in Sri Lanka on TripExpert.
Galle Fort Hotel has also received TripExpert’s Best of Sri Lanka award. Reviewers agree that it is an outstanding choice for accommodation in Sri Lanka.
See the full Article on TripExpert.com
The Best Boutique Hotels in Galle, Sri Lanka by the Culture Trip
October 18, 2017
The Culture trip named the best boutique hotels in Galle and Galle fort hotel is in the list. This is what they have to say about us,
‘The Galle Fort Hotel was originally a Dutch mansion, and has been saved from ruin and neglect. Awarded the Asia Pacific Heritage Award of Distinction by UNESCO in 2007, the Galle Fort Hotel astounds guests with its impressive architecture and marvelous mix of old and new. It is inside the Galle Fort, right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the up-and-coming tourist quarter.’
Read the Full article on The Culture Trip
Galle Fort Hotel Wins 2017 Experts’ Choice Award
August 4, 2017
Galle Fort Hotel was today announced as a recipient of the TripExpert Experts’ Choice Award. The Award reflects the views of journalists and professional travel writers and is bestowed on only the best hotels around the world.
Less than 2% of all hotels worldwide receive the award
With positive reviews from reviewers such as Condé Nast Traveler and The Telegraph, Galle Fort Hotel is currently one of the highest rated hotels in Sri Lanka on TripExpert.com. TripExpert’s pioneering rating approach takes into account expert reviews from travel guides, magazines, newspapers and other respected sources.
Check out the Review from Trip Expert
Read the full article on tripexpert.com
Travel in 2017: Top 5 Places to Visit this Year
February 9, 2017Galle Fort hotel one of the unique hotels in Galle was mentioned in the latest article by sassyhongkong.com where they have mentioned Sri Lanka as one of the five places to visit in 2017.
If golden beaches, magical mountain vistas, rich wildlife, and exotic cuisine sound like paradise, Sri Lanka might just be the place to steal your heart! Nature lovers will delight in the lush landscapes of tea plantations, nature trails, caves, and lakes, while history buffs can explore a myriad of age-old cultural heritage sites, including 300 year old Galle Fort, one of Sri Lanka’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Bring your camera because there’s plenty to ‘gram from wild elephants and ancient temples to whale watching to vibrant tropical fruit.
Read the full article on www.sassyhongkong.com
Sri Lanka Is Ready for Its Close-Up by Conde Nast Traveller
December 14, 2016
Andrew Solomon from Conde Nast Traveler writes,
Just a few short years after the end of its brutal civil war, Sri Lanka—with its rambling temple ruins, leafy tea plantations, and wide golden beaches—is bursting with optimism (but not the crowds).
The shift from peace to war can be famously abrupt, with neighbors turning on one another with little apparent provocation. Placid communities can become bloodbaths in the blink of an eye (Kosovo, Syria). Rebuilding in the wake of a terrible war, by contrast, usually takes decades. But Sri Lanka has managed a rapid shift from some of the most horrific carnage in recent history—a civil war that raged for more than 25 years and produced 100,000 casualties—to a peace that not only unites the country’s previously divided ethnicities but inflects the experience of any visitor to the island.
Out of hotels in Galle, Galle Fort Hotel was a recommended stay from the author.
Read the full Article on the cntraveler.com
Top 10 Boutique Hotels In Sri Lanka by theculturetrip.com
November 30, 2016
The Culture Trip’s A. J. Samuels writes,
From Portuguese to Dutch to British colonizations, Sri Lanka has a turbulent and colourful history that has left cultural and architectural traces. Religion and ethnicity is just as varied and the combination of these ingredients creates a cultural concoction not easily forgotten. Its tea plantations, rice paddies, cloud forests and beaches provide a beautiful and ever-changing backdrop; views which visitors can enjoy from our top ten hotels in Sri Lanka.
“Galle Fort is a historical town fortified by the Dutch in the 17th century. Known for its architectural and archeological significance, the town is being considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Situated relatively nearby is this quaint hotel which was awarded the title of Sri Lanka’s leading boutique hotel in 2010 and 2016. The rooms are designed with a flare for the modern crossed with authentic and romantic Sri Lankan design undertones. Close to the beauty of the beaches and the history of the town, Galle Fort Hotel is a luxurious and relaxing place from which to enjoy Sri Lanka’s cultural spectrum.”
Read the full article on theculturetrip.com
On the Lankan Heritage Trail
November 2, 2016As a centre piece among Galle boutique hotels Galle Fort Hotel was revieweed on Villa 88 magazine, Autumn 2016 issue
In the morning sun, colorful little birds gather for a quick dip in the small, tiled fountain which forms the center of the open courtyard, inside what was formerly an 18th century Dutch mansion. Gigantic pillars create tall shadows in the corridors of the refurbished mansion, while the pale walls and high ceilings offer a sepia-toned throwback to Dutch-era Sri Lanka.
As sunbeams illuminate the ancient doors and windows on the façade of the iconic Galle Fort Hotel, stories from the pages of Sri Lanka’s history come to life. The estate has seen times of strife and turmoil as well as that of prosperity, as it morphed from a princely Dutch mansion to barracks for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, a post o ce, a bakery, and most recently, a pitch for Galle’s adolescent cricketers, before it was finally refurbished to become The Galle Fort Hotel in 2003.
The boutique hotel offers some unique insights into Sri Lanka’s journey through the ages. For instance, a suite named after a seven-foot tall eunuch, the Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho, commemorates his visit to Galle in 1406. The admiral had halted at Galle en route to an expedition to explore the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific with seven voyages, long before Cristopher Columbus set his anchor down on the sandy shores of Ceylon.
Recipient of the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award of Distinction, The Galle Fort Hotel is a treasure trove of such stories unearthed from history, culture and folklore. The architecture of the renovated estate also reflects more than one style and school of design. While a majority of the boutique hotel retains its Dutch charm, parts of it pay tribute to Sri Lanka’s British heritage as well as its ethnic Sinhalese flavor.
Read the full article on priyankapradhan.com
The Galle Fort Hotel: A Heritage Experience in Sri Lanka
July 26, 2016
Shortly after arriving at the Galle Fort Hotel one of the heritage hotels in Galle, you will be greeted by the most charming General Manager patiently waiting to unveil the history of this previous 18th century Dutch mansion, now beautifully converted into 13 guest rooms surrounding a lush courtyard. While these details are shared countless times, the delivery is heartfelt and filled with genuine enthusiasm. That story is for you, to set the tone for your stay, to imagine life in this special space long ago, and it’s part of the magic of staying in a historical treasure of the Galle Fort Hotel. Please read the interview below with General Manager, David Elgar as he shares his insight on Sri Lanka, the wonderful history of the Galle Fort Hotel, and running this delightful boutique hotel.
Galle Fort Hotel: A darling of architectural magazines & a beacon of inspiration for historical properties across the world
January 21, 2016
Not only one of the luxury hotels in Galle but a heritage hotel Galle fort hotel was reviewed on CEO magazine.
Galle Fort today is one of Sri Lanka’s most evocative tourist attractions. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the sturdy ramparts survive to this day, making Galle Fort the most well preserved European fort in Asia.
Within the walls is a microcosm of European architecture transported to the edge of the Indian Ocean. The Dutch were prolific in their construction, and it is their style of building that remains the most prevalent within the fort.
The largest private mansion of the Dutch era was transformed from ruins into a superb hotel by Australian Karl Steinberg, whose Galle Fort Hotel opened in 2004 as one of the first hotels to be located within the fort, which at the time was in a derelict condition. No longer. A decade of renovation and rejuvenation, along with helpful funding from UNESCO, has turned Galle Fort into a time capsule where travellers can enjoy themselves in numerous bars, restaurants, and shops that cater to their modern needs, while operating in a manner that preserves the integrity of the fort and its unique history.
Galle Fort Hotel became the darling of architectural magazines across the world and remains a beacon of inspiration in the restoration of historical properties in Sri Lanka and beyond. The atmospheric rooms of Galle Fort Hotel vary in size and style, but all of them present guests with memorable accommodation whether in the Porcelain Suite, the Chinese-influenced Admiral Cheng Ho Suite, or the traditional Grand Apartment where antique Dutch furniture recreates a sense of a bygone era in a spacious twobedroom suite. Although Steinberg has moved on to other projects, Galle Fort Hotel remains in the capable hands of another Australian, General Manager David Elgar.
Extracted from The CEO Magazine
Galle Fort Hotel: Sri Lankan History
January 21, 2016
Reviewed on australia.etbtravelnews.com
It is largely thanks to an Australian businessman that Sri Lanka’s once decrepit Galle Fort is now one of the country’s most important tourist attractions. Just over ten years ago, Karl Steinberg left Sydney’s film industry to undertake a completely new challenge. With partner Christopher Ong, Steinberg acquired the largest Dutch-era mansion within the walls of Galle Fort and set out to bring it back to its former magnificence. Galle Fort Hotel opened in 2004 and was an immediate success with Sri Lankan and international travellers clamouring for rooms in this elegant property where history and contemporary design coexist in splendid harmony.
An atmospheric lobby sets the tone for the entire property Thanks to the valuable spices sought after by Arab, Chinese, and European merchants, Sri Lanka saw all of these cultures establish trading posts and forts to protect them along the coast. Galle Fort, originally built by the Portuguese and subsequently enhanced by the Dutch and British who followed, is the best-preserved European fort in Asia. Now it is a tourist magnet that attracts an interesting mélange of visitors. The culture buff revels in the juxtaposition of one culture upon another in a faraway land; admirers of architecture enjoy seeing the fort’s ramparts and fortifications as well as the old buildings coming back to life after decades of neglect, now operating as hotels, shops, restaurants, and art galleries to keep the less specialised visitor equally entertained. For many decades, Galle Fort was forgotten and run down, but all it took was the foresight of a canny visionary to see the possibilities for one of the most historically significant locations in Asia.
Studiously restored and renovated to accommodate modern-day travellers, rooms and suites at Galle Fort Hotel envelop the guest in a sumptuous surroundings. The hotel became the darling of architectural magazines across the world and remains a beacon of inspiration in restoration of historical properties in Sri Lanka and beyond; people come from far and wide to witness what can be done with a big, old house and some imagination. The atmospheric rooms of Galle Fort Hotel vary in size and style, but all of them present guests with memorable accommodation whether in the Porcelain Suite, the Chinese-influenced Admiral Cheng Ho Suite, or the traditional Grand Apartment where antique Dutch furniture recreates a sense of a bygone era in a spacious two-bedroom suite. The hotel’s dining room provides an ideal venue to enjoy the excellent food of Sri Lanka, where the various cultural influences have left their marks on the local cuisine. Although Steinberg has moved on to other projects, Galle Fort Hotel remains in the capable hands of another Australian, General Manager David Elgar, who oversees operations with refined expertise.
Though most closely and most obviously associated with its home country of Malaysia, Air Asia X offers Flatbed Class service to several destinations in Asia beyond Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo being one of them.
