Lunuganga Estate

We had the most glorious experience at Lunganga. The setting is spectacular, the ambience immensely attractive and the service excellent. We did very little other than swim and soak in the ambience but were very happy with this. Well long remember the evenings sat out at Geoffrey Bawa’s dinner table dining as the light fades and the fireflies meander.

Lunuganga is an extraordinary and deeply personal place created by Bawa over many decades. Staying at Lunuganga allowed us to experience its potency through the day and into the late evening to better grasp its beauty, complexity and his masterful vision. It's now a few weeks since we left and I think about it constantly. It isn't like anywhere else. We stayed in Bawa's bedroom with outdoor bathing courtyard, which for us was worth the additional cost. The staff were so very thoughtful and attentive - it could not have been a better stay. Thank you to the Lunuganga Trust and Teardrop Hotels for taking such good care of this unique piece of Sri Lankan architectural heritage. You've adapted it elegantly to allow it to be used successfully as a small hotel which we hope will ensure access to Lunuganga for decades to come. I will of course recommend it to anyone with an interest in C20 art, architecture and landscape - make this pilgrimage.

Lunuganga should be on everyone’s Sri Lankan itinerary. We spent 3 nights and fell in love with this place. The property is breathtakingly beautiful and the staff are the best of the best! Special shout out to Suneth for looking after us and the Chef Tharaka for making our most memorable meals in Sri Lanka and teaching us to make traditional rice and curry. The photos do not do this place justice but it is the most magical property and staying there is bucket list worthy. I highly recommend doing the cooking demonstration, enjoying the sunset with some G&Ts and arranging a private dinner with your loved one while you’re there. We had the most memorable and amazing time! Can’t recommend more highly.

My husband and I appreciate history and architecture and picked Lunuganga Estate to have a tranquil stay away from the city and a differentiated experience. Upon arrival, we were impressed with the natural beauty, greenery and landscaping behind Mr Geoffrey Bawa's design philosophy of his country home. While we appreciate the preservation of Mr Bawa's home that he acquired in 1948 in its original form as much as possible, the state of the rooms have clearly deteriorated over time which could have been better maintained with some repairs and restoration, especially in the bathroom of our master suite, which was musty and the toilet bowl reeked of pee smell. We travel extensively and have stayed at many heritage hotels across the world but were rather disappointed with the standard of cleanliness and the state of the bathroom. On the first day we were greeted with a giant lizard in our covered fruit basket, only to find many more in our room hiding behind paintings and cupboards. But what was most off-putting was having a huge cockroach running around our room towards our bed in the middle of the second night, which made us very uncomfortable and disconcerted as we wondered if there were more lurking in our room that night that left us both sleepless and paranoid. It is regrettable to say that the Lunuganga Estate falls short of international standards befitting of the price it charges and the experience one would expect. Nevertheless, the waiting staff, butler, property manager and our guide were excellent, to say the least. The guided tour given by Mr Bawa's last butler was very well conducted, as he shared many anecdotes of Mr Bawa's personal life in his country home.

Historical venue epitomising Geoffrey Bawa's integration of nature into the premises architecture. This does for an unparalleled experience of exclusive character and classic service. The quality of the original designs have been preserved with minimal additions to comfort such as A/C and fine dining service in the main bungalow.

So great view and very nice and friendly staff! The rooms are nice and artistic as well. Definitely a masterpiece that worth several visits. I stayed in 2 rooms May 2024 and feels different vibes but all good. You see real sketches and original artwork and collections in your room.

We had a wonderful 2 night stay in Cinnamon Hill 1 and 2 - perfect for 2 couples or a family - I wouldn’t necessarily want to share the building with someone we didn’t know as it is quite cosy. The history of the place is very interesting and the gardens are beautiful. We did the cooking class with Tharaka - very professionally done - highly recommended. All the staff were fantastic, especially Suneth for who nothing was too hard or a problem. Beautiful food with a magnificent view!

Was extremely excited to stay here - and booked the last room available - Ena's bedroom. The property is beautiful and highly recommend doing a tour of the gardens. Especially if you are a fan of architecture and Geoffrey Bawa. But unfortunately that's it. Ena's guest house is about a 10 min walk away from the main property and at night (plus in the rains) it's not an easy walk. Wish they had better lighting or even golf carts for when the weather is bad. Not sure I'd advise staying here if you are older/have mobility issues. For the first hour after checking in there was no water in the bathroom! The staff was very kind and helpful and got to it straight away. But by this time it was already late and we had a long travel day. However after the issue was resolved, the water had the most terrible smell - like something died in the tank! No idea what caused it and it did not go away. The bathroom floor was not very clean either. We understand that the Trust would like to maintain the property as it was in Bawa's memory but some things can be updated like - the locks for the rooms (ours was so old it took us nearly 10 mins to unlock the room and at this point it was so late and we didn't want to make the trek back to the main house), the faucets, pipes (for the smell), etc. Especially given the price of the rooms. We didn't have a chance to see the rooms in the main house so not sure how they are. Overall it's definitely worth visiting the property but not sure we would recommend staying here.

I highly recommend the Lunuganga garden tour however I do not recommend the Lunuganga Cinnamon Hill Hotel where the garden is. We had the "Glass House" room which not surprisingly given the name, gave us no privacy whatsoever. The hotel was originally a large private home, and the Glass House room is right next to where the garden tours start, so multiple times a day you have dozens of people noisily congregating just outside your room, and if you close the curtains, the room becomes very dark and gloomy given the very poor lighting. The Glass House room has the original tiny bathroom from when the house was built around the 1950s, and it is in extremely poor condition. There is a very high step down from the shower, which isn't suitable if you have any mobility issues. There is no door on the bathroom/toilet. The room wasn't clean, and the floor was so dirty it looked like it hadn't been swept for weeks. The Glass House room is furnished with furniture original to the house, so the bed is a double bed and none of the furniture is comfortable or suitable for a hotel room. The restaurant has a nice water view and the food is reasonable albeit expensive. The hotel is quite a distance from other dining venues which is unfortunate. I do not recommend this hotel.