Earl's Regency Hotel

Until recently, there were few upscale places to stay in Kandy. Our last visit was at a Swiss hotel, occupying a floor with a wedding party that lasted until the wee hours of the morning. So, when we learned of new places that had been built over the past two year we jumped at the chance to try them, settling on the new Earl's Regency Hotel on the outskirts of Kandy. The photo to the left shows the approach to the Earl's Regency, located on a hill overlooking Kandy. The photo to the right shows the spacious lobby of the Earl's Regency Hotel, all dressed up for Christmas. The restaurants and gift shops are located in the lobby area, while the rooms themselves (shown in the photo at the bottom left) are located across a walkway (photo at bottom left); the three floors of rooms overlook a large pool area.

The pool area and the rooms at the Earl's Regency Hotel

View of our room at the Earl's Regency Hotel

Another view of our room at the Earl's Regency Hotel

The rooms themselves are very representative of nice hotel rooms in this part of the world, with hardwood floors and teak closets and furniture. The photo to the left shows a view of the bedroom looking toward the door. The room has two teak beds with nightstands and a large closet area. The photo to right looks from the door out to the balcony overlooking the pool. There is a valet table for luggage, a small writing desk, a marble coffee table and a teak TV stand. To the left of the TV stand is the small balcony with table overlooking the pool area. The room gets plenty of light and there is a breeze if you crave fresh air rather than air conditioning. Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Earl's Regency Hotel, however is not the rooms, but the grounds. The Hotel is beautifully landscaped with several garden areas. The first area guests encounter is a terraced garden adjacent to the walkway. Built on the top of a hill, it offers a number of benches overlooking the valley below. Since it is outside the town, the views are not of Kandy, but of the surrounding forests and are quite serene. There is also a much larger garden just below the pool area and adjacent to the small river that forms the boundary of the property. In contrast to the manicured lawns and flower beds of the walkway area garden, the garden

below is filled with jungle vegetation, and is akin to walking through a rain forest. While not an

eco-hotel along the lines of Kandalama, the Earl's Regency is a nice blend of comfortable accommodation, great service and natural tranquility. It offers a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of Kandy.