The Kandy House is a unique ancestral manor house providing seclusion and serenity for its guests in a lush, tropical garden setting close to Kandy. In 1804, the last Chief Minister of the Kandyan Kingdom, Ratwatte Adigar, committed an act of “defiant decadence” – he dared to build himself a palatial villa using roof tiles which at that time were decreed only for royal residences. 200 years later, Tim and Sarah Jacobson searched for hotels in Kandy, they found the perfect Kandy hotel and dared to start the process to turn it into a designer boutique hotel, in partnership with Channa Daswatte: to retain the charisma of this captivating house while taking it to the standard for 21st century guests. The resulting restoration sensitively blends modernised bathrooms with elegant antique furniture, and fresh touches of colour set off the traditional architecture.

With only 9 bedrooms, the aim is to give guests an experience of staying more in a private house than a conventional hotel. In the gardens, a stunning infinity pool has been landscaped into the hillside overlooking the rice paddy fields. Delicious European fusion and Sri Lankan cuisine is on offer. This Kandy hotel is well-placed to spend time to relax as well as explore a broad selection of Sri Lanka’s primary destinations in and around Kandy, the Cultural Triangle and Tea Country. The house can also be booked as a whole for important celebrations with friends, or just for the peace of mind of a group having total privacy away from the public eye.