Owl and the Pussycat Hotel & Restaurant

I’ll try and be as honest and fair as possible in this review. The truth is, overall I was disappointed. The photos on their website and the 5-star rating meant I thought I was booking a luxury stay at the end of our time in Sri Lanka, however that wasn’t the case. A few key things to highlight: - I was messages on the same day of arrival telling me that the bar and restaurant would be out of use, as they didn’t get their license approved. This may seem small but one of the reasons I book hotels over Airbnb type things is for the hotel vibe, of which these common areas play a big part. Instead we had an empty restaurant area with a closed sign to stare at. - The hotel itself needs a complete renovation IMO. It’s tired, dated and requires maintenance. It looks great in the photos but in reality it’s very tired. There were some good points though: - the young chap on reception and the main go-to was super friendly and accommodating (like every Sri Lankan I’ve met) - the pool area and beachfront is beautiful - the location is great. Just a short walk or tuk tuk away is Turtle Bay, which is incredible. A little further but not far is Unawatuna beach and Galle Fort, both worth visiting. Overall not a terrible experience but a disappointing one based on expectations set via their website.