Hotel Elephant Bay, : Room, Prices & Reviews

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Family-friendly 3-star hotel with outdoor pool

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Dates

October 2024

November 2024

Overview
Rooms
Location
Policies

Good

Popular amenities

Bar

Spa

Pool

Room service

24/7 front desk

Air conditioning

Explore the area

Pinnalandawatta, Rambukkana, 70130

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

3 min walk

Pinnawala Zoo

9 min walk

Wewaladeniya King's Temple

13 min drive

Kandy (KDZ-Polgolla Reservoir)

51 min drive

Room options

Premium bedding, in-room safe, desk, iron/ironing board

Superior Triple Room

Sleeps 3
1 Twin Bed and 1 Double Bed

Superior Single Room, River View

River view
Sleeps 1
1 Twin Bed

King Room, Elephant Bath view

Sleeps 2
1 Double Bed

Superior Room, River View

River view
Sleeps 2
1 Double Bed

Economy Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Garden View

Sleeps 2
1 Double Bed

Deluxe Room, Elephant Bath View

River view
Sleeps 2
1 Double Bed

Superior Family Room, River View

278 sq m
River view
Sleeps 4
2 King Beds

Superior Room, Mountain View

Mountain view
Sleeps 2
1 Double Bed

Similar properties

Parking included

Free WiFi

Restaurant

Air conditioning

per night

CA $49 total

includes taxes & fees

4 Oct - 5 Oct

About the area

Pinnawala

In Pinnawala .You'll be within half a mile (1 km) of Pinnawala Zoo and 9 miles (15 km) of Wewaladeniya King's Temple. Also within 9 miles (15 km) are Uthuwankanda Church and New Paradise Spice & Herbal Garden.

What's nearby

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - 3 min walk
Pinnawala Zoo - 9 min walk
Kandy Lake - 45 min drive
Dhamma Kuta Vipassana Meditation Centre - 47 min drive
Temple of the Tooth - 48 min drive

Getting around

Kandy Railway Station - 43 min drive
Bandaranaike Intl. Airport (CMB) - 142 min drive

Restaurants

‪Ambasewana Hotel - ‬13 min drive
‪Champa Bakers & Restaurant - ‬12 min drive
‪Channa - ‬9 min drive
‪Eat More - ‬18 min drive
‪Pizza Hut - ‬14 min drive

About this property

Hotel Elephant Bay

Family-friendly 3-star hotel with outdoor pool

Hotel Elephant Bay offers its guests a full-service spa, an outdoor pool, and a children's pool. There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. A free manager's reception is offered daily. Public spaces have free WiFi.

A business center and a meeting room are available. A rooftop terrace, barbecue grills, and tour/ticket assistance are also featured at the family-friendly Hotel Elephant Bay. An airport shuttle (available 24 hours) and an area shuttle are available for a fee. Self parking is free.

This 3-star Pinnawala hotel is smoke free.

20 guestrooms or units

Manager's reception (free)

Childcare (surcharge)

Terrace on the roof

Poolside lounge chairs

Business facilities

Front desk (24 hours)

Express check-in

Express check-out

Storage area for luggage

Front-desk safe

Tour and ticket information

Concierge

Garden

BBQ grill(s)

Outdoor picnic space

Newspapers in lobby (free)

No smoking on site

Bar or lounge

1 conference room

Dining venue

Hotel Elephant Bay offers 20 air-conditioned accommodations with safes and complimentary bottled water. Rooms open to balconies or patios. Beds feature premium bedding. Flat-screen televisions come with premium cable channels and pay movies.

Bathrooms include separate bathtubs and showers and complimentary toiletries. This Pinnawala hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Additionally, rooms include coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards. Housekeeping is provided daily.

Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the hotel's full-service spa.

Languages

English, Hindi

Property amenities

Family friendly

Babysitting (surcharge)
Children's pool
Outdoor pool
Playground

Internet

Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

Free self parking on site
Wheelchair-accessible parking available
24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge)
Area shuttle (surcharge)

Food and drink

1 restaurant
1 bar
Free daily reception
Room service available

Things to do

Bicycle rentals
Children's pool
Full-service spa
Outdoor pool
Playground

Accessibility

If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Assistive listening devices available
Braille signage
Grab bar near toilet
In-room accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible parking
Wheelchair-accessible path of travel

Room amenities

Entertainment

Cable channels
Flat-screen TV
Pay movies
Premium channels

Bedroom

Air conditioning
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding

Bathroom

Free toiletries
Private bathroom
Separate bathtub and shower
Towels

Outdoor space

Balcony or patio

Food and drink

Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water

Desk
Iron/ironing board
Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4 PM

Late check-in subject to availability

Express check-in available

Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon

Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome.

Rollaway/extra beds are not available.

Cribs (infant beds) are not available.

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

Airport shuttle fee: USD 50 per vehicle (one-way)

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted

Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property accepts Visa and Mastercard. Cash is not accepted.

Property is also known as

Hotel Elephant Bay Pinnawala

Elephant Bay Pinnawala

Hotel Elephant Bay Hotel

Hotel Elephant Bay Rambukkana

Hotel Elephant Bay Hotel Rambukkana

Hotel Elephant Bay Rambukkana

Elephant Bay Rambukkana

Hotel Hotel Elephant Bay Rambukkana

Rambukkana Hotel Elephant Bay Hotel

Hotel Hotel Elephant Bay

Elephant Bay

Hotel Elephant Bay Reviews

7.4

Good

7.2/10

Cleanliness

7.6/10

Staff & service

5.8/10

Amenities

6.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8/10 Good

ASKIN

20 Apr 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

6/10 Okay

Steven

23 Mar 2019

Liked: Staff & service

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

2/10 Terrible

Eloïse, Caen

14 Mar 2019

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Really bad experience

Got the wrong room and only noticed it a couple of hours after we arrived. We paid for the elephant bath view and we were literally on the opposite side. We went to tell the receptionist after dinner and they didn't do anything. We had to go back at the reception the following morning and had to argue with the restaurant manager (it seems) because the actual manager was nowhere to be found. We paid for a deluxe room with ELEPHANT BATH VIEW and we got the river view. The whole point that we booked this room was to see the elephants. Anyway, after a LONG TIME arguing with them, they did decide to give us a little discount but that was not enough for us. The room had stains on towels and sheets. The bathroom was not cleaned (sink had bugs and the shower had 2 spiders in it and we found a cockroach !!!). The food is not good, tasted frozen (had the cheeseburger). Also had the carbonara, it smelled really weird and the chef put chicken that had been boiled ?? (The waiter told us that because we complained about it) The food is expensive for what you get. 250 rupees for a bottle of water !!! Breakfast was included and well I'm glad because there was almost nothing on the tables. There were brioche buns etc not good at all, were definitely frozen. Plus the tv was not working, we had to ask them to come and fix it. Overall a bad experience. Go somewhere else !!

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner

26 Jan 2019

Liked: Staff & service

Unsure about how I feel... we had an incredible view from the balcony and it was incredibly exciting when the elephants first appeared in the river about 100 yards away. The excitement disappeared a bit as the “handlers” brought the elephants closer and we realized they had chains on their necks and were eventually chained to the ground to stay in place so that the tourists were free to gawk and take photos.

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

David

24 Jan 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

Elephants save the day.. and the stay!

The Elephant experience (seeing them bathed and up close) was A++. The hotel is fine and the service is good. Food was just OK. Particularly at night, it is a beautiful facility - outdoors with the lighting in the pool area and the sound of the river rushing by. Unfortunately, the place next door had loud thumping trance club music blaring from about noon until 2AM on the one day/night we were there. It really almost ruined what should have been a more peaceful stay. They said it was just that one time (local holiday or something). Everyone was complaining and management definitely got the message. I would ask about it before I book again. But the Elephants!! The animals were so captivating that I found myself able to tune out the hideous music most of the time.

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Sharr

25 Dec 2018

Liked: Staff & service

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

Good view but run down.

Good area to view the elephants but could do with some TLC. Very dusty and seemed like it has been let go. River was in flood so elephants could not go to the river while we were there. Check on river heights before you book.

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

17 Dec 2018

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities

The only thing about the hotel is that the view is beautiful. The room was very poor in all it’s aspects. The property needs refurbishment especially the rooms.

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

2 Dec 2018

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

6/10 Okay

SHAH

11 Nov 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Great place to watch elephants.

It was very good location and it’s unique experience watching parade of almost 50 elephants and then bathing and doing lots of mischief in the river for two hours. Negative side of the stay - breakfast was very poor. Shower pressure in the bathroom was absolutely poor. Overall I will say that if you are nature lover then you will definitely enjoy this place.

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

STEPHEN

21 Oct 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort

Good position But ..

Well positioned hotel, nice room but, As documented elsewhere you can not even go to the hotel before 4pm, The entrance lane is guarded and they will not let you past.This is a blatant tactic to force you to visit the elephant orphanage which is very very expensive.There is little else to do locally whilst you wait. Check in was very slow.The So called honeymoon suite was nothing special.The food was poor, the waiter spoke no English, even basic menu items. The most annoying was the on-site restaurant music, well thumping resonating bass line which started at 7am and could be heard through the hotel, Why ?? Once the elephants come to the river it is a great view from the hotel but overall I feel they could do much much better with what should be a fabulous property.

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie

28 Sep 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Reliable, picturesque, professional

A great hotel right on the bay where the elephants bathe from the Pinnawala Orphanage. My second time booking here, and I was quite glad to be back.

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Robin

14 Aug 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A FANTASTIC HOTEL IN A FABULOUS LOCATION

This is a fantastic hotel in a fabulous natural location.Dozens of Fruit bats fly out of the trees across the river at dusk every night. The elephants from the orphanage bath in the river below several times a day. The grounds, garden and swimming pool are all beautiful and well maintained. Our room was huge with a wrap around balcony with beautiful views of the river and elephants bathing. The room was clean. The king size bed was very comfortable, the bed linen and towels were good quality and changed daily. Afternoon tea and cake was provided free every afternoon. You must check in after 4 p.m, which is not the hotels fault, but the Elephant Orphanage’s fault as they charge an entrance fee up to 4 p.m. After 4p.m it is free to enter the area. The staff are friendly and extremely helpful and the food was really good. There are a few steps as the hotel runs down to the rivers edge. I would recommend this hotel.

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

1 Jul 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place to see the elephants in the river!

Nice hotel with an outstanding view of the elephant bathing area. Comfortable with great service, Priyantha was especially helpful and demonstrated great initiative. Access to the hotel is blocked during elephant bathing times unless you purchase a ticket to the elephant orphanage but the view was amazing!

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Jack

7 May 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beautiful backdrop, lovely food!

We planned to stay here for one night, but ended up booking another after experiencing an incredible stay! The free breakfast was really lovely- a real variety compared to most places! The elephants can be seen throughout the day at different times- make sure if you are planning to go to the orphanage that you don’t end up just going back into your hotel like we did! You don’t need a ticket when the vast majority is on your doorstep! We would definitely recommend and stay here again, should we find ourselves in Pinawalla!

8/10 Good

Joshua

26 Mar 2018

The location is amazing. Seeing the elephants from your room is amazing. But service was poor. The daily housekeeping didn't exist and when we enquired about our 2 free bottles of water per day we were made to feel like we were lying. One man in the restaurant went out of his way to treat us poorly. It was very disappointing.

8/10 Good

Christopher

19 Mar 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

good for elephants but not the best hotel

hotel was good but could do with a bit of work. the bathroom window wouldn't shut properly so we had to make sure bathroom door was shut to stop the mosquitoes getting in during the night. we tried to go into the hotel before check in but we weren't allowed. you can see the elephants in the morning from the hotel though. check in and out was easy. there is also spice gardens nearby which you can visit along the way. we had dinner at the hotel which was a new buffet. veggie options weren't great buy they did have some, it wasn't the best and a lot more expensive than local restaurants but there isn't much choice round there that's nearby. breakfast was ok but fruit was covered in flies so just had eggs on toast and the hot food that was covered. elephants on the safari tour in kadulla was much better!

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

6/10 Okay

Yasmin

7 Mar 2018

Liked: Room comfort

Disliked: Staff & service

Beware the extra charge, if you arrive early!

Check in only from 4pm onwards, that much is mentioned in the add; what is not mentioned is that if you arrive early you have to pay 2500lkr (around 13€) per person to even walk to the hotel. This is because of this elephant stuff going on there. We just wanted to sit down in the lobby, at least drop off the luggage or such to wait until we could get into the room, so this was, especially for Sri Lankan proportions, incredibly expensive. Not to say annoying and tedious at our arrival after over 24h of travel. This information should be included on the add!!! Wifi was only in common areas and not very good.

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

Stephanie

6 Mar 2018

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

pay to enter the area

Aside from a slightly grungy bathroom, this place was beautiful. You can sit on the balcony and watch the elephants from the nearby orphanage. BIG HOWEVER: the orphanage has caught on that people are sometimes staying in the hotel and watching the elephants, not paying the price to go to the orphanage. If you're like me and weren't planning to make a stop there they charge you a ticket to enter the area where your hotel is, 2500 rupees each person, more than half of what I paid for the room. I ended up not being charged the full amount because I've got a permanent resident's visa, but anyone here as a tourist will be expected to eat this surcharge. The hotel board person there said they're negotiating to get it changed, but no luck yet.

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

Eileen, Goa

25 Feb 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

If you like elephants!

I stayed here for three nights and was very happy with the hotel, its surroundings, the staff and the elephants. My room overlooked the river and the elephant bath. Breakfast was fine perhaps a little samey but generally OK. The staff were unobtrusive but helpful when needed...especially Priantha who with his cheerful countenance made my stay more enjoyable.

Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Deepa

11 Jan 2018

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

There are only 3 hotels in the area and of them this is the best. All 3 are built on the banks of the river and overlook the elephants bathing but this has the best food. While there is not much to write home about in terms of choice ( given that this is a small town) at least here the food is fresh. There's a very small town feel to this hotel but the staff is earnest and warm. Remember, you are in Pinnawalla not for the hospitality or cosmopolitan liveliness of the place but for the elephants and the views from the balcony rooms are amazing. It's also probably the only hotel in the area that has a "Pool"...... It's tiny but for whatever it is worth, it's pretty cool to sit in a pool and watch the elephants bathe. There's no wifi on the top floor room with the master balcony.

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

pasindu , kandy

10 Dec 2017

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

It is a very comfortable hotel

It was a great experience and the staff was very friendly and helpful.enjoyed watching elephants and the sunset#love the place

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

2/10 Terrible

Ben, Australia

4 Oct 2017

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Worst traveling experience

We payed $260 Australia for a driver that the hotel booked. The car broke down twice and to make matters worst the airconditioning stopped working after 2 hours! I'm really fed up of paying up front when experiences and services don't live up to expectations. I would like some sort of refund or reimbursement !!

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group

11 Jul 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities

Very nice pool with nice view. Friendly staff. Don’t go to the Elephant orphanage - it’s unethical. You can see the elephants from your room.

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group

18 Apr 2019

Liked: Staff & service

Il est une évidence que c'est un dépaysement total avec la vue des d'éléphants dans la rivière La piscine est très appréciable dommage que l'eau soit trouble ?

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

6/10 Okay

Bob

Travelled with partner

2 Apr 2019

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Awesome river view. One can see the Elephants taking a bath from the pool.

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

Hotel Elephant Bay

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for Hotel Elephant Bay

Reviews

Good

Popular amenities

Explore the area

Room options

View all photos for Superior Triple Room

Superior Triple Room

View all photos for Superior Single Room, River View

Superior Single Room, River View

View all photos for King Room, Elephant Bath view

King Room, Elephant Bath view

View all photos for Superior Room, River View

Superior Room, River View

View all photos for Economy Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Garden View

Economy Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Garden View

View all photos for Deluxe Room, Elephant Bath View

Deluxe Room, Elephant Bath View

View all photos for Superior Family Room, River View

Superior Family Room, River View

View all photos for Superior Room, Mountain View

Superior Room, Mountain View

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Homely Stay Balana Kapolla

About the area

Pinnawala

What's nearby

Getting around

Restaurants

About this property

Hotel Elephant Bay

Languages

Property amenities

Family friendly

Internet

Parking and transportation

Food and drink

Things to do

Accessibility

Room amenities

Entertainment

Bedroom

Bathroom

Outdoor space

Food and drink

More

Policies

Check-in

Check-out

Special check-in instructions

Access methods

Pets

Children and extra beds

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

You need to know

Property is also known as

Hotel Elephant Bay Reviews

Reviews

Good

7.2/10

7.6/10

5.8/10

6.8/10

Reviews

8/10 Good

ASKIN

ASKIN

6/10 Okay

Steven

Steven

2/10 Terrible

Eloïse, Caen

Really bad experience

Eloïse

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller