The River House

Loved everything about this property! The service was wonderful and welcoming. Breakfast was delicious and we were able to enjoy from our balcony with a gorgeous view. The property offered a nice, serene, escape with beautiful nature and a great spot for birdwatching. The room was spacious and well maintained. All around a lovely experience!

Our stay at The River House was truly delightful. The staff went above and beyond to ensure our experience was exceptional, fostering a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The property is a haven for nature lovers and those who appreciate the charm of antiques, offering vast spaces to explore and immerse oneself in the serene beauty of the surroundings. This unique connection with nature is undoubtedly a highlight of The River House. The accommodations were luxurious, providing a comfortable and upscale experience. However, I noted that certain areas of the property could benefit from additional attention and maintenance to match the overall high standards of the estate. The culinary offerings, though limited in variety, were a gastronomic delight. The Sri Lankan Rice & Curry stood out, with the fish curry remaining a memorable taste sensation long after the meal. The presentation of each dish added an extra touch of elegance to our dining experiences. The swimming pool area was satisfactory, yet it presents an opportunity for improvement. Regular maintenance to address issues such as falling leaves could enhance the overall enjoyment and appearance of this amenity. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire team at The River House for their hospitality and for making our stay a truly remarkable experience.

We had a wonderful time at River house. We booked the pool suit.it was amazing,spacious. Privacy was super. Food was incredibly delicious. Service was priceless♥️We loved the friendly and prompt service. Both I and my husband enjoyed the warmth vibe in the evening with birds noice and river view looking at boats floating far away. ✌🌇In the following morning we had a 2 hour boat ride in Madhu River. It was an unforgettable experience. The boat guy was recommended by hotel. We were taken into more than 7 islands,fish therapy and more. Over Role.. the experience was beyond worthy.😇✌Highly recommend.🙂🙂🙂

Me and my wife have travelled The River House Balapitiya during the August 2022, we have had a nice experience at there. We have stayed in the Kala Villa which is spacious and comfortable. Throughout the stay we had received a good hospitality from the entire staff. From the beginning of getting the booking till ending the stay Mr.Lasantha who is the Resident Manager provided us a good service. Their Executive Chef Chathuranga has provided us delicious food for all meals which we had. House Keeping Asanka also arranged the Room in clean and nicely. This has a unique type of Pool which is surrounded with nice atmosphere. Highly recommend anyone to travel here for their stay.

Don’t expect the place to be as good as the amount you pay for. They charge the amount for a luxury hotel but the place is terrible. It’s an old house built in a way that it is a villa now. The beds for a triple/quadruple room are like bunker beds at a hostel. The creek is so loud when the person asleep moves around. The bathroom doesn’t have hot water after 8 PM. The food is absurd for the price you pay. For lunch we got fried rice and chicken. You can pay Rs 400 at a shop outside to get this. They are heavily understaffed. The waiter doesn’t understand anything. They don’t fill up the water glasses. Dessert we had to ask and then only they brought it. Some guests went back without having dessert. I understand it’s not easy to run a business but at least reduce the prices so it reflects the service and facilities of the hotel. So people don’t have high expectations when they come there.

The place is only a 2 hour drive from Colombo, and is easily accesible. It is the most calm, relaxing, magical stay. Situated right next to a lake and it's acres and acres of lush garden and nature. What makes the experience the best though apart from the location is the most competent Manager Lasantha, and his staff. The chefs Amal and Chathuranga made excellent meals and prepared them exactly how we asked them to. The 3 hotel staff Kalana, Lakshitha, Sudesh were always helpful and accomodating and very efficient with their service which meant we were never bothered. Overall the whole stay was seamless, and so amazing that I will be recommending The River House to all my friends and family. The Manik Suite aka The Plunge Pool suite is definitely the room to stay in with its personal balcony overlooking the lake and the whole garden, and of course it's very own pool in the balcony. This is the perfect place to stay in for a nice relaxing stay and we could not be more happier with it.

Words can not express my disappointment. It is a totally run down place. Not maintained properly. We stayed at Walawuva. Even The toilets are not flushing properly. The food options are really limited. I don’t understand the big hype about this place. Absolutely not worth the amount they charge for. Only plus point is , It is in a very peaceful environment and the pool is good. Think twice before booking because the photos in the web are not actually matching with the place.

While we were blown away upon arriving at this place, as a result of the uber romantic jungle lodge vibe it had, the romance ended right there! Apart from the lovely decor and vibe of the room we stayed in, the place felt more like a glorified homestay than an indulgent jungle lodge/villa. I would have been okay if the place was any bit cheaper. But at the super high amount we paid for the stay(considering Sri Lanka’s current lower cost hotel economics), we were very disappointed with what we got in return. The place has a lot of potential and could be raised to a five star stay in the jungle, but in its current state I would certainly not recommend this place to anyone looking for an affordable encounter with nature, especially as the island has way too many options elsewhere.||||LOCATION: on the banks of the serene Madhu Ganga river, but you don’t have direct views of the river unfortunately! ||||DINE + DRINK: They dont even have a bar or restaurant on site! So you need to bring your own bottle, as well as just dine at some random tables scattered around the verandah! Not what we expected from a place with such a price tag!||||ROOM: We stayed in Room the KIRINDA room, so this review is based on that; VIEW: No view!; SIZE: Spacious enough for 2 adults and simple baggage; AIR-CON: Perfectly functioning cooler that helped in setting the perfect room temperature; BED: Comfortable bed that played the expected part of putting me to sleep; BATHROOM: Stand-in shower; TOILETRIES: Good spa quality cosmetics||||FACILITIES: No gym, just jungle chill at the wonderful outdoor Swimming pool! Gym with a basic range of weights and Cardio machines||||SERVICE: Friendly staff that took care of all our needs with a smile and made us feel pampered and well taken care of. Special Shout out to Mr.LASANTH - the manager of the property - who is single handedly trying to raise the bar of the place! And the Dinner Chef deserves special credits also for whipping up some mind blowing local dishes upon request!||||HOW WIRED YOU WILL BE: LOW-speed Wi-Fi that works well all over the property. Small Plasma TV screen dishing out a wide variety of channels spanning sports, news, music, movies, and entertainment in multiple languages