The Sanctuary at Tissawewa |

We only went for lunch. We sat on the balcony for drinks first. The dining room was lovely and the meals spectacular without being European prices as some hotels do in other towns in Sri Lanka. The service could not have been more attentive. The staff were generally interested in our family. Beautiful spot for lunch.

We had a superb pause in this colonial style hotel in the middle of a garden while doing our bike tour of the temples around. The club sandwich is delicious and it helped a lot being in the shade. The staff is great too

The Sanctuary at Tissawewa is a gem steeped in history, having been used by an ex-British governor in the 1900s. The vast landscape is adorned with a beautiful garden where peacocks roam freely, adding to the serene and picturesque environment. The food here is simply amazing. Breakfast is a real treat with a wide variety of home-cooked meals that cater to all tastes. The prices are reasonable, making it a great value for the quality and experience offered. The staff are very good and friendly, always ready to assist with a smile. The location is easily accessible from the city and is conveniently close to all the sacred places in the holy city of Anuradhapura. I highly recommend The Sanctuary at Tissawewa for anyone looking to enjoy a blend of history, nature, and excellent hospitality.

The sanctuary at Tissa Wewa was an enchanting journey to the past. Full of old world charm set in a large garden right in the middle of the of the sacred area. Charming comfortable rooms ,keen service and generous portions of tasty food. A wonderful place to unwind relax and visit historic sites.

**Review for The Sanctuary at Tissawewa: 1/5** I was highly dissatisfied with my stay at The Sanctuary at Tissawewa. For the price of 36,000 LKR for a half-board double room, the facilities were extremely underwhelming and not at all worth the cost. There was no recreational area to relax, the rooms were poorly maintained, and there was no swimming pool—basic amenities one would expect at this price point. The meals were disappointing; breakfast was substandard, and dinner did not justify the hefty price tag. Additionally, their policy regarding alcohol consumption was frustrating. I was informed I couldn’t have a drink anywhere on the premises, forcing me to leave the property to entertain some colleagues I met in Anuradhapura. They claimed this policy was mentioned on their website, but after thoroughly reviewing it, I found no such notice. To put things into perspective, we stayed at a five star hotel for 41,000 LKR immediately after, and it was worth every penny with its excellent facilities, service, and overall value. The Sanctuary at Tissawewa failed to deliver on every front—poor value for money and an overall disappointing experience. I would not recommend it.

It was just okay experience, I'd say not Worth the price. We had to chase down the staff and ask for services most of the time. They did not serve sugar or creamer with the morning tea/coffee. Some of our rooms didn't even had the sugar in the first day of staying. ( We booked 5 rooms in total) One room tend to smell badly in the bathroom. Having breakfast felt like a such a hazzle. I felt like we're bothering the staff. Not many supper menu options neither. The garden is pretty big and you can meet few peacocks there. Wish there was a pool . It gets quite boring if you're just staying there. There was a power cut during our last day of staying the generator did not work and we had to stay out side of our rooms because inside got too hot . Also wifi was such a pain in the ass . Since data didn't work inside I had to use the wifi . After few hours I have to change the password and connect again. Smh Overall I'll give it a 4/10 . I didn't had a terrible time but it was kind a disappointing .

I would give it 5 stars for the location. It's probably the only hotel you find in the area designated as the "Religious City" in Anuradhapura and that's where you find all the great Stupas of the ancient Anuradhapura Kingdom. ||You just need to cross the road to get to Mirisawetiya, even Ruwanweliseya & Sri Maha Bodhi are within walking distance. There are also two museums a 5-10 mts walk away. The rest of the monuments are also 5-10 mts away in a vehicle. ||It also has a huge garden with many high grown trees. So even though you are right next to a couple of functioning reliogus places which do get crowded on poya days and long weekends, once you are inside the property you would hardly hear a sound. [We stayed there on a Poya day which was also part of a 4 day long weekend and there was a sizeable crowd everywhere but it was not one of the main poya days like Vesak or Poson Poya.]||The hotel itself is a lovely early 1900s bungalow. It's maintained in relatively good conditon, but some locations like the upstairs terrace balcony can use some TLC. I would have give 5 stars for the property if they hadn't used some rather mediocre looking fittings and furniture in renovations. ||The room was quite spacious and clean. There was an attached bathroom dating to more recent times. ||The service is a tad bit slow, but the staff were all very nice and polite. In terms of food, there were limited options for dinner, but for the price charged from us at SL resident rates, the four course meal was well worth it. Similarly for breakfast, the traditional option had 6 curries as accompaniments. Taste wise I would say, it was average and I would recommend local cusine over western options. ||There is no pool at the property and you may find that there is nothing much to do inside the property. We saw some bikes, so I assume you could borrow or rent them but we didn't ask. ||But I would highly recommend this place if your main target is to properly explore all the nearby stupas/ religious places etc. We've been coming to Anuradhapura over many years and have stayed at many places and this is by far the most convenient location we've been to. ||

From old memories thought of dropping in for lunch after 30 years. Authentic SriLankan food. Exceptional variety. Mind blowing taste. Will come again. Super stars were the Chef and Damith at restaurant and front office manger who was exceptionally helpful. Peaceful surrounding old mansion and calming place to rest.