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Hotel Elephant Bay

3.0 star property

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December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Hotel Elephant Bay

Outdoor pool, pool loungers
Exterior
Exterior
Outdoor pool, pool loungers
Premium bedding, in-room safe, desk, iron/ironing board

Reviews

7.4 out of 10

Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
    Bar
  • Spa
    Spa
  • Pool
    Pool
  • Room service
    Room service
  • 24/7 front desk
    24/7 front desk
  • Air conditioning
    Air conditioning

Explore the area

Map
Pinnalandawatta, Rambukkana, 70130
  • Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
    3 min walk
  • Pinnawala Zoo
    9 min walk
  • Millennium Elephant Foundation
    4 min drive
  • Kandy (KDZ-Polgolla Reservoir)
    51 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Superior Triple Room

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

Superior Triple Room

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Twin Bed and 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Superior Single Room, River View

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

Superior Single Room, River View

  • River view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for King Room, Elephant Bath view

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

King Room, Elephant Bath view

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Superior Room, River View

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

Superior Room, River View

  • River view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

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

Economy Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Garden View

Economy Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Garden View

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Room, Elephant Bath View

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

Deluxe Room, Elephant Bath View

  • River view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Superior Family Room, River View

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

Superior Family Room, River View

  • 278 sq m
  • River view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

View all photos for Superior Room, Mountain View

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

Superior Room, Mountain View

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Similar properties

Front of property

Elepath Lodge - Pinnawala

Parking included
Free WiFi
Restaurant
Breakfast available
The price is €17
for 1 night
includes taxes & fees
9 Dec - 10 Dec
Elepath Lodge - Pinnawala

About this property

Hotel Elephant Bay

Family-friendly hotel with a full-service spa and a rooftop terrace
A full-service spa, an outdoor pool, and a restaurant are available at this smoke-free hotel. Free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and a free manager's reception are also provided. Other amenities include a bar/lounge, a rooftop terrace, and a business center.
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.

An outdoor pool and a children's pool are on site.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the hotel's full-service spa.
During your stay at Hotel Elephant Bay, you're just a quick walk from Pinnawala Zoo. You'll find features like free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and a free manager's reception.
  • Free WiFi
  • Free self parking
  • Grab something to eat at the restaurant or stop for a drink at the bar/lounge
  • Take a swim in the outdoor pool
  • Indulge in a treatment at the full-service spa
  • Services include babysitting, a concierge, and tour or ticket assistance
  • Onsite recreation includes bike rentals and a playground
  • Just a 1-minute drive from Pinnawala Zoo and 13 minutes from Wewaladeniya King's Temple
  • Airport and local-area shuttle service available for a fee
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.

The hotel hosts a free manager's reception daily.
Hotel Elephant Bay has a restaurant on site.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Languages

English, Hindi

Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and public transport

  • Free self-parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available
  • 24-hour return airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Local area shuttle (surcharge)

Food and drink

  • 1 restaurant
  • 1 bar
  • Free daily reception
  • Room service available

Things to do

  • Bike rentals
  • Children's pool
  • Full-service spa
  • Outdoor pool
  • Playground

Family friendly

  • Babysitting (surcharge)
  • Children's pool
  • Outdoor pool
  • Playground

Conveniences

  • ATM/banking services
  • Banquet hall
  • Free newspapers in reception
  • Front-desk safe

Guest services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Concierge services
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Luggage storage
  • Tour/ticket assistance

Business services

  • Business centre
  • A meeting room

Outdoors

  • BBQ grill(s)
  • Garden
  • Picnic area
  • Pool sunloungers
  • Rooftop terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have any 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

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate bath and shower
  • Towels

Entertainment

  • TV channels
  • Flat-screen TV
  • Films for purchase
  • Premium channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water

More

  • 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.

Payment types at the property

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

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession.
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
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival.

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

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 36 reviews" "

7.2/10

Cleanliness

7.6/10

Staff & service

5.8/10

Amenities

6.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

ASKIN

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

6/10 Okay

Steven

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

2/10 Terrible

Eloïse, Caen

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
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

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

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

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

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

6/10 Okay

SHAH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
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
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
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Awesome river view. One can see the Elephants taking a bath from the pool.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019