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Hotel Elephant Bay

3.0 star property
Family-friendly hotel with full-service spa and rooftop terrace

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Photo gallery for Hotel Elephant Bay

Outdoor pool, pool loungers
Property amenity
Premium bedding, in-room safe, desk, iron/ironing board
View from property
Exterior

Reviews

7.4 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Pool
  • Spa
  • Breakfast available
  • Room service
  • 24/7 front desk

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 21 of 21 rooms

View all photos for Superior Triple Room

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

Superior Triple Room

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Single 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

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • River view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bed

View all photos for King Room, Elephant Bath view

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

King Room, Elephant Bath view

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • 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

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • River view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

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

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

Economy Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Garden View

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • 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

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • 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

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • 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

Highlights

Balcony or patio
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Private bathroom
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Superior Single Room

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bed

Triple Room with Lake View

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Superior Double Room

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

Superior Double Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Family Room

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

Family Room

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

Deluxe Quadruple Room

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Deluxe Room with View

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

King Room with Balcony

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

King Room with River View

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Deluxe Triple Room with River View

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Superior Triple Room

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

Superior Triple Room

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed

Triple Room with Balcony

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed

Superior Double Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Single Bed

Superior Single Room With River View

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bed

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About the area

Map
Pinnalandawatta, Rambukkana, 70130

What's nearby

  • Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Pinnawala Zoo - 9 min walk - 0.8 km
  • New Paradise Spice & Herbal Garden - 16 min drive - 13.4 km
  • Alagalla Mountain - 20 min drive - 14.5 km
  • Dhamma Kuta Vipassana Meditation Centre - 47 min drive - 39.3 km

Getting around

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

Restaurants

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

About this property

Hotel Elephant Bay

Family-friendly hotel
Take advantage of an airport shuttle, a free daily manager's reception and a rooftop terrace at Hotel Elephant Bay. Treat yourself to a massage at the on-site spa. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a garden and a playground.
You'll also find perks such as:
  • An outdoor pool and a children's pool, with sunloungers
  • Free self-parking
  • Breakfast (surcharge), bike hire and a round-trip airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Express check-out, express check-in and babysitting (surcharge)
Room features
All guest rooms at Hotel Elephant Bay have perks, such as premium bedding and air conditioning, as well as amenities, such as free WiFi and safes.
Extra amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with separate baths/showers and free toiletries
  • Flat-screen TVs with premium channels
  • Balconies or patios, coffee/tea makers and ceiling fans

Languages

English, Hindi

Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and transport

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

Food and drink

  • Breakfast available for a fee
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Free daily manager's reception

Things to do

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

Family friendly

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

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • ATM
  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Lockers
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • Business centre
  • Conference centre
  • Meeting room

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden
  • Picnic area
  • Pool loungers
  • Rooftop terrace

Full-service spa

  • Massage

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
  • Braille/raised signage
  • Grab bar near toilet
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate bathtub and shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with premium cable channels
  • Pay films

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Limited room service

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • 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 at the property

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
Cots (infant beds) are not available

Payment types at the property

Important information

Optional extras

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

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

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 and cash

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

Frequently asked questions

Does Hotel Elephant Bay have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool and a children's pool.

Is Hotel Elephant Bay pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Hotel Elephant Bay?

Self-parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at Hotel Elephant Bay?

Check-in begins at 4 PM. Late check-in is available during limited hours.

What time is check-out at Hotel Elephant Bay?

Checkout is at noon.

Does Hotel Elephant Bay provide a shuttle to the airport?

Yes, there's an airport shuttle. A fee of USD 50 per vehicle applies.

Where is Hotel Elephant Bay located?

Located in Pinnawala, this family-friendly hotel is 0.5 mi (0.7 km) from Pinnawala Zoo, and within 9 mi (15 km) of New Paradise Spice & Herbal Garden and Alagalla Mountain. Wewaladeniya King's Temple and Uthuwankanda Church are also within 9 miles (15 km).

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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

Verified traveller

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

ASKIN

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

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

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

6/10 Okay

Steven

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

8/10 Good

Daria

Liked: Staff & service
Слоны
Отель уставший, но сюда надо ехать не за комфортом, а за слонами. Расположение и виды на купание слонов - отличные. Не надо платить за вход в приют, чтобы понаблюдать за ними. Слоны подходят совсем близко. Из минусов - хотели поужинать по меню, сообщили сотруднику, нам дали меню, а потом мы 20 минут сидели и ждали, пока кто-то примет заказ. Не дождались.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Das Hotel ist total in die Jahre gekommen und wirklich sauber gemacht wird auch nicht. Wir hatten dort echt das schlechteste Essen, was wir auf der ganzen Sri Lanka Reise hatten.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

2/10 Terrible

Eloïse, Caen

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, 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

8/10 Good

Carl Henrik

Dejlig beliggenhed med flot udsigt
Dejlig beliggenhed med flot udsigt. Godt pool område. Venligt personale.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

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

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

10/10 Excellent

Ditte

Ganske fint
Et dejligt sted, der gav os det vi havde brug for brug. Til prisen er det et ganske fint sted og en oplevelse med elefanterne så tæt på.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

3Fの部屋に宿泊しました。プールから象を眺められるのが良いです。ホテルにはエレベーターがないのでホテルマンが担いで運んでくれます。16:00CHECK INですが象の孤児院の入場チケットを買えば16:00前にCHECK IN出来ます。夜はなぜかシャワーのお湯が出ませんでした。川沿いなので夜バルコニーの電灯を点けておくと虫が寄ってくるので注意です。象はこちらのホテル前の川まで来てくれます。
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Sharr

Liked: 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

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, 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

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

6/10 Okay

SHAH

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

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

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

8/10 Good

Kim

Le bain des élephants
accueil sympathique, hotel ideal pour voir les éléphants se baigner( c'est pour ça qu'on y va) . La chambre est vraiment limite: pas nette et minimaliste. Elle ne réponds en aucun cas aux standarts occidentaux mais le prix est tres peu élevé donc on ne peut pas être trop exigent.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Robin

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

Mette

Ekstra fee for early check in
Overall it is a nice hotel, with great facilities. But, when we arrived early to check in we had to pay an ekstra fee just because we then would be able to see the elephants in the lake. If we had known that before we booked the hotel we would have chosen another one since the check in time, in my opinion is very late!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

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

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!

4/10 Poor

M, Bayern

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Schlechtes Hotel mit tollem Blick
Abgewohntes, altes Hotel ohne jeglichen Komfort. Speisesaal wird selten oder kaum geputzt. Nach starkem Regen tropft es im ganzen Hotel von den Decken. Modriger Geruch im gesamten Hotel. Einzig der tolle Ausblick entschädigt ein wenig
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018