The Galle Face Hotel is situated in the heart of the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. An oasis of tranquillity amidst the hustle and bustle of the city by the side of the Indian Ocean. A feature unique among the hotels in Colombo. Established in 1864, the Galle Face Hotel soon became and continues to be one of the most exquisite hotels East of the Suez.

Room Catergories: Classic Wing / Regency Wing

The Galle Face Hotel, established in 1864, quickly won prestige as one of Asia's finest hotels. It possesses an unrivalled location in the capital, Colombo, on the edge of the Indian Ocean, at the foot of Galle Face Green and offers an appealing, colonial-style alternative to travellers seeking a change from standard five-star business hotels.

• The Colombo Museum - It houses many of the island's historical treasures, such as archaic palm leaf manuscripts, antique porcelain, rock sculptures from ancient cities, royal regalia, and an excellent collection of demon masks. Erected at the request of the Ceylon branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, it was declared open in 1877. Designed by James Smithers, an architect then working with the Public Works Department, it was constructed by Wapchi Marikar Baas (later knighted as Sir Razik Fareed). Pleased at the quality of the construction, the Governor asked Marikar Baas what favour he desired for constructing so fine a building. Marikar requested that the Museum remain closed on Fridays, so as not to distract Colombo's Muslim community from their weekly prayers. To honour his request, the Museum still closes to public every Friday.
• Fort Railway Station - The railways came early to colonial Ceylon - work on a line between Colombo and Gampaha began in 1864, less than forty years after the world's first commercial railway began operating in England. Spurred on by the demands of the coffee (and later, the tea) trade, the first Colombo-Kandy service began in 1867, and a complete island wide rail network was in place about fifty years later.
• The Galle-Face Esplanade - This mile-long palm-lined stretch in the heart of the city is its largest and most elegant promenade, with a number of small food stalls and a small stretch of beach. Once used by the British army as a parade ground - and an execution place for mutinous soldiers - it is today home to families and children playing sports and flying kites, health enthusiasts taking their daily evening walks, and local and international concerts. Around the corner from Galle Face are prominent coffee bars, chic bars and boutiques.
• Presidential Secretariat - Known to most Sri Lankans as the 'old Parliament', the Presidential Secretariat building has served many functions in its time. Originally intended to house the 49-member Legislative Council, a body of mostly elected representatives advising the British Governor, it became Independent Ceylon's first House of Parliament in 1947, with its debating chamber being modified to accommodate 101 members. As the number of parliamentarians kept increasing, the premises proved too small and a new Parliament was built at Kotte in 1977. The Secretariat building, with its double-height Ionic columns and louring portico, is a typical example of the Neoclassical style popular among Western architects between the two world wars.
• Vihara Maha Devi (Victoria) Park - Ever since its gates first opened in 1865, Vihara Maha Devi Park has served Colombo residents as a quiet retreat from the bustle of city life. Located at the geographical centre of Colombo, next to the National Museum, Vihara Maha Devi Park is much smaller now than it used to be - earlier it used to include the Nomads' S.C. cricket grounds opposite St. Bridget's College and the areas presently occupied by the Colombo Public Library, the Art Gallery and the John de Silva Memorial Theatre. Famous for its flowering trees, fountains and water channels, the Viharamahadevi Park overlooks the pristine white-domed Town Hall. The park is at its best from March to May, before the monsoon arrives when its trees and shrubberies are in brilliant flower. In the centre of the park a statue of Queen Victoria commemorates her rule, while on the lawns near the Town Hall a golden image of the Buddha represents an older heritage.
• Lighthouse Clock Tower - Legend has it that Colombo's most famous landmark was commissioned by the wife of Governor Sir Henry Ward in the hope that it would teach the Ceylonese to be punctual. Unfortunately, the clock never worked properly and its replacement, commissioned in 1872 (from the manufacturers of London's famous Big Ben), was installed only in 1914, having been kept in storage for forty-two years due to the expense of installation!
• Pettah - The old Bazar District of mostly Tamil and Muslim traders, this is one of the most ethnically mixed places in Sri Lanka. Each lane seems to have its own specialty, from silk garments and jewelry to spices and fruits. As dusk falls and the oil lamps and neon lights come on, the Tamil, Indian and Sinhalese traders call out, inviting you to sample their wares. Pettah also has many religious buildings, temples as well as the Ul-Afar-Juma Mosque built of brickstone in the year 1909.
• Wolvendaal Church - Colombo's oldest Dutch church is still in use. Its floor tiles, made from tombstones formerly in the Dutch church in the Fort, were brought here in 1813.
• Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara - This Buddhist temple is believed to be located at the spot where the Buddha preached 2000 years ago. It has an excellent carving of a reclining Buddha, and is the site for an annual prahara (religious procession) in January.