Hilton Yala Resort Review: Luxury Safari Hotel in Sri Lanka
I was amongst the first guests to experience a bucket list stay at one of the newest Hilton hotel openings – a luxury safari resort located within Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. Read my full review to find out what it was like.
A safari is something I imagine is on most people’s bucket lists, and I was lucky enough to start the year ticking it off of mine.
Sandwiched between the Indian ocean and the wild landscape of Yala National Park, Hilton Yala Resort is in prime position for those wanting to be in the middle of the action.
If you’re planning a trip to Yala National Park and considering a stay at the Hilton, I’ll cover everything you need to know in this review.
My stay here was gifted, but all opinions are my own. I don’t accept stays in places I wouldn’t choose to stay in myself, and I write honestly about the experience I had.
First impressions
After a very long journey from Dublin to Sri Lanka, our driver dropped us off on the outskirts of Yala, with recent flooding making it too difficult for cars to go any further.
A jeep from the hotel arrived to take us the rest of the way, along a bumpy dirt track that doesn’t look like it would lead to much more than a field.
We passed a sign listing the last animal sightings in the area, and our eyes and ears were peeled for any sign of life amongst the bushes.
It was dark, and I felt a rush of anxiety, unsure whether I’d be excited if an elephant appeared in front of me, or absolutely petrified.
20 minutes later, and no elephants spotted, we arrived at the hotel. Guards open the large, bolted gates, another important reminder that wild animals live here, and we are mere visitors to their home.
Tell me about the hotel
The resort only opened in August last year, and we were one of the first guests to experience it. This marks Hilton’s third opening in Sri Lanka, and its unique location within the national park aims to provide guests with an up close experience of the animals.
There’s 42 rooms, suites and villas at the resort, all with their own pools and hot tubs, as well as an impressive swimming pool, spa, gym and 3 restaurants serving a variety of Sri Lankan and Western food.
Location
If you’re looking for the ultimate safari experience, locations don’t get much better than this. The resort is based within the popular Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, around 4 hours from Bandaranaike International Airport.
And when I say within the park, I mean just that, there’s no gates between the resort and the rest of the national park, and animals are free to roam through the hotel grounds.
Elephants are often spotted strolling past the bedrooms, so regularly in fact, that guests are advised to always call for one of the hotel 24 hour buggy’s if they need to go anywhere.
Each morning we woke up to monkeys swinging between the trees outside our room, and if we peered just a little further into the park, we could spot water buffalo taking a dip.
Getting there
If you’re taking a circular route around the country, I’d recommend visiting Yala in the middle of your trip (from Ella or the South coast depending on which way you go).
Tissamaharama is the closest town to Yala, and you have the choice of public transport or Pick Me (Sri Lanka’s answer to Uber) to get you there.
FROM ELLA
Bus | Ella – Wellawaya – Tissamaharama
*I can’t find a reliable bus timetable for Ella – Tissamaharama, and search results only show one bus at 00:30. This blog post is written by someone who took the bus, and has more information about the options available.
Pick Me | 2 hour journey time | £28/LKR 11,458
FROM MIRISSA
Bus | Mirissa – Matara – Tissamaharama | 3 hours
Pick Me | 2 hour journey time | £37/LKR 15,157
Rooms
During our three night stay at the Hilton Yala Resort, we split our time across two rooms – a King Deluxe Room and a Premium Pool Villa.
Every room at the hotel has either a hot tub or swimming pool, so no one draws the short straw.
Both rooms were similar in style, with neutral tones and local artwork that provide consistency between the interior and the surroundings of the hotel.
The bathrooms are huge, with a freestanding bath tub, rain shower and double sink. Both rooms had a separate seating area with a TV, and large, comfy beds.
We found we didn’t get much use out of the hot tub in the Deluxe Room because it was so warm outside, so having the private pool in the villa was a very welcome addition, and one I’d encourage you to go for if you can.
Food and drink
When you’re staying at a destination hotel with nothing else around, there’s an added level of pressure on the food offering, and the Hilton surpassed all of my expectations with its dining options.
We enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner at the resort and were blown away by the quality of the ingredients and the flavours in the dishes. Both the local Sri Lankan dishes and Western cuisine were executed brilliantly.
There’s 3 restaurants to choose from at the hotel, overseen by head chef Jerome Tissera.
Dhira offers a contemporary Asian menu, with dishes such as Mutton chopped roti, Jaffna crab curry, and aromatic confit Seabass (so good we asked for the recipe).
Sandali provides a Western offering, serving steaks, burgers, and grilled meats (there’s vegetarian options too), and Vanya the most casual of the three, with a well curated snacks and cocktail menu.
For a truly memorable experience, guests can enjoy the hotel’s unique dining experience – Lanthaaruma. Located on the beach next to the resort, the menu is fully customised to your tastes, and accompanied by a wine pairing. Of course, rangers will be nearby just incase an elephant decides to join you for dinner.
BREAKFAST
Too often I stay in hotels were breakfast feels like an afterthought, but here, it was my favourite meal of the day.
There’s a varied continental offering (including cheese croissants that I couldn’t get enough of), as well as a cooked menu with a selection of Sri Lankan and Western dishes.
I opted for an omelette most days, which was always cooked perfectly, and was served with a variety of brilliant toppings.
Don’t leave without trying the “Sri Lankan” – a traditional breakfast made up of curries, rice dishes, sambals, roti and string hopper.
Facilities
At the centre of the resort is the huge swimming pool, which is surrounded by greenery that gives you the feeling of swimming through mangroves. Lying here listening to the birds chirping was one of my favourite parts of our stay.
There’s also a gym and a spa which offers a variety of treatments.
The only thing that isn’t allowed that you might usually expect from a luxury hotel, is room service, but only to keep animals at bay, so I was more than happy to oblige.
Service
Service was mostly excellent, members of staff were very attentive and happy to help. The buggy service operates 24/7 and we were never waiting longer than a few minutes for one to arrive.
There were a few times when I asked for things (like whether it would be possible to do a cooking class, or if we could do another safari), and I had to chase several times for an answer as it was forgotten about.
I don’t think this is anything more than teething problems with it being a new hotel though, and I’m confident the service will only get better as the team settle in.
What I loved the most was the general feel around the resort, there wasn’t a hint of stuffiness despite it being a luxury hotel. I felt at ease and fully able to switch off and relax.
Guest experiences
Of course the main attraction here is the opportunity to head out on a safari in Yala National Park.
The hotel have their own rangers with incredible knowledge of the animals, and guests can choose from a morning, afternoon or full day safari, all of which include delicious refreshments prepared by the hotel.
Unfortunately due to a combination of bad weather and overcrowding, I found our game drive disappointing – you can read my full review of our trip to Yala National Park here.
But the hotel offers an array of experiences beyond the game drive, including bush and dune walks, visits to archaeological sites and temples, a fishing village tour and even dedicated excursions for children.
On our second day at the hotel, we were back in the National Park to visit Sithulpawwa temple, an ancient Buddhist temple believed to have been built in the 2nd century, and it was really enjoyable.
We were in a quieter part of the park where we hardly saw any other jeeps, and we managed to spot an elephant, monkeys and crocodiles on the way.
Would I recommend a stay here?
Overall, the Hilton Yala Resort exceeded my expectations. The considered interiors, exceptional food and ample amenities make it a brilliant choice for a trip to Yala.
There’s something so special about going to sleep at night knowing that elephants, monkeys and leopards are just around the corner, so if you’re planning a trip to Yala, this hotel is the perfect base.
