Had an absolutely fantastic experience yet again. The staff are so welcoming, hospitable and friendly. I would list all their names for recognition if I could. The hotel is beautiful, clean, comfortable and relaxing. I was suprised on arrival with a room upgrade with a lovely view of the ocean and beach. The beds are comfortable, very clean room, and peaceful. I booked airport transfer through the hotel and Lasantha was a great driver. The food was delicious and there are both western and local food options to suit everyone. Every time I have stayed at Riff over the years, I have had a great experience. I look forward to returning again and recommend this hotel to anyone who tells me they are going to Sri Lanka. The rooftop is a great spot to watch the sunset and enjoy amazing Japanese cuisine.

That I couldn’t stay longer!

The hotel is absolutely phenomenal: the food is delicious, views are lovely, and beach is so serene. The staff are lovely, and do everything with such care: everything from the welcome drink during the check-in, to the constant care and attention with food, logistics, and everything. We told them we were celebrating a special night for our graduation, and they gave us the loveliest room with the sweetest surprise of a mini graduation cake to help us celebrate! We were truly blown away by the generosity and kindness of the staff, and the beauty of the room. It was one of the most beautiful hotel rooms I have stayed in any country! I will definitely choose to stay here again on my next trip! They even made us Sri Lankan coconut pancakes for our early checkout so we could have something to eat at 6am on the way to the airport: truly top notch hospitality!! And so delicious :)

The checkout process could be improved slightly: it took quite a long time to check out, making us even a little bit late to arrive to the airport. It would be easier if the restauranst bills (which we had already signed and dated the day before) were already integrated to the final bill so that the front desk staff doesnt have to double check everything on the morning of departure.

The Riff in Hikkaduwa! My stay at The Riff was simply unforgettable. The hotel offers a perfect blend of top-notch service, breathtaking location, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that immediately makes you feel at home. The food at The Riff is nothing short of fantastic! The culinary variety, fresh ingredients, and loving preparation leave nothing to be desired. Whether local specialties or international dishes – everything was exquisite and served with great attention to detail. The seafood, in particular, was a highlight! What truly sets The Riff apart are the people – the staff are incredibly friendly, attentive, and always eager to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. You really feel welcomed and appreciated here. Their heartfelt hospitality makes all the difference and creates a relaxed, family-like atmosphere. Overall, The Riff in Hikkaduwa is an absolute gem that I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. Everything is just perfect – from the cuisine to the service. I’m already looking forward to my next visit!

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My husband and l wanted to sincerely thank the amazing team at Riff for an exceptional stay! They have gone above and beyond to turn our visit from a stay to an experience. The upgrade they gave us was beyond expectation and such an unexpected luxury. The cake and wine were such a thoughtful touch also. Riff has made our 25th wedding anniversary such a memorable stay and celebration. A huge commendation to all the staff whose kindness has made us feel so welcome from the moment we arrived. The food was exceptional and we loved the Sri Lankan breakfast experience! We will certainly will be recommending Riff to our friends and family and look forward to our return stay in the future.

Nothing to dislike!

Riff Hikkaduwa connects everything we have ever wanted from a hotel. The food served in all three restaurants was excellent. You could even try local Sri Lankan cuisine. The staff was super friendly and professional. Our room (Presidential Suite) was spacious, comfortable and well-equipped We had a breathtaking infinity pool on the balcony with a great view of the Indian Ocean.

My family of 6 has just spent 4 wonderful nights here. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, the staff were excellent and the food great in both the main restaurant and True Blue, the Japanese rooftop restaurant. Staff were very helpful, yet not intrusive at all. You could tell that they had taken part in very good hospitality training. Even when we left today, management helped us by arranging a driver when Uber cancelled on us and gave us some lovely tea as a thank you for staying at the hotel.

We didn't like that we had to leave!

Our stay at Riff Hikkaduwa was absolutely unforgettable! From the moment we arrived, we were surrounded by warm hospitality and impeccable service. The hotel’s location is perfect—right on a beautiful beach with stunning ocean views. The rooms are spacious, modern, and thoughtfully designed, ensuring maximum comfort. The food at the restaurant was simply amazing—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The live music in the evenings created a wonderful atmosphere, making every dinner a special experience. A highlight of our stay was the unique opportunity to release newborn turtles into the ocean—a truly magical and memorable moment. Thank you to the entire team at Riff Hikkaduwa for making our last stop in Sri Lanka so special. We will definitely be back and highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a perfect beach getaway!

Location near one of Sri Lanka's most renowned surfing spots in Hikkaduwa. 25 min drive to beautiful Galle. Rooms are beautiful. Lots of wood elements. The hotel is designed by a famous Sri Lankan architect. One can clearly see it. Especially the area around the pool and the open lobby. Because of the beds and cushions, we had the best sleeping quality in the whole of Sri Lanka. The staff was definitely a highlight. I still can't believe how everytime they see us, they can remember our room number. They were also very attentive and surprised us with a very beautiful cake for our birthday in the rooftop restaurant. The hotel has also a design shop with nice handicrafts and souvenirs. Breakfast was very tasty and had a wide selection of local Sri Lankan and international options. One needs to know that it is forbidden to swim in the beach in front of the hotel. We were lucky that the waves were not so strong but we didn't feel comfortable swimming there. However in the beach section about 10 min walk towards the surf spot, it's more feasible to jump into the water because the beach there doesn't go abruptly deep as in the beach of the hotel.

The glass doors of the bathroom are for design purposes (view on the beach), are however not practical because one needs to open up and close down the curtains everytime one enters the bathroom. We thought food (dinner/lunch, not breakfast) in both hotel restaurants can taste better. The hotel although new looked at some places quite used. But that's a high level critique :)

We liked the room and the view, the restaurants, the placement by the beach and the staff, all of the staff where exeptional, we had an extra connection with Benisha who fixed a birthdaycake and who we had good conversation with trough out the stay and Nuwan, the last night we had forgot to reserve a table and we wanted to sit outside, so he fixed us a table on the top restaurant with the menu from the ground floor restaurant, this was super service and top problemsolving, made our last dinner memorable. Thank you so much Kind regards Kåre Inge and Caroline Norway

Goverment taxes is put on top of the price that you will se in Booking.com this is highly unusual and I think that its the best to just write the total price right away, tourists just want to know how much they are going to pay pr night and not to where the money is distributed.

The Riff is, in our experience, an unusually good hotel for Sri Lanka. Everything was clean and comfortable including the bed. The food is outstanding ( so good that we didn’t actually eat out during our week there ) the breakfast is a real treat. But the best thing about the hotel is most certainly, the brilliant staff - I can’t single any one out as they are all fantastic.

The only slight issue would be the fact that swimming in the gorgeous sea is a no no at this point on the beach. You can however walk just 10 minutes to a calmer spot.