Lovely place, full of beautiful trees and plants - and a pet turtle named Turner (who is rather fond of sausages). The staff are very friendly and helpful, particularly Nalaka. The whole place has a very homely feel. We were honoured to be asked to plant a tree in the garden and we went with the owner, Bernard, to choose it (we chose a mango tree). The rooms were good, with a mosquito net over the bed. There were a few problems initially getting the hot water to work. The breakfasts were excellent, with a selection of fresh fruit and Sri Lankan dishes. But the dinner menu was quite limited and, strangely, the curry and rice option was not available in the evening. But overall, the hotel is highly recommended.

Dinner menu could be improved

If you like nature, you will love this place… from storks on your doorstep, the sound of monkeys to wake you up, or terrapins sunbathing in the water features, this place is a conservation delight. The rooms are simply furnished, but adequate for your needs with comfy beds, fresh towels, toiletries and bathroom and most importantly, clean. Food is freshly prepared and reflects everyday Sri Lankan simple, but full of flavour food. The staff are absolutely charming, helpful and friendly… they couldn’t do enough for us. The pool is clean and a welcome respite from the heat, but sunloungers are available for those who worship the sun and hammocks and umbrellas for those who prefer to relax in the shade. We bookended our stay here - after a long flight to Sri Lanka and then a busy 3 week trip, this haven was perfect for recharging our battery before the next stage of our trip. Our thanks to Stephen, Kavya and Nalaka for making our stay so comfortable

It would be great if mosquito nets were in all the rooms given the amount of water and greenery around the gardens. Kottu on the menu would be a welcome addition.

Steps Garden Resort is owned by a local family who were very welcoming on our first night in Sri Lanka. The airport transfer was seamless. The room was very comfortable with A/C, surrounded by lovely gardens, canal, and a pool. The owner helped us organise bus travel to the next city and even drove us into town, on the way helping us buy lunch from a local bakery, which was very kind. We would be happy to return!

There are a couple of rooms at the property that have steep stairs leading up to the room (about 15 stairs total with handrail on both sides). If that's of concern, check the photos of the room you're booking to make sure it's on the ground floor.

This is a great stay, especially if you just arrived or want to depart. The hotel offers a free pickup shuttle from the airport, maybe a 20 mintes drive. Staff is very friendly and helpfull making us immediately feel welcome. The resort has nice huts, a beautiful garden and the pool is great. Food is good, personally liked the stew. Preparation takes a little time to prepare so it is handy to order on time. Byetheway, planes are hardly or not noticable eventhough it is close to the airport. Sometimes you will hear buddhist prayers/blessing in the evening. If you are lucky you might mildy hear school children praticing flute lessons in the morning which added to the local charm.The staff help us arrange to get sim and esims from Dialogue via a small shop just around the corner of the hotel. The shop is run by a very friendly and helpful girl. Many thanks. We could pay in euro's and she was also very correct conversion wise (We got 15gb for a month with unlimited calling for 5 euros p.p. based on current exchange rate). We had a problem with one of our sims and she sorted it out free of charge. There is also a peoples bank atm at the main road (go left), which is less then a 5 minutes walk. We also took a local bus 242 into negombo, via step garden bus stop is at the main road. The buses are very bright and colourful and a nice experience. Overall had a great time at steps garden resort. Many thanks to Bernard, Naleke and Kavia (hope i'm writing their names correctly). Would definitely recommend it as a great stay and would defintely go here again.

Could/should have stayed maybe longer ... :)

The perfect place to spend our last night in Srilanka . The hotel is only a 10 minute drive to the airport and we were very grateful of the free transfer that was included. We particularly liked the relaxed feel to this resort. The accommodation is spaced out and the gardens are immaculate. It got a really nice feel. The pool is great and we spent our last evening by the bar in the hammocks talking about our adventure. We ate at the hotel and the food was very good. Staff are fantastic. Great value for money.

Our room was quite basic and perhaps needed some updating, but for what we paid we were happy and it was very clean.

Lovely stay in the 'country-side' in this beautiful piece of paradise. It is about 20mins to the airport and 20mins to the beach area, otherwise there is not much outside the resort but if you want a quiet place to relax this place is perfect. It is set in amongst lots of vegetation, ponds and free roaming animals including rabbits, chooks and turkeys! The individual bungalow was very clean and spacious and the bathroom superb. The a/c worked well it was so quiet apart from the odd plane flying overhead! The restaurant serves lovely dinners and breakfast was nice too. Staff were great and airport transfers a big bonus! Thank you!!

Our first hotel in Sri Lanka after a long flight, just 20 min drive from Colombo airport. We arrived after midnight and 2 rooms were ready for us. The staff was really helpful. The setting is absolutely beautiful, cabins arounf a stream of water and exhuberant vegetation all around, a pool, many animals and a real feel of nature. So peaceful and beautiful. Our first Sri Lankan, copious breakfast served with a big smile. Shame we had to leave straight after breakfast so we could not enjoy the place a bit more, but it was a most welcoming first night in the country. Thanks to the manager for the super nice gesture regarding our choice of rooms!!

Great quirky buildings that are made to a great standard. The grounds are wonderful and include plants, flowers, ponds, rivers. It is a hidden gem so close to the cities and so handy for the airport. If the rooms don't sell Steps then the breakfast definitely does. We had so much wonderful food. The owner Bernard is the most helpful host, anything from the moment of booking and throughout your stay, he is there to help with advice. all the staff are also so lovely. The outdoor pool has handy showers and changing rooms so you don't need to go back to your room. The free airport shuttle is the best service. they even picked us up at 4am. There is Aircon in the rooms and the bathroom was a lovely surprise.

Fantastic! This hotel is very welcoming. We arrived at 2 AM on March 20th, and the staff did their best to help us with early check-in. We were traveling with a small baby, and even though the kitchen was closed, they kindly arranged a late dinner for us. The staff are extremely friendly, helped with our luggage, and gave us useful advice for our trip around Sri Lanka. Special thanks to Sudara and Nuwan — they made our stay very comfortable. Also, a big thanks to the waiter at the hotel restaurant (unfortunately I forgot his name) who was very helpful with all our baby-related requests. The hotel itself is clean, rooms are tidy, and air conditioning worked perfectly. The surroundings feel like a jungle — so much greenery! The pool is great and open from 8 AM until midnight. Shops, pharmacy, and ATMs are just a 10-minute walk away. There’s also a beautiful spice garden on the hotel grounds. Overall, I 100% recommend this place, especially for families traveling with children — we had a great experience!

Everything was pleasing, nothing negative

Perfect accommodation near the airport, a peaceful oasis surrounded by nature, with spacious bungalows in excellent condition and very clean. The bed is very comfortable, and the room includes air conditioning, hot water, a good internet connection, a hammock, and chairs outside. The property also features a pool and a restaurant, where the food is delicious, and the service is exceptional. Without a doubt, I will stay here again. This place has everything you need to relax after a long journey upon arrival or before starting your trip when leaving.

Everything was perfect, nothing negative to mention