This is a lovely hotel on the outskirts of Kandy. It has an amazing swimming pool with a lovely view overlooking the river. The staff were absolutely lovely and really attentive throughout our entire time there.

The hotel' is getting a bit old now and could probably do with being refurbished. In particular the aircon in the rooms is very very noisy. We had to turn it off in the end which wasn't a problem at that time of year but would have been if it had been warmer. The room, which was the two adults and two children was also a bit small. In the end our youngest daughter slept in the double with us as there wasn't room for two extra single beds.

Pros: - Being right next to the river, the views from the hotel lobby, breakfast sitting, and our room were amazing. - The staff was superb. All our requests were fulfilled asap. I got my much-needed laundry done for what I would consider a bargain. - Live music was playing at night time. - The breakfast spread was pretty decent.

Cons: - It's a bit further from the city center, so going to the city center can take some time, especially with Kandy's narrow lanes. - The hotel is a bit old - The booking was advertised with a complimentary activity (boating/archery) as part of our stay. However, in reality, they would come up with myriads of excuses to why boating/archery are not possible.

Wonderful dining areas, especially the bar and dining terrace with fantastic river views, and a nicely located pool. Our room was really spacious and comfortable the small balcony was fantastic with fabulous river views. Good food, excellent breakfast and evening buffets. Massive range of choice that included authentic Sri Lankan cuisine.

One minor criticism was that the corridors providing access to the rooms felt rather dowdy and out of sync with the pleasantness of the actual rooms. Could do with being more uplifting with perhaps artwork on the walls, clever and atmospheric lighting, indoor plants etc.

The room was lovely and big with a nice balcony. Pool area was spacious and close to nature. The dinner in the restaurant was super - lots of fresh options.

The bar / snack service around the pool was incredibly slow. We saw our food arrive from the kitchen and then it was left out on the side for 10-15 minutes. When it finally came to us, it was cold and soggy. But we were so hungry and had already waited nearly an hour so just accepted it. The property is far away from the town, but that might be a positive for some people.

Away from busy Kandy time, view of pool and river

I've been here several times since 2008 and now internally, the rooms and bathroom are looking dated and in need of minor repair. The 2 stairs sets of stairs from lobby to room at pool level is very dangerous for young children who could quite easily run along the side wall of the stairs and fall over the edge. Having a sign saying it's dangerous is not good enough. A two railing bar large enough to stop a toddler at height from tipping over is absolutely essential. I can't believe it hasn't been fitted.

I absolutely loved this property and the entire chain! The staff was incredible, going above and beyond to cater to our every need. Traveling with a 6-month-old, I can only imagine we might have been a handful, but the team handled everything with such grace—from sterilizing our baby's dishes to providing perfectly pureed baby food. Even the friendly and engaging conversations added to the experience. I felt completely at ease and comfortable throughout our stay, and this has officially become my go-to spot in Kandy!

The room was spacious, well-appointed and very comfortable. Unfortunately, since we were at the basement level, the view from the room was not as great as we were led to believe, but, except for this, we were very pleased. The hotels reasonably close to the city center and we had no difficulty in reaching the main tourist attractions and the market. We had booked on a half-board basis and both the breakfast buffet as well as the dinner buffet had an extensive selection of local, Indian and Continental dishes. We would especially like to recommend Chef Rukshan, who prepared some excellent omelets for us at breakfast time.

There was really nothing to dislike.

We spent our honeymoon from 28th to 31st January at Citadel and it was one of the best experiences of our lives. We were given a great room facing mahaweli river. Waking up to that view is something we can't put into words. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The Buffet had a lot of food varieties and they were all delicious. And the dining area had a beautiful view to give the best dining experience. The staff always checked up on us to make sure that everything was ok. We even went on a boat ride along the mahaweli river and it was something that we will always cherish.

Authenticity is something hard to find in the hotelier business. But there's no lack of it at Cinnamon citadel. Place was exceptionally clean, staff were immensely helpful at every point. Authentic srilankan cuisine has never come close to perfection. Services offered were flexible and payment didn't feel like a headache. Perfect for families and couples looking to find some peace.

Some parts of the facilities were a bit run down. Although for the overall value, I wouldn't complain.

Although the property is slightly outside of the town centre its a short tuk tuk or car journey from the main city attractions. Perfectly set aside from the hustle and bustle of the town. Staff were welcoming and there was a warm welcome. The rooms were large, spacious, clean and well kept. The pool was nice and not too busy. We had a small workout at the gym which was respectable. The buffet dinner was actually quite good with a separate cool room for desserts and salads. Check in was a little slow (which is usual by our experience of Sri Lanka), check out was fast and efficient. All in all a perfect stay for a few days in Kandy. Drivers quarters were available and our chap said that they were accommodating. We had arranged a tuk tuk tour of kandy so had three tuk tuk come pick us up from the hotel and no-one gave us any funny looks (that we saw).

There was a lot of midges and mosquitos being next to the water, but that is Sri Lanka! This is part of a chain of hotels which is fine, maybe could have added a little more charm to make you feel like you're in the cultural hub of Sri lanka.