I didn't expect how good this place was going to be. I came by chance after going on a kite surfing holiday in Kalpitiya and someone recommending that I visit Sigiriya. After a quick search on Booking.com, I found this hotel and thought I would give it a go. As soon as you walk up the steps to the lobby you see Lions Rock and Pidurangala in the distance with an inviting swimming pool in the centre of the complex. I was then taken to my room where I had air con, a TV, large double bed, kettle with tea and coffee, fridge and mini bar, electronic safe and dressing gowns, a separate large ensuite bathroom with shower and a separate bath. I then went for a quick explore after lunch and found a well stocked gym next to a nature room. Intrigued by the nature room I went in and there were a few exhibits with information on some of the native wildlife in the area including an elephant skull, some weaver bird nests, butterflies etc. Then after walking down some steps I was confronted by some peacocks just casually roaming about. I then walked past a building and a lady began talking to me. So I went over and found myself in the complex's recycling centre. I found out that this was a tour that guests could undertake. I will admit that I wasn't too fussed about going on a recycling tour whilst on holiday but didn't want to appear rude so went in. I then got to make my own recycled compressed elephant...out of the waste paper. You can then participate in painting these and take one as a gift. The hotel also runs some free nature excursions such as bird watching tours in the morning and evening. After the recycling trip I bumped into one of the hotel lobby staff (Ishan) who was on his break. Despite this, he offered me a guided tour of the hotel and facilities including the butterfly gardens. All of the staff here were great. Really friendly and helpful. Sinigriya is good itself for a short stay but this hotel was great and seemed popular with families.

Aliya Resort and Spa is just 10 minutes by tuk-tuk from town and absolutely spectacular, especially the pool. It feels amazing and is a beautiful place. Great room, excellent facilities, attentive staff, and a full breakfast. The safari was pricey, so we booked it separately outside the hotel. Perfect for couples, ideal for relaxation and combining with activities in the area. We tried a massage at the hotel—it was a bit expensive and not quite worth it. The spa itself is minimal, and the sauna was cold, not a real sauna experience. For the jacuzzi, couples are separated into different rooms and bathtubs, just like for massages.

I have travelled extensively and I have to say, the hotel pool is AMAZING and I don't use that word lightly! The architecture overall is really impressive and the pool has been designed as the centre piece, as though sitting within the jungle with a stunning view of the Lion's Rock, it's delightful! The staff are super helpful and kind, rooms good size with comfort in mind. Great breakfast, we ate lunch and dinner there. I thought the buffet was good value, but there is also the a la carte and their other restaurants to try for variety. Really good equipped gym and badnington court. I tried the spa which was a nice experience. This was the last destination on our trip and by far are most luxurious; superb value for money, considering it's a 5 star. Thank you Team Aliya, we loved staying at your wonderful hotel and hope to return to one day. I've already recommended you to friends who are travelling to Sri Lanka next year!

Aliya Resort and Spa is a relatively big hotel with 96 rooms. The resort caters to tourists since there were several large tourist buses that came with guests staying at the hotel. There was a nice selection for the breakfast buffet. Our bedroom was spacious and tea and instant coffee were offered in the room. The water pressure was really good. The hotel had a very large swimming pool although we did not have time to use it since we focused more on sightseeing. We got to see 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites: Sigiriya Rock, Polonnaruwa, and Anuradhapura. These places were about 1 1/2 hours from the hotel.

We were assigned Room 45. The bathroom door would not stay open so we had to prop it open by putting an object against the door hinge. The bathroom smelled musty and it was hot when the door was closed because the air conditioning was not reaching the bathroom. We stayed in the hotel for 3 nights. The first night, we only had 2 bath towels. We had to request hand towels and extra bath towels since the towels did not dry in the humid weather. The resort was located in a jungle like environment. The pathways to the rooms were dark and not good for seniors like us.

Perfectly situated with gorgeous views of Sigiriya Rock from the lobby and the pool.the focus on saving elephants was tastefully incorporated everywhere from the bedside tables to the ceiling lights in the dining hall. The Traditional Sri Lankan Restaurant was worth experiencing and the staff were delightful. 3 nights were not enough

Scraping the barrel I would suggest better lighting along the pathways to the suites. They are atmospheric n lovely but a touch hard to see

The pool with view over lion's rock is exceptional. Very friendly staff, some were more competent than others. We had a nice and quiet room. The gym was big and equipped well enough.

We had breakfast and dinner. Breakfast options are many but poor quality, would have prefered less choices but better quality. Maybe to consider serving a la carte considering the number of guests and hygiene. Quality of the food at dinner was not good, compared with what you could have outside so we only had dinner once. The location is quite remote so not much restaurants around and you need to take a tuk tuk to get around.

Large and beautiful resort with great rooms. The pool is absolutely incredible - heated, huge, views of Lion’s Rock and food/drinks service. The hotel staff are wonderful and very keen to help. There are so many lovely small touches, like a complimentary fresh fruit bowl delivered to the room after arrival. There are multiple restaurant options for dinner, we tried the buffet and Chinese restaurants which were excellent. Breakfast buffet is the best we’ve seen amongst hotels in Sri Lanka.

We loved it here, very clean and bright in the rooms, pool was huge and on a non cloudy day the backdrop is beautiful!

Buffet breakfast wasn’t great, charge more for any coffee that isn’t a pot of Sri Lankan coffee. Prepare to eat alone if you order from A la carte menu, my other half always got his meal way before mine and finished before mine was even served.

Like the focus on sustainability and the garden areas

There were lots of things we weren’t told about (any restaurant in the hotel, another bar, evening walks etc) which we weren’t told about. I loved the idea of an hour evening nature walk but felt the extra price they charge was excessive- I would have been happy to give a good tip for this but expected it to be complimentary. Drinks and snack took a long time to arrive and order was wrong. Staff not as friendly as other places (except baggage boy and one or two ladies on reception).

Safari trip to see the elephants was excellent with our very informed naturalist. Amazing swimming pool and stunning view towards Sigiriya rock. Lovely fresh food with large selection of Western and Sri Lankan food. Really good reflexology.

The hot water in the bathroom was not constant and could get very hot suddenly. The staff were not as professional as other hotels we have stayed at. Spa room needed painting and some protection overhead as bugs were dropping on my head!