Buckingham Place

Our second time visiting and loving this utterly fabulous unique boutique hotel! Everything from the setting to the location is perfect! Nothing, absolutely nothing is too much trouble and every member of the excellent staff give 100% to looking after you and making you feel wanted, part of their lives and in every moment looked after and valued to such a fabulous level! They make me smile inwardly and outwardly and the pleasure they generate is just .. well just exquisite! You are engaged with on every single level. Room staff / garden staff / stewards / leads absolutely everyone work tirelessly to seamlessly make your stay extra special. What do I love most? Everything! The resident dogs Gracie B and Bella even welcome you (Well when Gracie B warms to you). The rooms are spotless. The bathrooms are unique and I adore the open roof touch that even when a rainfall comes adds to the specialness of this place! The Spa is likewise a fabulous moment in this extraordinary place! Thank you all so very much!! We are coming back and are privileged to be now called regulars! We love it!!!

We stayed for six nights in a Lagoon View Family Bedroom suite at Buckingham Place. We loved every minute and since returning home we are still reminiscing! What a hotel…from the beautiful complimentary Italian coffee delivered to our room once we woke to the enjoyable dining experience each night. The food is really the best and it comes with outstanding service. Nothing is ever a problem! We came to rest and we did just that…lazed by the pool and listened to the sounds of the sea and nature. It really would be a dream to return. Thank you to Nick, Kalpa and the team.

We visited BP 5 years ago and you can see our thoughts “A Haven on Earth” dated April 2019 in the long list of fabulous reviews below. When we left in 2019 we already knew we wanted to return. This is unusual as we generally take the view that there are so many places to visit all around the world. Also, in instances where we do thoroughly enjoy ourselves there is a concern whether a second visit would be as enchanting and do we risk spoiling the first visit memories. Fast forward 5 years, through a pandemic, retirement, losing family members and life in general and we were ready and able to return. On arrival to this 5 acre site, you are immediately greeted by genuine, warm, friendly smiling staff whose sole aim is to ensure you have the best possible stay. The sense of tranquillity is immediate, and we were taken straight to our large accommodation comprising open plan bedroom and seating area, with separate room containing a wardrobe, safe, storage area for luggage and fridge (stocked daily with water, ginger beer, complimentary nuts and sweets). There is also a huge bathroom area with sink, w.c., bidet, sunken bath and separate shower, the latter two being open air so you can bathe or shower and look at the stars. Many of the rooms enjoy the benefit of views across Rekawa Lagoon. Although the entire property has been repainted and refurbished since our last visit, many things remain the same. The staff are still attentive and keen to look after you. The restaurant still produces a wide range of breakfasts, which can still also be enjoyed in a location of your choice and at a time that suits you. There are also snacks available during the day and evening menus catering to vegetarian, local and European tastes. The menu changes over the course of a few days. Additionally you can request a starter be made into a main course. We were fortunate to be staying 14 nights on this occasion and found no difficulty in choosing interesting dishes each day, all of which were freshly cooked and delicious. As you will gather from reading a number of reviews of BP, this is a place to relax, unwind and allow others to take care of you. The owner, Mr Nick Buckingham has created a well thought out, serene , boutique hotel, ably and willingly supported by a team of between 50 and 60 staff. Nick fell in love with Sri Lanka and made it his home. His staff and their families reliant upon the success of BP. We intend to continue our support as we are already planning the next visit. Our gratitude and best wishes to Nick, Kalpa, Chamindu, Madu (day 6 when we arrived), Deepal (No.1 Commander), Ruan (No.2 Commander), Assan, Arsan, Aruna, Niluka, Madu, Sharnika (accounts), Vajiray and Srianne at the Spa. We apologise to the Garden, Housekeeping and Restaurant Teams, some of whom we met but whose names we do not know. Collectively, you have succeeded in delivering a truly memorable holiday that felt like a loving, warm embrace. We are off now to start packing for o

If you’re reading this you’re considering a stay in Buckingham Place. Don’t waste your time with these reviews - book it now, book if for sooner than you planned, book it for longer and let yourself be blown away by the level of service and stunning surroundings. This is a 5* hotel with all the charm of a luxury boutique hotel whilst being warm, welcoming and unpretentious. We stayed for our honeymoon and ended up extending our stay as we loved it so much. Never been much of a beach dweller but Buckingham place allows you to truly switch off. Waking up to the lagoon and lying on the Indian Ocean through the day. The place is a menagerie with peacocks, monkeys and mongooses trotting around the property - amazing to watch their routine from the terraces. The team led by Madu, Kalpa and Chamindu couldn’t do enough for you, whilst not being overbearing but preempting your every need with minimal fuss. Just heaven. The owner Nick and his lovely dogs Bella and Gracie gave the place a homely feel and their love of Sri Lanka was infectious. The food was excellent and a great balance of local and European food and the team were so accommodating of any dietary preferences. Especially enjoyed my spa treatments- definitely factor this in to your stay.

If you want eccentric and loud (and that’s just the owner) look no further! From the moment you enter the grounds you know it’s going to be different with loudly painted (bright yellows and blues) villas to the eclectically decorated dining room. This is definitely not your standard boutique hotel and it doesn’t pretend to be. The staff are excellent and the food is wonderful. There are no real timings just have breakfast when it suits, the chef is there from 8am till the last man falls! Rooms are simple and comfortable with bathrooms the size of a British apartment. Two swimming pools and a path on to the stunning beach. This place has it all, it’s slightly bonkers, eccentric and eclectic- we loved it

I recently had the great pleasure of dining at Buckingham Place. It was an unforgettable experience in the most breathtaking surroundings. It was apparent as soon as we arrived that a great deal of thought and love has gone in to creating such a magical place. From the luscious tropical gardens to the glorious design and decor of the dining and bar area it managed to feel exclusive yet extremely welcoming. It is the kind of setting where I imagine Bond and Hemingway would happily settle. We started the evening with superb cocktails in the bar/lounge area to a soundtrack of the Indian Ocean and some magnificent jazz. Unobtrusive yet wonderfully atmospheric. We then moved to the airy dining room which looks out onto one of the pools surrounded by palms and the white sands below. I ordered the sesame crusted tuna salad with fresh mango and a miso/wasabi dip which was one of those dishes I will forever try to recreate but will never come close to succeeding. It was exquisite and I would return to Sri Lanka for that alone. The service was also superb. The staff were attentive but not overly so. They seemed to appear when we needed something but were not watching our every move. I can not recommend Buckingham Place highly enough. I plan on returning there as soon as I can. Magnificent.