Shangri-La Colombo

Shangri-La Colombo sits directly on Galle Face Green, on the stretch of reclaimed waterfront that has become the most visible piece of the city's new skyline. It is one of the largest hotels in the capital, with 541 rooms, suites and serviced apartments, each with a separate bedroom, a private bathroom, a minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities and its own climate control. The scale and polish are very much in line with the Shangri-La group's approach to its flagship city hotels across Asia, built for guests who want a full-service, self-contained stay rather than a small boutique property, and the mix of ordinary rooms alongside longer-stay serviced apartments gives it more flexibility than a typical single-format hotel.

The hotel's dining is built around three distinct restaurants rather than one generic all-day room. Shang Palace, the group's signature Chinese restaurant brand, serves Beijing duck and dim sum in a formal setting, carrying the same name and concept found at other Shangri-La properties across the region. Central is the all-day dining venue, with international dishes prepared in open show kitchens so guests can watch food being cooked to order, and a neighbouring Central Cafe for pastries and lighter bites. Capital Bar & Grill is built around steak, seafood and cocktails for a more evening-focused crowd. A separate Pool Bar sits above the restaurants, looking straight out over the Indian Ocean and serving drinks through the day.

That pool is one of the hotel's more distinctive features. Raised to the fourth floor rather than tucked into a courtyard, it is counted among the largest outdoor swimming pools in Colombo and gives bathers an open ocean view instead of a wall of glass and concrete. Chi, The Spa, offers a menu of body and mind treatments described as holistic rather than purely cosmetic, and the adjoining Health Club is properly equipped for guests who want a real workout, with personal trainers available rather than just a treadmill in a side room.

What separates the location from Colombo's other Galle Face hotels is the direct, covered walkway into One Galle Face Mall next door, described by the hotel as the most extensive international shopping mall in Sri Lanka. Guests can move between the hotel and a full retail and dining complex without stepping onto the street, which matters in Colombo's heat and traffic. Galle Face Green itself, with its evening kite-flyers, street-food carts and sea-facing promenade, is only minutes away on foot, giving the hotel one of the more walkable settings among the city's large five-star properties.

Your transfer to Shangri-La Colombo

The nearest hotel on this site is ITC Ratnadipa Colombo in Colombo 1, a few minutes on foot.