Club Hotel Dolphin

We are just back from 13 days at the Club Hotel Dolphin staying from the 24 September. We had selected a superior sea view room however on arrival were told we had been upgraded to a bungalow. On checking it however, it was the third row back with only the view of the back of a bungalow in the row in front, so said thanks but no thanks ( this appears to be a usual practice when they have occupancy issues). We had to stay in it overnight but were moved to room 335 the next day which was ideal with perfect sea and pool views from the small but adequate balcony. It has all the usual tea/coffee/hair dryer/ safe extras that you expect. There was a fridge but you will pay for anything you use. We just stored water in it. We only used the buffet which was fine. the breakfast was great for filling you up for a day sunbathing. The evening meal again was ok but could do with biscuits/crackers/cheese etc. for after your meal .We managed to find meals everyday but as expected it was more curries and local meals. Other resorts in the area that we have visited have had chefs at a hot food station preparing/serving food as the evening goes on ( pork/steak/lamb etc.) but here they seemed to be standing about doing nothing. The desert room was good but again it seemed to empty very quickly. A lot of time the staff would look at empty food trays/plates but unless asked weren't refilling them. The evening entertainment was poor with virtually nothing happening. On our last night there was a fire show which was excellent but the music in the main bar was more lounge singers which seemed to clear the place. The karaoke consisted of 8 people who gave it a go then left quickly, as was the so called disco which nobody went to. I appreciate it was before the busy summer season but even some music eat the outside bar would have been good. We spent our time at the quiet pool which was brilliant. We had 'Yamuna' as the attendant who would sort out towels as you approached and made sure they were fine through the day and offering the glasses/cleaning service. This was as much a time when he would come up and have a talk with you. He was very knowledgeable and keen to answer any questions you had. He would remember you each day and make sure your sun beds were ready for you. He was a great advert for the staff who were all very good. The dogs seems to have been an issue for people however we found them really friendly and were great fun to watch. They would only approach to have some human contact- but only if you called them. They did not beg at the tables and were happy to lie in the sun. The dogs are fed each day at 4pm and therefore don't go looking for food. I think everyone while we were there had the same opinion and were always on the look out to see what they were up to. There is an older dog who the staff are looking after and looks in a sad state however it is dramatically better than it was and is slowly getting better. It is 13 years old with health issues which the hotel are addressing. A special mention to the Health and Safety Manager 'Chandika' who is responsible with a team on volunteers for the dogs making sure they have all the vaccinations that they require. If you have any spare rupees on leaving give a thought to handing them to'Chandika' to assist in the bills as the hotel is covering all the health bills for the dogs. While we were there the female dog from the main pool had pups which staff are going to care for . Dogs are not looked after well in the community and the hotel is a safe haven for them. We had a trip through one of the tour guides on the beach- Asda - into Negombo with a train/ tuk-tuk / and boat which was good. We also did a trip with Diethelm Travel to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy/ Elephant Conservation centre / tea factory and Nuwara Eilya. It had been raining for this trip and Nuwara Eilya was nothing but a wet haze with torrential rain. We were glad to get back to the hotel from this trip as it was only average and a lot more expensive than Asda who would probably given a better trip. Sri Lanka is a massive country and we only seen a small part of it. Locals were great and always had a smile. It is definitely worth a visit. But for a few small things we would have given the hotel a five star rating . We would definitely consider returning. Thanks to all at the Club Hotel Dolphin.

Just got back from a 11 night stay here and wow what a great place to stay. We were met by Daphni at front of house who immediately gave us a great welcome. We were sat down and checked in with a fresh pineapple juice. We were told that we could not have our room until 14.00 which we knew already, but after a look around we headed back to the bar. It was only 12.00 but Daphni found us and said we could have our room now. Things just went great from then. The view from the room was ideal for us and also at the end of the block, so no noise late at night, in fact the room was quite a distance from the next one so if you want some peace and quiet then 306 is your choice. The inside of the room was perfect with a lot of space although the balcony was not massive but ok. We had a mini fridge which is extra cost, and a kettle and tea and coffee which is free. There is free WIFI which was a bit intermittent but worked. Also there is a hair drier and safety deposit box which is also free. In the dining room there was a lot of choice and variety of food on display with all the usual choices and quite a lot of world choices.Breakfast time they had all the English and continental style foods( the toaster is very slow though). They did have evenings with different country themes. The wine is free at lunchtime and evenings but payable other wise. There is a cool room dedicated just to puddings with many different types. I would say all the staff at the hotel are very friendly and helpfull and any request we had always got done. The beach was nice but quite a lot of rubbish washed up, and the water was very rough and we could not swim because there was always a red flag showing. It was nice to walk along though and see the locals working. We always resided in the quiet pool area which was very nice. It had a bar which is being updated at the moment but still working. You can make yourself a tea or coffee or if you wanted a cool drink or food then ask the bar man and he will help you. There is a towel man who is willing to put towels and stick up the parasol if you require( we usually tipped him 100rupees every couple of days which is about 50 pence) and after a day or so he always knew who sat where and put them up before you got there, no one went out early when we were there to reserve their bed which was nice. There are about 6 tour operators that hang around the beach area, and you can choose who you want to go with. We choose Dinu tours on this ocassion and he was very good and reliable. We went to the Elephant sanctuary one day which included the pineapple garden where you can eat fresh Pineapple just picked. You also go to a spice garden which is quite good but make sure you take some bug repellant as we were bitten soo much here but no where else. We asked Dinu if one night he would take us in his tuk tuk into the local area so we can saviour the night life and maybe eat some street food and he gladly did this. This was a great but daunting night as their driving out there is something to be amazed at( you will see what I mean) but did not see one accident or road rage incident in our stay. To summarize we would definitely go there again and hope to. If you go there again you get a red wristband which is like an upgrade. PS great for wheel chair access which we were not but noticed many ramps.