The Fortress Resort & Spa 

Your boutique beachside bolthole

A fusion of Dutch and Portuguese styles, The Fortress is stylish, luxurious and right on the beach.

Close to the fortified city of Galle, this small beachfront hotel echoes the city’s charming architecture with immense gates, white-washed walls and an extensive courtyard. This is the focal point of the resort, with many people enjoying the cooler air and pretty gardens located within. Here you’ll also find the spa, known for its range of Ayurvedic treatments and water therapies.

Why we love The Fortress Resort & Spa

  • It’s right on the beach for lazy days, but close enough to Galle for shopping, eating and sightseeing

  • A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, it comes with world-class service, fabulous cuisine and a superb spa

  • Some of the rooms have indoor plunge pools with views of the beach and are well worth the upgrade

  • The carefully curated list of eco, cultural and indulgent experiences includes a visit to the resort’s sea turtle hatchery

5 stars
Dec - Mar
Galle
Colombo 10½ hours
Beachfront, close enough to Galle for shopping and dining out
Approx. 2 hours by road from Colombo airport
Sustainability, Beach, Spa, All Inclusive Option, Wellness

Facilities

  • Restaurants & bars
  • Board
  • Spas & wellness
  • Sustainability
  • Families
  • Good to Know

With three well-regarded restaurants, a relaxed lounge bar for afternoon tea and cocktails and 24-hour in-room dining, eating at The Fortress is always a pleasure.

White
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the main restaurant offers a whole new take on Sri Lankan cuisine. You can watch the chefs in action at the show kitchen and enjoy fresh seafood, speciality deserts and amazing local dishes with a touch of Asian flair.

Salty Snapper
Next to the pool and the beach, this laidback all-day eatery serves up fresh salads, seafood, wood-fired pizzas and other light bites.

Duo
This intimate, one-of-a-kind restaurant is in the resort’s wine cellar, with its walls lined with racks housing an array of bottles, including rare vintages and great classics.

T Lounge
For tea lovers, this open-sided lounge overlooking the sea and the gardens is a slice of paradise. You can enjoy a cup of Ceylon tea or a full afternoon tea, try a tea-scented cocktail and have a gentle history lesson at the same time.

The homemade ice creams at Salty Snapper are irresistible – be sure to try the flavour based on the spicy coconut relish called ‘pol sambol’ which really shouldn’t work but does.

Whats Included

Breakfast at the White restaurant.

Upgrade Options

All Inclusive • Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the White Restaurant • Selected wines, soft drinks, spirits, local beers and bottled water from 11am-11pm • Daily afternoon high tea • Daily sundown cocktail • Entry to the cultural show • Farewell destination dinner • Minibar refilled daily • Wi-Fi • Yoga classes.

Offering a collection of international treatments, but specialising in traditional Ayurvedic remedies, the spa at The Fortress is a sanctum of rest and relaxation. Ayurveda not only addresses bodily issues but also those of the mind and spirit to ensure a more complete sense of well-being. Relax in one of the six spa suites or enjoy the steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi or vitality showers. Yoga sessions take place in a dedicated pavilion.

The modern fitness centre has a good selection of cardio and weight training equipment such as cross-trainers and multi-stations, along with free weights and ab benches. Afterwards, you can relax your muscles in the steam room.

The Fortress has its own sea turtle conservation program to help protect the local population of endangered native species. All the ingredients in the restaurants are sourced as locally as possible, including from the hotel’s own organic herb garden. There is an on-site wastewater treatment plant, with the cleaned water used to irrigate the gardens. To support the local creative community, the hotel displays and sells handicrafts and artworks by traditional artisans.

There are sofabeds in some of the rooms, activities for all the family, a babysitting service and a kids’ area in the main pool.

Minimum stay: 4 nights 25 Dec-07 Jan.

Compulsory Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve gala dinners, supplements apply.

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