Central Beach Inn

Central Beach Inn was recommended to me by a friend whod stayed there himself a few years ago. Recently Id been having a pretty tough time and he told me that when he had a similar bad time he took himself to Mirissa Beach in Sri Lanka and specifically to this ‘Bohemian Paradise.’ However there is a bit of a trek involved. From the airport to Mirissa beach takes at least 2.5 hrs in a car. I did think for a second that might be a bit of a stretch but I was assured that it would be well worth it. My friend was indeed correct. Right away Centrals location is perfect. Right smack bang in the centre of Mirissa Beach the view is stunning. from my room to the beach front was a short walk through the bar area and 10s later I was pretty much in the sea. The front of house staff are friendly and welcoming and the Inn helped me book a car to pick me up from the airport. The room itself was a bit run down and dated, but considering the price I paid (far lower than even a cheap Travelodge) I knew what i was getting into. The room had all the basics you’d need, such as Mozzie nets, fridge, safe, shower and most importantly air con! In fact that thing was so powerful my room invariably would be like a meat locker. There were a couple of downsides. The Bar and the Inn are connected (they are run by the same family) but you couldn't put food and drinks on your room for instance and pay it off at the end of your stay, but that was a minor inconvenience. Also the sunbeds on the beach would be taken in at 4.30pm which felt a bit early but they had to set up the evening dining tables. But the food was absolutely lovely and there was also one other top trump that the Central Beach had over anywhere else: The Staff. In the 13 days I was there the staff did absolutely everything perfectly. Every day I was greeted with a smile, a fist bump or a high 5. In soaring heat these guys never stopped. They are without a doubt an amazing asset to the business and made my stay so comfortable and brilliant that a million thank yous would not be enough to cover it. Special mention goes to Namal, a brilliant bloke who never failed to make me laugh. It was the kind of stay I could have only dreamed of, but having now done it I just want to go straight back. And thats because I stayed at this wonderful place, an absolute bona fide ‘Bohemian Paradise’.

Pleasant enough stay in a tired looking hotel Lovely beach front location in fact it’s the location that really is the best part of this hotel. It’s a nearly but not quite. Pictures show the rusty bathroom accessories and an uncleaned fridge from the previous guests. Stained bedside lampshade. The safe in the room didn’t work. There were no waste bins in the room just a v small one in the bathroom. Door out to balcony warped and difficult to open. We were there two nights but our room was not cleaned. Perhaps we should have asked ? Having said all that the price paid reflects that this is not a top lines hotel. Would recommend as the price is reflective of the tiredness of this hotel and as stated a very good location Ate here on our last night and chose fresh fish grilled with French fries. Sitting out on the beach eating fresh cooked fish was lovely. We booked a queen room with sea view. Mosquito net difficult to stretch over the bed as the headboard was stuck firmly to the wall creating gaps in the net. Also whilst we had a lovely balcony view note it is noisy from the beach bar music below till the early hours. Not an issue for us but may be for some. Giving 3 stars as the price paid recognises all these faults and location is great. Note : Hotel reception GBP/LKR rate was 320 for exchange. Exchange place over the road gave us 390 !!!! Don’t exchange money at the hotel.

Central Beach Inn has a bunch of different room types at different price points. We stayed in the deluxe balcony with AC. Overall the room was ok and a decent size. My friend had issues with the bathroom door since it is very short and he is 6’1” (he hit his head several times). The room has a sort of colonial romantic feel with dark wood furniture and a four-poster bed with white mosquito netting. Standard amenities – WiFi, safe, small fridge, overhead fan, mini bar (electric kettle and coffee/tea), and toiletries. The steps to the balcony were very steep with a higher than normal rise and were shared with one other unit. A basin with water was on the landing for the stairs so that you could wash off sand from your feet. A gate was at base of the stairs. Breakfast was not included, and we did not eat at the restaurant. We did not have the room serviced while there by choice, but I think you have to ask if you want it cleaned. Comparison time: We stayed at two places in Mirissa Beach – Central Beach and Dream Palace. The two hotels are back-to-back with Central taking the beachfront and Dream Palace taking the street front. They both have their pros and cons. The rooms were significantly nicer and cleaner at Dream Palace, but I liked mattress better at Central as it was a little less hard. Both places had the same room amenities. You hear the music from the beach nightclubs at Central whereas you get the early morning beeping and bread-tuk tuk music from the street at Dream Palace (although the rear rooms are much quieter). Central is beach front and Dream Palace means that you walk through another hotel, for which the gates may all be locked after 1:00 am (be warned!). You will have to climb stairs at Dream Palace, but you can get a ground level room at Central. The service was significantly better and much more friendly at Dream Palace (family run) compared to the more business feel of Central. Central has a full restaurant and Dream Palace does not. The WiFi was somewhat stronger at Central and allowed for internet phone calls. Dream Palace is more budget friendly since it is not beachfront. As for Mirissa Beach itself, the beach is beautiful! The waves are very large and consistently frequent which means they may not be good for children or those who do not like to get batted around by waves. However, there is an area at the end of the beach by Parrot Rock with very gentle small waves that is good for kids. The beach is very busy all of the time and people come here for the nightlife. At least one restaurant a night turns into a club with a dj (until 3 or 4 am). At one end of the beach, they will put out these lit up frames that kind of look like giant eggbeaters out front of the bar that will be the club that night. They also have live music earlier in the evening at some of the other places. Mirissa Beach is a good central location on the south shore to make quick trips to Weligama (surfing) and Matara (city), and longer trips to Unawatuna

Rooms are extremely small But staff are supper friendly Great beach access Clean towels and linens Recommended Breakfast is good But if breakfast isn’t included on your reservation Try petti petti for breakfast