A stay at the luxurious Aliya Resort & Spa was an accommodation highlight on a recent trip to Sri Lanka. Besides the jaw-dropping view of Sirigiya over the magnificent infinity pool, the rooms are spacious, the tropical grounds are lush, and the resort offers a range of unique and thoughtful eco experiences.
Read on for my review of Aliya Resort & Spa, and what to expect from a stay at this luxury resort in Sri Lanka.
Resort & Facilities Overview
Set amongst the jungle near Habarana, Aliya Resort & Spa Sigiriya offers a tranquil escape in the Sri Lankan countryside. The resort, part of the Thema Collection, features 96 rooms across the expansive property.
Aliya means elephant, and you’ll come across the elephant theme throughout the property – starting with the eye-catching mural that greets you in the sleek reception lobby after you’ve scaled the grand concrete staircase at the entrance.
The 45-metre infinity pool overlooking Sigiriya and Pidurangala Rock is a stand-out at the resort – returning to relax by the pool after hiking Pidurangala at sunrise was much needed.
During our stay in April 2024, the pool never felt too busy. The midday sun was very harsh, so we found the pool was busiest in the late afternoon and at sunset.
Other facilities, that unfortunately we ran out of time to visit, include a gym, badminton court and even a karaoke bar!
The location of the resort is perfect for those wanting to be close to Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Pidurangala (20 – 25 minute drive) but also close to the nearby attractions in Habarana and Dambulla, such as elephant safari at Huluru Eco Park or a visit to the Dambulla Cave Temple.
Rooms
The majority of rooms in the resort consist of villas with a ground floor and upper floor villa in each complex.
Upon entering my ground-floor room, my first impression was how spacious it was – the bedrooms are around 30 m2, with large bathrooms and balconies adding to the total 52 m2 room size.
With wood accents, the rooms are contemporary and modern, keeping in line with the feel of the rest of the resort.
Little sustainable touches included sealed filtered water in glass reusable bottles – the first time I hadn’t encouraged plastic bottles in our room during our 10 days in Sri Lanka. The air-conditioning was some of the best (cold and quiet!) I experienced this during our Sri Lankan trip, too.
The bathroom features a separate rainhead shower and deep tub, with the elephant motif continuing even here.
Just a note that the rooms are spread out across the resort – being in one of the furthest rooms, it took me a 5 to 10-minute walk (depending on pace!) to reach the reception, the main restaurant and the pool.
There are also a lot of stairs required to reach these areas, and accessible options weren’t clearly obvious to me.
The property has two suites that come with a private pool and even a sauna – perfect for a special occasion or celebration.
Dining
You’ll find the main restaurant, Alaka, just off the main lobby and reception area.
The large open-air restaurant has an array of Sri Lankan and international cuisine, served as a buffet at breakfast and dinner with live cooking stations.
The food was good – it wasn’t the most extensive buffet selection we had during our 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, so dining here may become repetitive after a little while for longer stays.
My friend was after something chocolatey for dessert and asked one of the chefs as she couldn’t see anything in the dessert selection. He went into the kitchen and brought her back her special chocolate dessert after a few minutes, which I thought was very sweet!
The resort does have a few smaller restaurants on the property that we didn’t get a chance to check out – Nagula (Sri Lankan cuisine) and Makara (Chinese cuisine). There’s also a bar next to the lobby as well as a pool bar.
Spa
You’ll find the Ayurvie Spa near the pool. Their extensive spa menu is quite affordable for a luxury resort, so I indulged in a 30-minute neck, shoulder and back massage for USD 18.
Upon entering the spa hut, you walk through to your treatment room with glimpses of rice paddies in the distance.
The massage was very relaxing – emphasis on the relaxing. I prefer a firm massage, but I wasn’t asked for my preference before the treatment and the pressure of the massage was definitely on the light side.
My experience wasn’t a one-off, as my friend encountered the same thing, and despite asking for firmer pressure during the massage, she didn’t have much success.
Experiences
What sets Aliya Resort & Spa apart from other resorts in Habarana and Sigiriya is the unique number of outdoor activities and excursions on offer (some activities incur an additional fee).
These include:
- Paper Recycling Factory: Explore the on-site paper recycling factory where the hotel’s luggage tags are made out of recycled paper. Guests can have the opportunity to make their own recycled paper elephant.
- Pottery Making Experience: Get hands-on with a pottery class in a traditional hut
- E-Bike Village Tour: Join a guided tour of the countryside around the hotel, visiting a temple and passing through local villages, lakes and spotting wildlife. There’s also a longer tour available that cycles to Sigiriya Rock Fortress for a tour.
- Bird Watching: Join the resident naturalist on an early morning bird-watching tour.
- Yoga: Daily yoga sessions each morning and evening
The staff can also assist with organising other activities outside of the hotel, such as an elephant safari experience at the nearby Eco Park in Habarana (which I did, and loved!).
Summary & Overall Rating
What We Loved: A serene and peaceful resort with spacious, modern and comfortable rooms with one of Sri Lanka’s best infinity pools. This resort is a great luxury base for exploring the central region of Sri Lanka
Room for Improvement: Dining choices in the main restaurant were acceptable, but nothing memorable. The massage was relaxing and well priced, but no pressure was applied.
- Rooms: 4.5 / 5
- Dining: 3 / 5
- Facilities: 4.5 / 5
- Spa: 3 / 5
Room rates start from USD 250 for bed and breakfast, and USD 345 for half-board for the Deluxe Room with Garden View.
Check rates and availability here
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