Villa Kusum

It's by far the best place we could have stayed in Hikkaduwa, the other hotels all seemed very generic and lacking in personality. This feels like your own private villa, just a few rooms, and a paradise, secluded end of the beach. Dinesh makes a stellar breakfast, and cooked us a beautiful candle-lit crab dinner. It really is the perfect setting to forget about everything! Special mention to Vijay, the handyman, who is always happy too help.

We stayed for three nights over Christmas. The man who runs it is lovely and made us feel very welcome. The garden area is lovely and immediate access to the beach from a quieter section of town is great. Ortinatelt there were a few significant problems: Night one we had to be evacuated due to an electrical fire from an air conditioning unit. The second night we were locked out of the building and had to wake one of the team to be let in. This was at around 11pm When we came to pay we were charged significantly more than expected (around 20% more). We were given the bill in USD$ converted to LLR and even though we were paying by LKR in cash were told the increase was due to “conversion rates”. We questioned this quite strongly at the time and didn’t see how the argument stacked up and haven’t been presented with this as an issue or explanation anywhere else so it seems a little odd.

I stumbled across this stunning little gem as I drove through Hikkaduwa and I am thrilled. As a seasoned traveller I love nothing more than a warm welcome, great service and something just a little bit different and special and Dinesh and his little team is doing a remarkable job at sparking this place back to life post covid. Right on the beach front the enchanting melody of crashing waves, the soothing sea breeze and the lush little poolside garden with ample shade is the perfect setting to relax or in my case, work on my masters. A short walk into Hikkaduwa, gives you access to all the restaurants and nightlife as well as diving, surf shops etc. Having said that, Dinesh can organise all of that to come to you if you so wish. The rooms are beautifully kept with a heritage feel and dark wooden furniture. Cool rustic stone tiles and gentle lighting really shows that Dinesh has a great grasp of how to create the perfect calming atmosphere. His cooking is excellent too, and whilst he is yet to reopen the kitchen for his French fine dining menu, breakfast was fantastic. His training in European Michelin starred restaurants and his love of hosting shines through on his plates as well as hie warm and welcoming character. If you are coming to Hikkaduwa and want to treat your self at a very, very reasonable rate, this is 5 star accommodation and service at a great rate!!