Grand 7 Hotel Thalawathugoda

Late checkout was not an option. The bathroom was always wet and slippery as there was no shower cubicle

Having just returned from a 4 night stay I thought that I'd share my experience so that others can make an informed decision when contemplating the Grand 7 Hotel in Thalawathugoda. The hotel was easy to find and is in a great location just off of Hokanadara road, set back from the road so really quite tranquil. The staff were super friendly, always a friendly greeting whenever they saw me. The room was basic but perfectly adequate and for the price paid (21 gbp per night for a single room !) it was very well spec'd. The rooms have working A/C, a good Wi-Fi connection and an en-suite bathroom with a decent shower. There are team-making facilities (kettle, cups, etc.) which I was very thankful for. The hotel was quiet and I was never disturbed by excess noise from outside or from other guests inside in the evenings which in my experience can be a problem at many hotels. With regards to "areas for improvement" be aware that there appears to be no daily housekeeping provided, certainly not during my stay anyway. This means that the bed is not made (not a big deal, I can quite happily make it myself), the bed sheets are not changed, the bottles of water in the room are not replenished, the tea cups are not replaced with clean ones, the room is not vacuumed - there is no housekeeping. For water I simply asked at reception for two additional bottles each evening which they were more than happy to provide. Be aware though that housekeeping is not part of the package, but to be honest for a room at this bargain price it's not entirely surprising. Checking out on my last day was a bit arduous as the receptionist could not generate and print an invoice. We got there eventually but the check-out process took 20 minutes to complete which could have been better. Cable TV also stopped working halfway through my stay but that didn't interest me - top tip, load up your table with plenty of TV shows and movies so that you don't rely on the hotel TV. Any negative feedback that is minor. To be honest I can't praise the hotel staff enough, given the budget-end of the market that this hotel is aimed at the service (lack of housekeeping aside) really is very good indeed. Would I stay here again ?, absolutely I would. Maybe the hotel could offer an optional additional daily housekeeping service where guests such as myself could elect to pay a small amount extra and receive daily housekeeping which for a solo traveller such as myself would have been perfect. Anyway, if you are considering staying at the Grand 7 Hotel I'd say to go ahead and make a booking. If you want a basic hotel (think motel in the US) for a great price then this hotel offers exactly that.