The Fortress is a luxury beachfront resort, set south of Koggala lake, on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The architectural design, inspired by Galle’s 16th-century fortress is reflected in its immense gates, buttressed walls, double height ceilings and thick columns. Its low-rise buildings with slopping terracotta roofs encircle an extensive courtyard with wide open spaces and pretty gardens. While most rooms and the pool enjoy views of the silvery wave-washed beach and the ocean.
Accommodation at the Fortress Resort includes 53 luxurious rooms. All have modern residential-style décor with full-length French windows, contemporary Sri Lankan furnishing, private balconies or patios and bathrooms with separate bathtubs. Public spaces reflect a fusion of Dutch and Portuguese styles, complimented with state of the art mod-cons in your room and fibre-optic-lit swimming pool. For relaxation there is Spa Naturel, offering signature Ayurvedic treatments.
Dining options at the Fortress include two fine dining restaurants with magnificent views of the Indian Ocean serving authentic Sri Lankan and international cuisine. There are also two lounges, one specialising in local tea, the other offering cocktails, including some infused with tea. For a real gourmet adventure, the hotel boasts one of the world’s most expensive desserts costing £11,200 ($14,000) and comes with an 80-carat aquamarine stone.
Amenities
24hr Room ServiceBar/PubBusiness CentreChildcare ServicesConciergeCribs/Infant Beds AvailableFamily RoomFitness CentreGardenLibraryMeeting/Conference FacilitiesMultilingual StaffOutdoor PoolPets AllowedPoolside BarRestaurantSafety Deposit BoxesSalonSpa/SaunaWi-Fi AvailableYoga Classes/Instruction On SiteStay The Fortress Resort has 53 rooms and suites. All are equipped with king-sized beds, arc floor lamps and modern lighting, and en-suite bathrooms with rain showers, bathtubs and Bulgari toiletries. The lead in Fortress Rooms look out onto a shared courtyard and offer good value as they are more spacious than the next two categories. All other rooms are sea-facing, split level, heavily timber panelled, and have corner lounges but for amazing views opt for Ocean Room or Beach Room.
ChildCare Families with children are welcome to stay at The Fortress Resort & Spa. The spacious Fortress Rooms can easily fit an extra bed or two, offer good value and are ideal for families. There is a small and simple kids club, equipped with play stations, movies and also painting and drawing equipment open during the day.
Dine Dining at the Fortress Resort is a gourmet affair. The best in culinary delights are served daily at the two conventional restaurants. Pepper serves classic Sri Lankan cuisine to Indian Tandoori specialties, while Heat offers informal al fresco dining overlooking the beach and serves Mediterranean cuisine, including thin crust wood fired pizzas to tables beneath a flat louvered retractable canopy. Duo is a romantic fine dining venue, where the walls are floor-to-ceiling wine racks.
Relax The wealth of facilities at the Fortress Resort include Spa Natural, offering signature Ayurveda therapies or indulge in complimentary 'Sublime' water therapies which include a sauna, steam and hydro-bath. The fibre-optic-lit pool is huge and incorporates a toddler-friendly 'beach' wading area, a kids' pool and a lower, shadier section parallel to the restaurant with bubbly jets. There’s also a Yoga pavilion and 24-hour gym.
Experience Guests at the Fortress Resort can begin their day with a morning stroll on the palm-fringed beach, famed for its turtle-hatchery and where you will see stilt fishermen at work. Inland is Koggala Lake, a meandering island-sprinkled lagoon which is a haven for wildlife lovers. Take a boat ride on River Madu or Unwatuna beach for surfing or scuba diving. Further west is the historic Galle Fort, a Unesco heritage site with narrow lanes lined with boutique shops.
Location The Fortress is located on the southern tip of Sri Lanka, just outside Sri Lanka's historic UNESCO-listed fortress port of Galle.
Getting there Fly to Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. From the airport to we recommend leaving 4-hours for the journey to The Fortress.
When to go Sri Lanka is a year-round destination with consistently warm temperatures and lots of sunshine. There are two monsoon seasons but they only bring rain to the west and south-west coasts from May to September; and the east coast and northern region between October and February. The rest of the year is sunny and dry but the months of December to April are probably the best time to visit. Colombo and the low-lying coastal regions have an average temperature of 27°C.
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