I recently stayed at the Grand Oriental Hotel in Colombo. The hotel has a great location, plenty of history and old-world character, and the building itself has a certain charm that modern hotels don’t always have.
The breakfast was good, with a reasonable variety of choices, and the price was quite reasonable for the location and what the hotel offers.
I was very pleased with the duty manager Mr Aloka, he was great handling matters however, the front desk service could be improved. The staff would benefit from additional training, particularly in communication, professionalism and handling guests’ requests. Some areas of the hotel are also showing their age and could benefit from refurbishment and better maintenance.
Overall, it was a pleasant and reasonably priced stay. The location, historic character, breakfast and value for money are definite positives, but there is room for improvement, particularly with the front desk service and general upkeep.
