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The Sanctuary at Tissawewa

3.0 star property
Hotel with free parking, a quick walk to Mirisawetiya Stupa

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December 2024

Photo gallery for The Sanctuary at Tissawewa

Bicycling
Front of property
Premium bedding, minibar, in-room safe, desk
Facials, Ayurvedic treatments
Hair dryer, bathrobes, bidet, towels

Reviews

8.0 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Spa
    Spa
  • 24/7 front desk
    24/7 front desk
  • Breakfast available
    Breakfast available
  • Laundry
    Laundry
  • Housekeeping
    Housekeeping
  • Air conditioning
    Air conditioning
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Room options

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About the neighborhood

Map
Old Puttalam road, Old Town, Anuradhapura, 50000

What's nearby

  • Mirisawetiya Stupa - 10 min walk
  • Sri Maha Bodhi - 13 min walk
  • Ruwanwelisaya - 4 min drive
  • Thuparamaya - 4 min drive
  • Nuwara Wewa - 19 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Pizza Hut - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Seedevi Family Restaurant - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Palhena Village Restaurant - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Mango Mango - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Walkers - ‬5 min drive

About this property

The Sanctuary at Tissawewa

Hotel near Sri Maha Bodhi
Located close to Mirisawetiya Stupa and Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum, The Sanctuary at Tissawewa provides a terrace, a garden, and a playground. Treat yourself to spa services, such as a facial, Ayurvedic treatments, or a massage. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with laundry facilities and a restaurant.
You'll also find perks like:
  • Free self parking
  • Full breakfast (surcharge), bike rentals, and a roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • A front-desk safe, a 24-hour front desk, and tour/ticket assistance
Room features
All guestrooms at The Sanctuary at Tissawewa feature comforts such as premium bedding and air conditioning, in addition to thoughtful touches like separate dining areas and bathrobes.
More amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with bidets and tubs or showers
  • 32-inch TVs with premium channels
  • Separate dining areas, refrigerators, and electric kettles

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • 24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle on request for a surcharge
  • Area shuttle (surcharge)
  • Onsite parking available only on request
  • Free secured self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Daily full breakfast available 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM for a fee: USD 7 for adults and USD 7 for children
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Bicycle rentals
  • Playground

Family friendly

  • In-room refrigerator
  • Laundry facilities
  • Playground
  • Separate in-room dining area

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Turndown service

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Picnic area
  • Terrace

Spa

  • Ayurvedic treatments
  • Facials
  • Massage

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Lever door handles
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • Built in 1906
  • Designated smoking areas

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Bidet
  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Private bathroom
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 32-inch TV with premium satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle
  • Free bottled water
  • Limited room service
  • Minibar
  • Refrigerator
  • Restaurant dining guides
  • Separate dining area

More

  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Ceiling fan
  • Desk
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for full breakfast: approximately USD 7 for adults and USD 7 for children
  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 110 per vehicle (one-way, maximum occupancy 3)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve onsite parking
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Reservations are required for spa treatments; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
A fee for a mandatory Christmas Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 24
A fee for a mandatory New Year's Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 31
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Property is also known as

Sanctuary Tissawewa Hotel Anuradhapura
Sanctuary Tissawewa Hotel
Sanctuary Tissawewa Anuradhapura
Sanctuary Tissawewa
Tissawewa Resthouse Anuradhapura
The Sanctuary at Tissawewa Hotel
The Sanctuary at Tissawewa Anuradhapura
The Sanctuary at Tissawewa Hotel Anuradhapura

Frequently asked questions

Is The Sanctuary at Tissawewa pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Sanctuary at Tissawewa?

Self parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at The Sanctuary at Tissawewa?

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: midnight. Late check-in is available during limited hours.

What time is check-out at The Sanctuary at Tissawewa?

Check-out is at noon.

Does The Sanctuary at Tissawewa provide a shuttle to the airport?

Yes, there's an airport shuttle that runs on request. A fee of USD 110 per vehicle applies.

Where is The Sanctuary at Tissawewa located?

Situated in the historical district, this hotel is within a 15-minute walk of Mirisawetiya Stupa, Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum, and Sri Maha Bodhi. Brazen Palace and Ruwanwelisaya are also within 1 mi (2 km).

The Sanctuary at Tissawewa Reviews

Reviews

8.0

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 24 out of 78 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 37 out of 78 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 14 out of 78 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 78 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 78 reviews" "

8.0/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Nice heritage hotel
Very quiet when we stayed so lacking atmosphere, particularly in the the restaurant. The service in the restaurant was excellent but reception was less helpful, except the lady who seemed to be the manager. Room was nice but could easily be updated to a much higher standard. Lots of monkeys, and they get up close, we quite enjoyed watching on our veranda but others might be put off by.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful, well maintained colonial mansion in large, tree-filled grounds, close to archaeological museum and sacred sites. No traffic noise, plenty of birdsong. Furnishings appropriate to period. Plain and simple but quite luxurious in an old-fashioned way. Very helpful staff. Good but limited menu. No alcohol. Nearest shops in new town a couple of kilometres away. If you like old-fashioned, you will love it.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful, well maintained colonial building set in large grounds on the edge of the sacred sites. No traffic noise, lots of birdsong in the morning. Plain and simple but luxurious in an old-fashioned way. Good bathrooms, wi-if OK. Good food, set meal times. Complimentary bicycle loan. Downsides: no alcohol, service rather slow, monkeys in grounds may decide to storm unlocked bedrooms. We loved this place.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I chose this hotel for may last 3 days travelling in Sri Lanka. It is not cheap but the old colonial charm of a repurposed goverrners mansion in a large private park was irrisistsble. On top of that, it is about the only hotel that is actually inside the ancient Buddhist city of Anuradhapura which makes visiting the sites much easier. The rooms are of the epoch so don't expect all the facilities of a modern chain hotel. Rooms are fairly small but with pretty much all you need and of course clean. Beds are with mosquito nets. There are, for me essential, a chair and writing desk and on the wide veranda there are chairs and tables for books from which to appreciate the park with its families of monkeys, peacocks, parrots an a resident eagle. Take binoculars. WIFI is free and available seemingly everywhere even if only advertised in the WIFI Zone in the veranda lounge by the front desk. The staff are helpful and will organise trips to the sites, though I had not required that. There is of course a restaurant with good food served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. One niggle I had with the service was waiters pouring my tea. Milk is always poured first , then the tea. They couldn't get the hang of that and not pouring didn't appear to be an option. The front desk were happy to change the large denomination notes served by ATMs into the lower values needed for tipping, riding the tuc-tucs, eating in restaurants, visiting sites etc. An altogether plesent stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very atmospheric
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
In the middle of a nice park with animals everywhere ! The staff is great and very helpful.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Joyce

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely, relaxing place to stay
We stayed 3 nights mid April. The grounds are very impressive. The hotel is set back on a hugh front lawn with mature trees and wandering peacocks. Checkin was quick. We had a deluxe king room on the upper floor. There are only 5 rooms on the upper floor. Our room was spacious, had good AC and a decent bathroom with shower. Shower had good pressure and hot water. Towels were okay but not luxury. Bed was comfortable. Furniture dark wood style. Room lighting very good. Breakfast good but coffee was so-so. Sri Lanka is better known for its tea which we had out on the main floor verandah in the afternoon after coming back by tuk tuk from seeing the ancient ruins - just lovely. I would recommend this hotel. The staff are nice. The hotel is in a good location near to the sites. The front desk will arrange a driver or guide if you would like. They arranged for us to do a morning safari to Wilpattu N.P. We would go back.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Proximity to places of interest.excellent service from the staff. The old world charm maintained with a lot of effort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

philip

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Authentic British era rest house
We really enjoyed our stay in this old government resthouse. The building felt very authentic and had a nice atmosphere. We stayed in the deluxe rooms on the first floor that were very comfortable. For those wanting luxury and alcohol this isn’t the place to come. It is a bit spartan but in a way this makes it feel more authentic. The grounds are really nice in front of the hotel. In the evening there is often a cricket game. The hotel is well situated next to the sacred city and about 4km from the new city.. overall a memorable experience
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Colonial administrators dwelling now an atmospheric hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

SusanMcCalmont, Barrington, RI

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a well maintained, beautifully restored historic hotel.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This place is the Guv'nor
This old governor's house is a gem. Long verandas to chills out on and set in gorgeous gardens (with monkeys and peacocks). Food is very good and excellent warm service. Rooms and communal areas full of character and atmosphere. probably due for a refurbishment soon however. Free bike hire great for exploring the historic sites.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel was quite nice as it was an converted old colonial building.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

6/10 Okay

ishara

Disliked: Cleanliness
Every thing was ok but just realised that I was charged twice. I was charged on my card but at checkout the reception said there was no payment. Paid cash after receiving my cred card bill noticed I was charged!! I wrote to hotels.com but no response! Very disappointed!!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
A property which has great potential. Location is great. Minor upgrades needed. Toilet door could not be locked and needs to be upgraded. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Comfortable bed.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Sunimal

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Stay 2 nights. First night everything was great. Second night, noise neighbor, no hot water, safe box doesnt work, and bath floor mat was dirty. First night 4.5 out or 5. Second night 3 out of 5.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Atmospheric and pleasant
Lovely atmospheric rooms - we were on the first floor which has just a few rooms. This was the British Governor's house. The hotel is perhaps the only one located in the old city in the middle of the ruins and many sites are just a walk/cycle ride away. The hotel offers old but complimentary bicycles to ride around Anuradhapura. It's a pity there's no swimming pool. The restaurant has a limited selection which is nice for a couple of meals but gets tiring thereafter.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It really is a sanctuary
Lovely, calm setting and a delight to return after a day in the sun touring around the historical sights. Beautiful grounds. Helpful staff. Great food. Wifi doesn't work in Annex rooms, but no hardship to sit on the gracious balcony drinking mocktails and checking emails.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Corinna, Perth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Staff very interested and informative. Free bike hire. Close to ancient temples etc. Close to the lake. Good dinner and very good breakfast. A lot of wildlife. Spacious grounds
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018

6/10 Okay

Gareth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel in a great location but no alcohol.
This is a lovely hotel in a great location for exploring the Sacred City and ruins. Staff are attentive and very helpful. The only reason for the lower rating is the hotel’s inability to serve alcohol. The reasons are understandable but this is not mentioned anywhere on this site or the hotel’s website. The guest should have the information in order to make an informed decision. Nothing like a cold beer after a day of cycling!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2018

4/10 Poor

John, Melbourne

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Faded charm
The Sanctuary is an old style hotel that has seen better days. The staff generally wee keen to please, but communication was sometimes a problem. Food was OK, but we were disappointed we couldn't have wine with dinner there. While understanding it is in a sacred precinct, guide books had lead us to believe we could BYO. Drinking in one's room is not much fun. Anuradhapura is very hot at times and a pool would have been welcome. The best feature is the beautiful gardens.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018

8/10 Good

Sarath, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice, convenient location within the sacred area. An old government rest house, not a modern hotel, but clean and spacious rooms, good food and very friendly and helpful staff. Colonial style building in spacious and tranquil grounds. Highly recommended for a relaxing stay. We enjoyed exploring the area using bicycles provided free of charge. Call hotel for directions as Google maps doesn't show the correct location.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018