Santani Wellness Kandy

Style

Minimal distractions

Setting

Rainforests and paddy fields

From its impeccably minimalist design to its star-quality health packages, everything at luxury retreat Santani Wellness Resort & Spa is geared towards achieving harmony. This may mean finding a balance between active yoga sessions and restorative Ayurvedic spa treatments, or a healthy fruit juice at breakfast and cleansing herbal tea after dinner. At one with nature, the hotel’s glass walls and indoor-outdoor lounging spaces mean you can wake, dine and fall asleep to breathtaking views of emerald-green paddy fields and thick forests; the hillside rooms are open to the elements, so you feel like you could step right out into the scenery…

Facilities

Rooms

22 villas.

Checkout

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm. If a room isn’t available on arrival, or if late check-out isn’t possible, guests are welcome to use the facilities while a room is prepared, and reception will store your luggage.

More Details

Room rates include the resort's Full Board meal plan of breakfast, lunch, dinner and non-alcoholic drinks; daily sunrise and sunset yoga; and use of the sauna, steam room and salt bath. Laundry is included for stays of three nights or more.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

On-Site Restaurant

Spa

At the Hotel

Media room with a 15-seat cinema and a computer, free WiFi in public areas, laundry service, daily group yoga, nature walks. In rooms: minibar, free bottled water, tea- and coffee-making facilities, WiFi available on request. Butler service is included for full occupancy stays in the two- and three-bedroom Pool Villas.

Our Favourite Rooms

All rooms have similarly minimalist interiors, but for a room with a seriously impressive view, request ambalama one; the first in the row of hillside villas. It has totally uninterrupted views of the valley. Wake early and take a seat on your private balcony to watch the sun rise over the mountains, see the mist clear to reveal lush green paddy fields, and listen as the rainforest comes to life.

Poolside

There are two pools at the hotel, including a thermal salt pool in the spa which, although covered, has one partial wall so you can gaze at the surroundings while you soak. Perched on the side of a hill, overlooking the forests below and mountains beyond, the main infinity pool has some of the best vistas in the hotel; wake early to watch the sunrise while leisurely swimming, and return for a dip at dusk as the setting sun transforms the surface of the pool, turning it shades of pink, purple and inky blue.

Spa

Tucked into the side of a hill, this is Sri Lanka’s first destination spa, which houses the country’s first hydrotherapy facilities. Inspired by the ancient Buddhist meditation caves in the surrounding mountains, this minimalist space has a steam room, a cedar-wood sauna with a glass wall overlooking the valleys, and a thermal salt pool. On the lowest level are four open-air treatment rooms, including one couple’s room. The expert therapists offer both western treatments, like detoxifying scrubs, cleansing wraps and hot-stone massages, and a range of Ayurvedic practices including Shirodhara and Takra Dhara therapies using vitamin-rich organic oils.

Packing Tips

You’ve guessed it – enough yoga gear for days of meditation. Unplug and leave all your tech, gadgets and chargers at home (you might even have enough space left in your suitcase for your yoga mat).

Also

You're encouraged to unplug during your stay so mobiles, iPods, tablets and laptops can only be used in your room, not in public areas. Meal plans are available for those on a vegetarian or raw food diet.

Children

Children aged 12 and over are welcome at the hotel, but it’s best suited to older teenagers who appreciate that silence is golden and are able (and willing) to fully participate in the hotel’s wellness programmes.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Change tables every night to get a 360-degree panoramic view of the valley. For unparalleled vistas, the best seats are those around the edge of the pavilion, but bring a shawl or cardigan as the windows are often open and the breeze can be chilly.

Dress Code

Take style inspiration from Buddhist monks and loosely drape brightly coloured shawls over easy-breezy dresses and shirts. The restaurant has a no-shoe policy, so be sure to book a pedicure before you arrive.

Hotel Restaurant

Forget set menus: at Santani you’ll have your very own customised meal-plan, specially designed by chef Wajira Gamage and Santani’s very own Ayurvedic doctor, Dr Sreekanth Nair. Gourmandes, don’t be put off by the mention of healthy food – you can still enjoy dishes like grilled, grass-fed Australian tenderloin, duck confit and masala chai crème brûlée. The food here is exceptional and all locally sourced; try dishes like a traditional Sri Lankan curry with organic vegetables and chutney, or a crunchy banana-blossom salad with shredded coconut and tamarind dressing. The only thing rivalling the food in wow-factor is the view: the four external walls are made of glass, and offer breathtaking views of the valley and forest.

Hotel Bar

Superfood cocktails? Count us in. The minimalist bar specilises in tipples on the healthier end of the spectrum, from Tumeric Punch (organic tumeric, gin, triple sec and lime juice) to Green Fizz (cucumber juice, lemongrass juice, lime juice and gin), but for those with a looser definition of 'balance', you'll find a decent wine list and all the usual hard liquors.

Last Orders

The restaurant serves breakfast between 7am–10am, lunch from noon to 2.30pm and dinner between 7pm–10.30pm.

Planes

Bandaranaike International is the closest airport, about a four-hour drive from the hotel. Fly direct from London, Hong Kong and Singapore or get a connecting flight from other destinations. Staff can arrange airport transfers from $220 a vehicle each way, or $275 for a SUV.

Trains

Kandy Railway Station is approximately 33 kilometres away from the hotel, and the drive takes around 90 minutes.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

No matter which wellness package you choose, you’ll have ample opportunity to unwind on your own time. Get out your hiking boots and roam the hotel’s 48 acres of tropical jungle and fertile rice fields, from the tops of the mountains right down to the Hulu River. Take a day-trip to Kandy to explore the spiritual centre of Sri Lanka. The ancient city is home to the golden-roofed Sri Dalada Maligawa temple, which houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic, one of Buddha’s teeth – a big hit with dentists. Discover the origins of Buddhism in the Dalada Maligawa and then visit one of the city’s most popular religious sites, the Bahiravokanda Vihara Buddha statue; glistening white and standing 88-feet tall at the top of a hill, it’s quite hard to miss. If you’re visiting in August, be sure to attend the Esala Perahera procession, a historical event in which the sacred tooth relic is paraded through the streets amongst dancers, drummers and 100 elephants dressed in colourful, glittering fabrics.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .