I stayed at Mandara Resort for 2 nights and 3 days. While the property holds a 4-star rating, unfortunately, my experience did not match the standards expected of such a rating.
Positives:
• The location of the property is excellent.
• The private beach is clean, well-maintained, and truly scenic.
Concerns during our stay:
• Food service: On the first day, we ordered a simple meal of dal and plain rice. It took over 40 minutes to arrive, and despite clearly mentioning that I am allergic to mustard seeds, they were still included. The corrected order took an additional 30 minutes to be served.
• Wi-Fi: My husband had meetings to attend and required a stable internet connection. The Wi-Fi speed was barely 1mbps. Despite repeated requests, the issue remained unresolved. The staff attributed it to weather conditions, although the weather was perfectly fine during our stay. This poor connectivity persisted throughout our visit.
• Bathroom maintenance: The basin in our bathroom was clogged, and water wasn’t draining properly. We called twice for assistance, but no one came. Eventually, we had to purchase cleanser from the market and fix it ourselves.
• Breakfast service: On the first morning, I requested hashbrowns at 9:48am, while breakfast was available until 10am. At 10:05am, the waiter returned only to say breakfast service had ended, and nothing could be provided.
• Hospitality and service: At both check-in and check-out, no staff member offered assistance with our luggage, despite seeing us carry it. This is surprising for a property of this rating.
• Infrastructure: The rooms and bathrooms were not at par with the 4-star standards or the prices being charged.
Overall, we experienced excellent hospitality across Sri Lanka, but this property fell short in multiple areas. It is disappointing, as the resort has great potential given its location and the number of bookings it attracts, even in the off-season. Improving service quality and infrastructure would greatly benefit both the guests and the property itself.
Additional note (not directly about the resort):
A serious issue we faced was with the auto drivers stationed outside the resort. They function as a group and prevent PickMe drivers from picking up guests. When we tried negotiating fairly, they demanded nearly five times the usual fare and threatened us if we mentioned using the PickMe app. On another occasion, they even stopped our cab driver, threatened him, and extorted 2000 LKR from him. While this is not the resort’s fault, it is worth being aware of, as it affects guests’ overall experience.