The Residence Ella

We had a pleasant stay at The Residence Ella from May 5 to May 8, 2025. The hotel is in a great location, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. The staff were very helpful and friendly, especially Danuka, who is knowledgeable, welcoming, and always makes sure guests are well taken care of. We highly rate this property for anyone staying in Ella and would love to stay here again.

Had an great stay at the Residence. Great value for money, the host Shan was really helpful with arranging a Tuktuk or taxi and had a great recommendation for the organic Tea garden. With just a couple of minutes toward the centre I would definitely recommend to stay here.

In my entire Srilanka vacation, this stay was very impressive. The reason is, as per the photos and price posted, I thought it's a budget hotel and booked this. Actually it's a great stay for a very reasonable price.
In 500 m you can access the city centre. Rooms are very spacious, clean. Hospitality is good.
Residence Ella becomes more than value service. Cost-effective Super Stay.

Spacious rooms and great location close to the main road with wide variety of cafés and restaurants. Also sufficiently far away from the hustle and very quiet.
A few points on upgrading the rooms:
1) the warm water in the shower did not work properly.
2) the room has basic furniture and lacks sole storage space/ wardrobe/ option to hang up clothes; unfortunately, our bed was very noisy so one would wake up whenever moving during the night.
The staff is great and serves a very tasty breakfast every morning!

Very nice and quiet place, only footsteps from wonderful trails to nine-arch bridge and Little Adams Peak. Our host helped us very kindly in finding wonderful waterfalls free from crowd and more. The location is not far from the center of Ella. Plenty of nice restaurants just a few minutes from the hotel. Great breakfast on the balcony overlooking garden and trees with birds and a few monkies jumping around.

We came to Ella for two days, unfortunately the first choice turned out to be a failure. After unpleasant experiences we ended up here, unfortunately only 1 night because there were no rooms available, but the owner was very kind and helpful, not leaving us without care. The rooms are very clean, the service at a high level, the location is great. I can recommend this place with all my heart.

Excellent location away from the hubbub o the centre of Ella down a quiet lane but only a 5 minute walk into town. The room was very spacious and clean and simply furnished. Each room had a private terrace where breakfast was served and views enjoyed. Breakfasts were enormous and delicious. The welcome and support throughout our stay was both charming and very helpful and they arranged several excellent trips for us.

We spend only one night and:
Pro:
— very friendly staff.
— quiet and well located to the restaurants.
— clean.
Con:
— very basic room, no bedside table, lights.
— no warm water, just slightly warmer (not enough for a shower). Unknown if it was just a one day problem.
— day and night there's the noise of an engine starting and stopping (probably a water pump). Difficult to sleep.

Breakfast is served to your room or in my case to my patio area, verySri Lankan type n. Breakfast, fruit plate, toast, butter, jam, something Sri Lankan which changes every day, tea or coffee. Room has kettle, hairdryer and free tea and coffee. Room and walk in bathroom basic but very clean, light and great for a single person or couple. Only some 200 meters from one of the main side roads where restaurants, shops etc are all within easy walking. Plug type is British 13 amp three pin plus and round thrip. E sockets. One problem for me was the shower was initially lacking in temperature and pressure, temperature on the day before my last was better but still no pressure and they were saying they were going to fix next week? I. Can’t comment but this was a real negative for me as with the heat I like to have two showers every day.

Perfect stay! Perfect hosts! Perfect location!
Excellent location to the nine arches bridge and little Adams peak trail. 5-10 minutes walk into town.
The hosts are so welcoming especially Sanat who made our trip. Very attentive, even did our laundry! The breakfast was amazing with traditional and western food. Don’t hesitate to stay here!

The rooms are very clean and the location is quiet but in very easy walking distance to the main road. It is well located for Adam's Peak and the 9 Arches Bridge walks. The hosts are so friendly and the breakfast was delicious every day!

Great hospitality. The people were very generous and helped us with everything. The room is very clean, food is delicious. The residence is a 5 minute walk from the center, restaurants and more. Had an amazing experience!

We had a good time here! Nice rooms with fan for the Perfect temperature at night. Breakfast was served every morning at your room.
From the Hotel you can walk to the the city center, 9 Arch Bridge (20mins) and Little Adams Peak (40 mins. )
Would recommed! Very friendly owner :)

From the moment we arrived, my friends and I were blown away by the experience at The Residence Hikkaduwa. Chamara, the host, truly goes above and beyond to ensure every detail is perfect. If anything needed attention, he would fix it straight away, ensuring our comfort at all times. He also gave us a tour of the area, which was incredibly informative—he’s definitely the person to ask about the local spots!
The property itself is stunning—modern, clean, and beautifully maintained. The pool was great, providing a perfect spot to relax and unwind. The place is also incredibly safe and peaceful, making it the perfect getaway. Chamara’s family helps him run the place, and they were all very kind and welcoming, adding to the warm atmosphere.
The food was another highlight of our stay. From the delicious fruit platters to the authentic Sri Lankan dishes, every meal was a delight. We particularly appreciated the chance to experience traditional flavors prepared with such care.
Staying at The Residence Hikkaduwa made our trip to Sri Lanka unforgettable. My friends and I can't recommend this place enough for anyone looking for an exceptional experience. Thank you, Chamara, for making our time in Hikkaduwa truly memorable!

Lovely basic little guest house in Ella, very helpful staff.
Minor maintinence needed in the rooms, for example the lamp needs to be tuned out at the wall behind a bed board, and the shower pressure is quite weak…. But overall did not bother us, and would stay again.

Quiet location away from the hustle and bustle of the Main Street but yet a short five minute walk if you want to get there. Lovely rooms looking over a well kept, tranquil garden. Breakfast was lovely with great pancakes, rotti and dahl as well as great scrambled eggs and toast. The managers were extremely helpful and friendly, we would definitely stay here again!

Best place to stay in Ella! The Residence is a gorgeous homestay ran by the most amazing people. You’re in a great location where you can walk to everything but also a short distance away from the noise of the town. The breakfast the next morning was lovely also.