Testimonials

We have just returned from staying at this beautiful hotel set on a gorgeous bay near Galle in Sri Lanka. It truly was a memorable stay, the customer service was the best we have experienced anywhere in the world. The staff were warm friendly and nothing was ever too much trouble. When we first arrived we had picked up a bug elsewhere and did not feel good, the staff went out of there way to help in any way they could providing anything we needed or things they thought would help until we felt better. The head housekeeper in particular was an absolute superstar and we can’t thank him enough. The lovely rooms all had a stunning sea view and you can eat your meals on the private beach deck under a canopy of Palm trees just feet from the sea. Everything is done for your enjoyment and comfort even the sun beds were the most comfortable we have ever experienced. The food is superb varied and plentiful, the rooms are large and beautifully decorated, the location amazing and we are just sorry we could not stay longer but we would love to return one day in the not too distant future.

Travelbunny |

We had toured the southern part of Sri Lanka staying at some top class hotels. We stayed at coco bay to take time out before we moved onto Dubai. Coco bay is a superb hotel. Decor of a high standard, very clean throughout even the beach was swept. The private beach reinforced the calmness and tranquility of the place. Even had a go at yoga on the beach with the sea gently crashing up to us. Loungers freely available and well tended. The hotel has about 20 rooms and they all face the sea. Sitting on the balcony and just admire the sea view. Now for the food. Well I have eaten in some top hotels and restaurants around the world and coco bay is up there. It is a good touch to have the chef to come and have a chat with you. The rest of the staff extremely helpful and polite. Would I recommend this place. Without a doubt.

Finally, I can sit down to share my experience. As my title stated, I would highly recommend this property if you are looking for something you like to feel at home. Warmly welcomed by The Hotel Management after a long drive from Yala, I sincerely appreciated. Employees are hospitable and one of WOWs were soap butler concept which totally enhancing the guest experiene with their basics. Additionally, breakfast service, we could have breakfast until 2pm. Amazing. Sometimes, I encounterd that I had to wake up early for having breakfast. This gesture made us felt we do not need to rush so we could relax our holiday. Indeed we have never had breakfast after 10:30 am which was quite internationally standard. Again such hospitable gesture made us feel at home. After breakfast, we walked through its private beach with coffee and sat down to indulge in the tranquility. It was amazing.

Longmao | China

CoCo Bay is one of our favorite locations in the world – it feels like home. This was our 2nd stay since 2014.

Rooms:
Great. One of the best hotels in unawatuna. All rooms have a sea view and balcony. We have stayed in all 3 tiers of rooms.
– Aqua Romance is great for those with children (private pool for them to swim). With this room you also get two beach chairs in an area of the beach that is a bit more quiet.
-The Suites are huge. If you’re traveling with more than 2 people this is the room for you. There are 2 couches, a walk in closet and large balcony. With the suite you also get a complimentary high tea in the afternoon that includes tea and snacks (perfect to enjoy on the balcony or downstairs next to the water).
– When arriving you will get your choice of soap and pillows along with a welcome fruit basket and other goodies. This will be refilled/replaced daily throughout your stay.
– Bathrooms have a Jacuzzi tub, rain shower and plenty of counter space

Beach/Pool:
– The beach is semi-private, which mean you will not see any hawkers trying to sell their treasures (if you want this, go to any public beach in Unawatuna for your pick).
– There is a lifeguard on duty from sunrise to sunset
– Plenty of lounge chairs to choose from with spots in the sun or shade
– Pool is always clean and maintained with cool water
– Ocean is warm and generally pleasant to swim in (depending on the season of your visit – Monsoon time is a bit rougher).
– During the Monsoon season there is an increase in wind. We haven’t minded the wind as it keeps your cool during the hot day, and it usually dies down at by dinner time.

Staff/Service
This is one of the main reasons we continue to return to CoCo Bay. The service is the best we have experienced anywhere in the world (including many 5 star hotels/resorts throughout Europe, US, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore and others). The daily interaction with the restaurant staff, housekeeping, and managerial staff with ensure that you are enjoying your stay.
– The Executive chef will try to come to your table daily to make sure you are enjoying the meals, and ask if you have any special requests. He will do his best to accommodate any request made (my sister is Vegan and they made sure to make strict Vegan meals for her for breakfast and dinner).
– The waiters are friendly, attentive and knowledgeable.
– Food is excellent – make sure to try their Sri Lankan dishes, they are fantastic!
– Rooms are cleaned daily with nightly turndown service
– General Manager Remi is frequently around the property and engaging the guest. It is nice to see that they are making an effort to ensure that all guests are happy, and if not will do their best to remedy the situation.

In general, we obviously love Coco Bay and recommend them to anyone traveling to Sri Lanka.

Looking forward to our next visit!

I stayed here for one day/night as part of a tour of Sri Lanka. Wow! What a lovely little gem of a hotel this is. Tucked away in the bay, just along from Galle, situated right on the edge of the Indian Ocean. I knew this place would be fab the minute I arrived – the attention to detail is impressive. From the first whiff of incense in reception, the cleanliness, the friendly and welcoming staff, the wooden fixtures and interior design, even the loveliest welcome drink I’ve ever had.

We were welcomed warmly (I think by the manager/guest relations manager?). The room was amazing. Beautifully furnished, stylish, clean, comfortable, lovely balcony and lounger but with the most impressive and large bathroom which included a Jacuzzi bath. There was a huge comfortable bed and a choice of pillows. There was even a choice of soap – a beautiful touch I thought – so you could choose from a lovely selection of soaps and they would cut some off a huge block, fresh for you. I have high standards when it comes to bathrooms and this was very clean indeed.

I had a birthday whilst on holiday and the hotel organised a delicious birthday cake and fruit bowl for me – very lovely indeed.

Dinner on the sand next to the beach, really lovely food and stylishly done. Service was excellent. The same for breakfast the next day.

The ‘guest experience’ here was fantastic, the attention to detail impressive and the staff were all exceptional, regardless of role or job.

I was truly sad to only be here for one day, I happily could have stayed here for a good few days and when I return to Sri Lanka in the future, I will definitely be trying to spend at least a few days in this hotel. Wonderful.

Bonnotgirl Burgess Hill |

One of the nicest place I have been in my Sri Lanka tour! It is a real boutique hotel and some rooms (3) have a private swimming pool, a must! At the contrary of all big tourist hotels I have been during the last 12 days, everything is working perfectly and the service is very good and quick (you don’t have to wait 20 minutes to have a simple fruit juice like in the Jetwing, Cinnamon, Heritance and other traditional hotels). The food is also very good; the dinner is a five course menu for only US$ 15!!! Much better and less expensive that all the bad buffets with overcooked and spicy meals offered by all the other hotels where I have been during the last 10 days.
The hotel have its own private beach and a nice pool.
I highly recommend the CoCo Bay Hotel in Unawatuna, a well managed place and a piece of paradise in the middle of the mediocrity of the bad managed big tourist hotels in Sri Lanka

Wankenne | 

I have been on oh so many holidays where something or the other was slightly “off” in some way. This was one time where there were no compromises whatsoever and I give almost all the credit to our absolutely stunning hotel. The rooms and the hotel itself are even more gorgeous than the pictures tell. A wonderfully clicked photo can never tell you the story of the sunset changing from yellow, to orange, to red to pink to purple to gone. A sunset that you watch right from your room (you don’t even have to walk to your verandah – the view is wide open and clear even from your own bed!). A picture can never make you understand the calming effect of listening to the waves gently break at the beach just a few metres in front of you as you sink into the deepest of sleep. Or the convenience of just walking from your own verandah right onto a quiet beach. Or let your taste buds know just how wonderful the Sri Lankan food they serve is. Or demonstrate how wonderful all the staff there is. I could go on in this vein but I think I’ll let all of you experience it for yourself instead 🙂

Madhavi D | India

We are soon to leave after a wonderful week at Cocobay. We are used to the opulence and high servicing levels in the Emirates and were prepared to accept a step down to be out of the desert over the Christmas period. The reality, however, is that Cocobay would hold its own confidently if it were on The Palm Dubai or the Grand Canal sands of Abu Dhabi. From the moment you pass its threshold you enter a world of personal care and utmost attention to detail that will make your holiday memorable.
Aesthetically, the hotel has the hallmark of creativity and simplicity, sitting in a stunning bay with vistas over the historic landmarks of Galle. Its design gives a sense of openness and its small guest capacity results in one never feeling overwhelmed with people in the restaurant nor on the private beach.
Our room was a hugely spacious family room on the first floor with a large bathroom equipped with a generously proportioned jacuzzi bath. The bed was a comfortable large King and all manner of pillows were provided. The view from our double balcony will never be forgotten as the Indian Ocean lapped the shoreline barely 30 metres away and the Sri Lankan sun would set so majestically over the water.
The food was a six course affair that set our palate alight with arguably the best curry sampled in my 45 years on this earth. Starters were supremely crafted and presented and mains offered a mixture of quality meats and fish. The chef prides himself on his fayre and gave me very little opportunity to criticise anything put before me. He will even leave his station to enquire as to whether you are enjoying your meal and will tailor foods to your specifications. Dinner can be enjoyed in the restaurant or al fresco literally on the beach.
Staff knew our names and our children’s names in minutes and could not do enough to help. One could see that high-end training had been undertaken as their behaviours and language constantly showed that my family’s holiday was important to them. They all take pride in their work from restaurant staff to the pool and beach personnel. Our butler would adorn our beds with flowers daily and such a massive effort was appreciated on my birthday. The Manager is a hugely knowledgable and personable man for whom nothing is too much of a problem. The owners are often onsite and are keen to see how their vision is perceived by guests. We thank every member of the Cocobay team for their labour of love and their unstinting engagement with our young children.
Galle is a beautiful spot and Sri Lankan people are gracious, polite, respectful and welcoming. Unawatuna has the look of a mini- Goa with a real bohemian feel to it.
We will be returning to the Emirates tomorrow and will be recommending Cocobay to our expat social circle. Cocobay is a jewel in the treasure that is Sri Lanka. See it for yourself!

jaytour | United Kingdom

The food at the hotel was also fabulous. There were many occasions when the chef came and spoke to us to figure out our likes and dislikes; the serving staff was also always polite and attentive. We were very happy with the general hospitality offered at the hotel.

The hotel and rooms are spotlessly clean. The AC was effective and we never had a complaint.

Overall it was a superb experience staying at CoCobay and we would stay there and recommend it to people, in a heartbeat!

PurpleChutney |

If I had to summarize this hotel: it’s incredibly sexy with a lot of personal touches…starting with my superb breakfast that included french press coffee and fresh baked bread…but you MUST try the authentic full Sri Lankan spread! Details also included the layout of my room with artisan soap, different types of pillows to choose from, soft lighting, and a spacious balcony with a jacuzzi and a million dollar view of the ocean! The menu is also special…we enjoyed several fresh ciabatta sandwiches and had beautiful moonlit seafood dinner and wine by the sea. They have their own private cove and beach, and the pool is setup by the ocean, so you can swim and still enjoy the crashing waves. The staff was incredibly warm and accommodating…everyone went above and beyond to ensure our comfort…AND they were wonderful with my one-year-old daughter! She played in the grassy area and swam in the baby pool every day. It was such a delight.

MsRosie101 | 

Having travelled to Unawatuna beach on several occasions, I was delighted to discover this boutique hotel, just around the corner from Unawatuna beach. Was I lucky…because this hotel has so much privacy and elegance!
Unlike Unawatuna main stretch of beautiful beach front, and neverending hustle and bustle, CoCo bay has its own bay. Water perhaps is not constantly turquoise blue, but it has its own unique color and appeal. No waves, you walk into these marvelous waters for about twenty meters before the water level reaches your chest level, and then you swim carelessly in you own bay… Exciting! As nice as te pool in the hotel, I must say the whole CoCo bay becomes you own natural swimming pool. Hotel itself is a class act! Elegant rooms wth jacuzzi tubs in some, and splash pool in others. Service is unsurpassed. We were treated to a chef prepared dinner in a privacy of our suite terrace – most romantic and delicious dinner.. Special thanks to hotel manager Reny, he was very courteous and warm in welcoming us. Also, must give a special note of appreciation to the staff: it never happened to me before, but when I was about to check out and leave the room, the bellman came for my luggage, checked the room it in case I left anything behind, and He pointed out that I accidentally dropped my Bvlgari pendant next to my bed ($3,000USD). His kindness and honesty was beyond words, may God bless him. Bottom line – this my destination place whenever I’m in Sri Lanka. Thank you. My highest recommendations, and see you very soon.

Anna T |

Me & my husband spent our honeymoon last december (2013) at cocobay & 2 other well known hotels down south and cocobay by far was the best. We stayed in the Aqua Romance room which was perfect. Clean, spacious, the Jacuzzi & the private pool was just fantastic.We loved the customized service (selecting our own soap, pillow, ect). The staff was very friendly and helpful. Amazing food. the sri lankan, italian ect every dish was just perfect. Something I have to add is when we stayed at the other 2 “well known hotels” being locals we were not treated equally as foreign nationals. but at Cocobay we felt right at home. Details do matter and that’s why we enjoyed this place alot. Traveling all over SL & staying in so many places, Cocobay is our absolute favorite and we are definitely coming back to this place.

We stayed here for 5 nights and it truly is quite a magical place. Let’s start with my favourite topic, the food. We booked in for half board and it’s definitely worth paying for half board as the food there was delicious. They have an amazing chef who cooked a variety of dishes ranging from steak to Sri Lankan curry- every meal was cooked to perfection. The hotel is situated on it’s own private beach, it’s small but pleasant. I can see that this beach wouldn’t suite everyone. If you’re looking for a bustling beach with lots to do around you full of bars and such this isn’t the place for you. If you want to be away from the crowds and are looking for a quiet and charming location without the tourist strip then this is the ideal place. I visited Unawatuna beach and the location is busy and the beach had pumping music and a helicopter attraction which made a lot of noise, I was so so happy I opted for Cocobay. Moments after sunset we saw bats flying through the red lit sky , the view was just stunning. They also had a turtle lay her eggs on their beach, seeing these baby turtles was just amazing, releasing them into the sea was an experience we will never forget. The rooms were great, we stayed in the Aqua Marine room 302 and that had amazing views, a safe, a tv , a kettle, a big bathroom. Finally I have to mention how lovely the staff are. They made us feel very welcome and always strove to deliver an excellent service. Every single one of them was so friendly and that added to our overall experience. The only constructive feedback I can give is that it would have been helpful to be provided with a map of Galle or been informed of local attractions upon arrival. We still have another week left in Sri Lanka and wish we had booked Cocobay for longer.

REXOS4 |

Myself with my wife and my 2.5 year old daughter decided to do a trip to just one place in srilanka and make the most of it. After a long time searching for places to stay we made the choice of booking an aqua romance room with coco bay. 2 hr drive from the airport to the hotel.. When we reached my heart skipped a beat … what a wonderful place .. the openness with the breeeze from the beach blowing us away.. Checked in and opened out beautiful aqua romance room and stepped inside to be even more blown away… a beautiful setup with a balcony , a private swimming pool and the view to the beach which is just like 20 metres away from the swimming pool ofthe room.it was just amazing.. We were a little worried about the kids menu and the food availability but i guess the chef there is from another planet, the food was so so so delicious , the food for the kid was made with such care. Each meal served in the room was just so well done and the service was magnificent. I would like to definitely bring in the guys who did the job for us, the f and b manager was very humble and a nice gentleman.. We decided to try the grill by the beach which was a personal affair all together … the steaks were wonderful. Come back to the room and the sleep quality was phenomenal, the beds were brilliant with a pillow menu to select from.. Overall i would never forget this holiday with coco bay. Well done, you have made our trip a trip which wel never forget..
Vidyuth , sadhana and samaira

vidyuth1507 | 

We just got home from 5 nights at Coco Bay. This is a fantastic hotel and is excellent value for money. We stayed in “Sea Escape” which was a large double room with stunning ocean and beach views. There’s a massive bathroom complete with a jacuzzi bath and walk in shower.

The hotel stage can’t do enough for you and are always on hand if you need anything at all. There were lots of lovely little touches for example welcome drinks, fresh flowers on the bed on a couple of nights, little cakes and fruit delivered every day and a choice of handmade soaps when you arrive. One day the staff even bought aloe vera cuttings from home for my husband because he’d got quite bad sunburn. It was just so nice to stay somewhere where the staff genuinely care about the happiness and wellbeing of their guests.

The facilities at the hotel are also very good. The private beach and pool area is beautifully kept (run very efficiently by the very friendly lifeguard!). The sun loungers are comfortable and because there’s only 12 rooms there’s a very peaceful and quiet atmosphere.

There’s free yoga a couple of times a week as well as a cooking demonstration. Galle is also very close by (it’s 5-10mins in a tuk tuk) and costs about £2 so it’s easy to get into Galle from the hotel.

We ate at the hotel most days. The breakfast is about £6 pp and includes fresh fruit, bakery basket, cooked breakfast, juice and tea/coffee. I loved that it was served until 2pm so you could relax and have a late brunch rather than being restricted to getting up and out early. So all the little details like that make a big difference. We also had a couple of evening meals at the hotel which were also very good. The South Indian curry is particularly good as it comes with about 10 different miniature dishes for you to try. There’s a private BBQ that we didn’t get chance to try but it looked amazing and we’d definitely have done that if we’d have had time. My husband also had some fantastic sea food which was really fresh and beautifully cooked.

What absolutely makes this hotel is it’s wonderful staff and spectacular setting. If you are looking for a beautiful setting this is the place for you. I’d definitely go back here if we return to Sri Lanka.

anna_lisa55 |

From the minute you step out your taxi & are greeted at reception ahead of you through the hall way heaven appeares ! Coco nut trees & beautiful private bay where you can relax on comfortable lounges , eat breakfast & eve meals outside, to the left old fishing boats, swimming pool I would like to wake up to this view for the rest of my life.This is the third time I’ve been to coco bay & certainly won’t be last.all staff are well trained and restaurant is run extremely well with a very special chef who has worked with the management for many years. I’ve also got to mention his sous chef ,also first class.ive been to Asia many times & love sea food ,one dish I love is jumbo prawns with curry sauce spicy ……cooked right you think it was lobster.i asked for this dish which I’ve had many times …it was best ever !spices were fantastic I had to ask for chef & congratulate him!I would give gold star!all other dishes were good too…room service excellent , my wife & I were so impressed every evening on our return , well done.This was our 40th wedding Anniversary & from breakfast till going back to bed the staff were fan static with many Surprises & I will always remember that day.a big thanks to every one, including mr. Reny .manager and his wonderful team… We will be back as soon as we can !

WOW! We only stayed one night at coco bay but it was the most breathtaking hotel room we’ve ever stayed in. Everything about our room was luxurious and beautiful, VERY comfortable bed, huge bathroom with a jacuzzi. Everything looked brand new and freshly renovated. We had a big balcony where you could watch the sunset..

The hotel has its very own private beach where you can lounge on their comfortable sun beds and swim in the pool.

We had dinner at coco bay’s restaurant and even though we only shared the seafood pizza and a couple of cocktails it was divine. Very tasty food.
In the morning we had the breakfast as well and the amount and quality of food was amazing!! & very well priced @ $9 AUD per person.

We would love to come back here for total relaxation. It truly made is feel like a million bucks!

We stayed at coco bay for three days and nights. The beach is calm and quite private, our kids could swim as the water is shallow. A very attentive and helpful staff made our stay comfortable. The sunset from our room balcony was to die for. The chef prepared for us lobsters which were absolutely delicious. The galle fort is not too far but make sure you have transport waiting if you decide to stay for dinner around the fort as usually all closes by nine. And how can i sign off without mentioning the jacuzzi from where we could have a view of the beach and sunset

Nafisafrias | 

My friend and I stayed here for two nights — and we had an incredible time!! The service was the best I have seen in Sri Lanka, and the rooms the BIGGEST! You wake up to an incredible view of the beach — and you also have huge lounge chairs in the balcony to catch the beautiful sunsets. Bathrooms were also spacious, with fully working jacuzzi. You’re also given a choice of specialty hand-made soap, and welcomed with a huge basket of fruit and delicious welcome drink! The food was AMAZING! Dinner was a delicious six-course meal, and breakfast was served up till 2 p.m.!!!!!!
The pool is excellent — built in the shade of the hotel, and the private beach… incredible!! There is plenty to do around this area, with Galle Fort, Unwatuna beach, Jungle beach and the Japanese Peace Pagoda close by — but good luck trying to leave the hotel, since you’ll never want to leav!! I could go on and on and on about the little details that made this stay among the best I have had in Sri Lanka!

The friendliness of the staff, the private plunge pool, the secluded beach. the food, the rooms. Its hard to pick a stand out reason why I loved my stay here, but they all combined to provide a great stay. The hotel itself is a great boutique hotel and even though it was full it never felt crowded. The food was excellent and I am glad I went half board as it was Tamil New Year and many restaurants were closed. The staff are very friendly, but not overbearing and most importantly they are genuine and clearly proud of their jobs. It i9s a stark contrast to the US customer service which I always feel is slightly fake. Overall I couldn’t recommend this place enough and if I am back in Galle again I will certainly stay here

We had a 17 nights stay in Cocobay in the 1st floor sea escape room.
Having read the recommendations on tripadvisor, we decided to spend our entire stay in Sri Lanka at Coco Bay. Well, it was the best decision to make; the hotel combined everything we expected.
First of all you could have breakfast from 7.30 a.m-2 p.m. so there was no need to get up early. You had the choice between english style breakfast, healthy breakfast and sri lankan style breakfast which we found the best and can warmly recommend.
We have loved our wonderful room with rainshower and jacuzzi from where you could have a perfect view over the beach.
Furthermore we were fond of spending time in the lounge playing pool or chess while enjoying some delicious cocktails – so the short periods of heavy rain or cloudy weather didn`t bother us.

Cuisine
It was a pleasure having dinner at Coco Bay. To bring up a special point, the chef visited you at your table to make sure that everything is fine; if one wished to, he recommended an alternative main course. You had the choice of a huge ammount of intercontinental food which was always freshly prepared.
The only thing to complain about was that the size of the main course was (consider: 3 courses already done) generally ways too big so you sometimes had to return more than half of food.
Even if you do not think you have to go to Sri Lanka for that purpose- try pizza and pasta- they are pretty delicious.
The waiters were very attentive; now and then there were some mistakes but they were always in a good mood and did their best to make you feel comfortable.

Housekeeping
The well designed rooms were always very clean and usually decorated with flowers. There was lovely cinnamon scent in the air. Service was very individual and it were the little things that made us happy. In the afternoon e.g., delicious cake, brownies or shortbread was waiting for us. One cloudy afternoon, we came up to the room and found our jacuzzi full with flowers and enjoyed a bath in candlelight.
Laundry service was very reliable and fast.
From the first day on an employee of the housekeeping service was introduced to us as our butler, who was a very good help in different situations.

Special thanks goes to the manager of housekeeping who just didn`t seem to know the word „problem“. He immediately got our wifi fixed as it broke down and was always working to make things perfect.

The staff at the reception always had a nice good morning for us and besides of informations around Galle and places to be they provided us with really good music.

In conclusion the friendly staff made our stay as good as it was. Thank you so much!
See you soon, Cocobay!

I loved this place! It exceeded every expectation. Beautiful hotel and private beach. Staff were remarkable, rooms were remarkable, food was out of this world! The value for money is the best I have ever had and I’ve done extensive traveling around the world. It is nestled away from the hustle and bustle, but a quick tuk-tuk ride to Galle Fort. Nice pool and beach. Great place to relax and pamper yourself and enjoy the wonderful Sri Lankan sunsets.

Wow! From the minute we entered the hotel we were treated like VIP’s the whole stay.

The room (Grande Riviera) was very, very spacious and on the large balcony we had a jacuzzi.
Everything was spotless clean and beautiful. They offered us a pillow menu and a soap menu. Room was cleaned at least twice daily. Every day at 5 o’clock they provided tea service to our room. Tea of our choice, sandwiches and cookies.

All of the hotel staff are extremely friendly and provides top service. They always had something funny to say to our two boys, age 11 & 13.

The dinner menu changed daily and the food and service was very, very good. It’s a nice feeling to have your dinner only a few steps from the sea.

Beach in front of the hotel is clean and private, The hotel has comfortable sun beds.

Hotel is very close to Galle, Jungle Beach and Unawatuna Beach. You’ll find Tuk-Tuk’s outside the hotel. However, we found Jungle Beach and Unawatuna Beach very crowded and loved the privacy feeling at the Coco Bay Resort beach.

We’ll definitely go back!