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The Sanctuary at Tissawewa

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

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Sanctuary at Tissawewa

Front of property
Front of property
Premium bedding, minibar, in-room safe, desk
Daily full breakfast (USD 7 per person)
Hair dryer, bathrobes, bidet, towels

Reviews

8.2 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

  • Spa
  • Room service
  • Breakfast available
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • 24/7 front desk

Room options

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About the area

Map
Old Puttalam road, Old Town, Anuradhapura, 50000

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 Ayurvedic treatments, a massage or a facial. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with laundry facilities and a restaurant.
You'll also find perks such as:
  • Free self-parking
  • Full breakfast (surcharge), bike hire and a round-trip airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free newspapers, a front desk safe and tour/ticket information
Room features
All guest rooms at The Sanctuary at Tissawewa feature comforts, such as premium bedding and air conditioning, in addition to thoughtful touches, such as separate dining areas and bathrobes.
Extra amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with bidets and baths or showers
  • 32-inch TVs with premium channels
  • Separate dining areas, fridges and electric kettles

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and transport

  • 24-hour return 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 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

  • Bathtub or shower
  • Bidet
  • Dressing gowns
  • 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 at the property

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.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for full breakfast: from approximately USD 7 for adults and from 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 on-site parking
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards and cash

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts
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 24 December
A fee for a mandatory New Year's Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on 31 December
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?

Checkout 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).

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The Sanctuary at Tissawewa Reviews

Reviews

8.2

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

8.6/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Tony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Superb location

Great hotel as a base for sightseeing. Superb location. Wifi doesn't work in the rooms. Make sure you get a room on the first floor.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

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 traveller

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 traveller

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

6/10 Okay

Dr. Wolfgang

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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 traveller

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

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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 traveller

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

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

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 traveller

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 traveller

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

10/10 Excellent

SusanMcCalmont, Barrington, RI

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

Michel

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
L'hôtel est situé dans un grand parc près des principaux sites. Accueil chaleureux. La chambre était propre, mais la salle de bain un peu vieillote. Peu de choix pour le dinner, mais correct. Petit déjeuner copieux.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 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 traveller

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

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
歴史があり落ち着いた雰囲気。 リゾート感覚を味わえます。
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Sascha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

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

hyunjoo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

고대도시 숲속의 조용한 호텔

고대도시 숲속에 있어 특별한 느낌을 주는 호텔입니다. 아침에 호텔주변을 산책하는 중 키가 작은 원숭이 무리, 공작새 등 여러 종류의 새를 볼 수 있었습니다. 직원들이 굉장히 친절하고 세심하게 배려해 주었고, 식당도 고급 레스토랑 수준의 맛과 서비스를 제공하면서도 적당한 가격이었습니다. 주변에 유적지들이 가까이 있어 둘러보기 좋습니다.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018