The Best Cheap Hotels to Book in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Visitors can enjoy a stately setting at a reasonable price at the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya
Visitors can enjoy a stately setting at a reasonable price at the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya | Courtesy of Grand Hotel / Expedia
Isabella Noble

Keeping costs down doesn’t mean compromise at these elevated (yet imminently affordable) retreats in Nuwara Eliya. Ready to explore the atmospheric tea plantations and view-blessed highland estates of Hill Country? Here are the best budget-friendly hotels in Nuwara Eliya, all bookable on Culture Trip.

Affordable hotels come thick and fast in the scenic, site-rich Hill Country in Sri Lanka. Whether you’re seeking a budget-loving guesthouse for adventuring backpackers, a charmingly converted colonial-era bungalow surrounded by gardens, or perhaps a smartly designed small-chain hotel with a few perks, this leafy tea-producing town is packed with a subtle blend of good-value stays, where dazzling mist-veiled mountain scenery comes guaranteed.

1. The Hill Club

Hotel

Guest room at The Hill Club, complete with wooden floors, old-fashioned wooden furniture and some green rugs.
Courtesy of The Hill Club / Hotels.com

An icon among the heritage hotels of the Sri Lankan highlands, the stone-built Hill Club dates to the 1870s. Yes, despite all the fancy frills, it’s also (whisper) really quite affordable. It’s surrounded by rolling lawns and neatly clipped gardens, on the western edge of town, backed by forest. Indoors, it’s all old-world elegance, with unfussy rooms that go heavy on the wood floors, beamed ceilings and crackling fireplaces. British-inspired menus pack in herbs and vegetables plucked fresh from the garden, and come evening, a smart dress code sets the tone for the refined lounges, billiards room, bar and candle-lit restaurant.

2. Galway Heights Hotel

Hotel

Hotel room in Galway Heights Hotel in Nuwara Eliya. Two beds fave a wall-mounted flatscreen TV in a white-walled room.
Courtesy of Galway Heights Hotel / Expedia

There’s a crisp contemporary style to the interiors at this luxe-for-less address just north of Lake Gregory, with views across tea bushes and the leafy canopies of bird-filled Galway’s Land National Park. Rich-toned rooms have lots of extras, including kettles, coffee kits and floral-themed artwork; go for a corner luxury room or a junior suite for the best panoramas. Sip cocktails in the Galway Pub, or linger over a delightful afternoon tea showcasing local brews.

4. Oak Ray Summer Hill Breeze

Chain Hotel

Exterior of Oak Ray Summer Hill Breeze in Nuwara Eliya, with a grass verge and various colourful flowers.
Courtesy of Oak Ray Summer Hill Breeze / Expedia

It’s a 10-minute walk to the Nuwara Eliya racecourse and Victoria Park from this modern-build base, surrounded by hydrangeas, cypresses and pines. Every room has a balcony, desk and coffee-making kit, and the whole place is decorated with colourful cushions, bright artwork and wooden ceilings (as well as the odd chandelier). There’s a cosy, beamed bar for kicking back in, along with a buffet restaurant serving Sri Lankan and international specialities, all set to sprawling views across the hills.

5. Araliya Green Hills Hotel

Hotel

Sweeping wooden ceilings in the lounge area of Araliya Green Hills Hotel, with sofas, armchairs and a wooden floor.
Courtesy of Araliya Green Hills Hotel / Expedia

From a go-to small Sri Lankan chain comes this green-roofed, heritage-feel town centre property, just west of Victoria Park. It’s packed with facilities, from a heated indoor pool and a calming spa to a loungey wine bar, a late-night club and a choice of Indian-international restaurants. In the rooms, it’s all about cushy armchairs, wood-carved furnishings and old-world grace; while sweeping wooden ceilings adorn the top-floor suites, lower-tier rooms have French doors and bijou balconies.

6. Heidi’s Home

Guesthouse

Bright and colourful walls across a guestroom at Heidi’s Home, with a plethora of flower patterns and colours.
Courtesy of Heidi’s Home / Expedia

Flowers creep all over the exterior of a delightful bungalow-style homestay at the far southeastern end of Lake Gregory, 2km (1.2mi) from central Nuwara Eliya. In the three simple, snug rooms, there are family antiques and colourful fabrics, and each has a private bathroom with hot water. Home-cooked breakfasts kickstart your day, and yoga sessions and Sri Lankan cooking classes can both be arranged, as well as day trips to Hakgala Botanical Gardens, bird-rich Horton Plains National Park and the surrounding tea estates.

7. Chez Allen

Guesthouse

Garden views from two corner windows in a guest room at Chez Allen in Nuwara Eliya.
Courtesy of Chez Allen / Booking.com

With the feel of a mountain lodge, Chez Allen is a charming and popular budget-friendly guesthouse, 3km (2mi) northwest of Victoria Park. From the cosy rooms, bright dining area and flower-dotted balconies, views wander across forested slopes, while wooden floors, colourful fabrics and full-length windows lend a rustic touch. There are home-cooked meals, deck chairs for reading with a Sri Lankan tea, and a rooftop terrace for soaking up the sunset.

8. The Golden Ridge

Hotel

A family-style toom at the Golden Ridge in Nuwara Eliya with two beds and views over green hills and trees
Courtesy of the Golden Ridge / Hotels.com

At this stylish address, 2.5km (1.5mi) northwest of Victoria Park, horse-racing prints, soul-warming fireplaces and lovely vintage-feel furnishings adorn elegant rooms with stylish balconies. Take a dip in the glassed-framed pool (with views across emerald tea fields), play a few rounds in the billiards room or join a Sri Lankan cooking session, then feast on smartly prepared recipes starring homegrown organic produce. The same local chain has hotels dotted around the Hill Country, including two heritage bungalows in Nuwara Eliya.

9. Seasons Villa Nuwara Eliya

Luxury

Wooden flooring and exposed timber beams in a room at Seasons Villa Nuwara Eliya
Courtesy of Seasons Villa Nuwara Eliya / Expedia

A spell here feels more like staying in a smart contemporary home with a boutique edge. The stone-flagged property, on the western edge of Galway’s Land National Park (near the racecourse), has just 10 garden-facing rooms styled with rich woods, open-concrete walls, original artwork and splashes of colour, featuring slippers, bath robes, coffee kits and other perks. Those on the top floor have sloping attic-style wood ceilings, and the family rooms come with a private balcony. In the restaurant, elegant menus combine Sri Lankan and international flavours.

If you’ve already bagged your budget-friendly hotel but want a special night or two, check out our expertly curated guide to the top hotels in Nuwara Eliya. Or you could continue your adventures on a camping trip to one of Sri Lanka’s national parks.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
close-ad
Edit article