Santani Wellness Kandy

From January 28th to 30th, my friend and I stayed at Satani, a luxurious wilderness retreat and wellness hotel highly rated on TripAdvisor. It was our first time in Sri Lanka, and we were drawn to the promise of refined elegance amidst raw nature. The experience, for the most part, lived up to its reputation. The hotel’s design was ethereal, with twenty buildings discreetly nestled in the forest, a stunning hilltop restaurant, and a secluded spa area. Every detail seemed meticulously crafted to immerse guests in the untamed beauty of the surroundings while cocooning them in comfort. The service at Santani Wellness was exceptional, with every staff member radiating warmth and hospitality. The chef, in particular, was a maestro—each meal over the two days was nothing short of spectacular. However, there was one glaring exception that left a sour taste, even after we checked out. The spa manager, an Indian woman with black-framed glasses who exuded an air of elegance and intellect, left us with an unsettling impression. We first encountered her in the restaurant, where she made a point of engaging with every table, enthusiastically recommending the spa and treatments—except ours. We brushed it off at the time. Later, when we visited the spa after booking treatments, she handed us a form to fill out, barely making eye contact, her attention seemingly absorbed by her nails. We couldn’t help but notice that in the restaurant, she continued to greet and chat with every guest—except us. It was as if we were invisible, even in the open, airy dining space. The contrast became starkly apparent when I returned to the spa and witnessed her interacting with a white male guest, patiently explaining each detail of the form with a warmth and attentiveness we had not been afforded. The disparity left us wondering: Did she dislike Chinese guests? Was it our skin color or some other bias that made her reluctant to serve us? I feel compelled to remind her that her behavior is a disservice to the hotel she represents. Moreover, as her own government actively encourages Chinese tourism to Sri Lanka, her actions are not only unprofessional but also profoundly ignorant.

My husband and I stayed in the Mountain View Chalet at Santani for one night during our journey from Ella to Colombo. In hindsight, I would strongly recommend at least two nights—three if you have the time—to fully experience what Santani has to offer. Kandy was our penultimate stop during our 10-night Sri Lanka itinerary, and Santani promised the perfect respite we needed at this stage. While the setting and aesthetic were truly breathtaking, our experience was marred by a series of frustrating inconsistencies and service failures. Unfortunately, our 06:37 am train from Ella was cancelled, forcing us onto a later train, which delayed our schedule and caused us to miss the lunch service at Santani. Although we provided a heads-up about our ETA, we were informed that only sandwiches and fruit could be offered for lunch upon arrival. I pleaded for a hot meal after a 6-hour journey but was met with a firm no. While I understand the need for structure around meal times, the lack of flexibility felt unnecessarily rigid, especially given that lunch was included in our package. It was a bitter start to an otherwise promising stay. For each meal, we were offered two menu options: Western or Sri Lankan. A chef consultation was arranged to tailor the menu to our dietary requirements—my husband is gluten-free and does not eat red meat. The concept of personalisation sounded wonderful in theory, but the delivery fell far short. At dinner, the meals differed from what we discussed earlier, and when we questioned this, we were told certain items contained gluten. My husband’s dessert, for example, was swapped from Sri Lankan pancakes to a makeshift fruit salad—hardly the bespoke experience promised. At breakfast, they served granola containing gluten and suggested my husband “just eat a little,” as if his dietary restriction were a mere preference. This was not only disappointing but also felt deeply unprofessional. Additionally, previously requested items like a Sri Lankan omelette and mixed fruit smoothie were either forgotten or met with bizarre responses like “eat this first, and we’ll bring another.” The grounds and chalet were stunning, and the views from our Mountain View Chalet, for which we paid an additional $40 upgrade, were well worth it. The serenity and natural beauty are Santani’s greatest strengths. We also had 90-minute Ayurvedic treatments, which were very relaxing. However, there was inconsistency here too—my husband received the promised consultation with the doctor before his treatment, while mine skipped the consultation entirely. The lack of uniformity was frustrating and detracted from the wellness experience. Finally, as we were checking out at 12 noon and couldn’t stay for lunch (which begins at 12), we requested a packed meal. I specifically asked for a salad alongside my sandwich, but we were instead given fruit—again, an instance of Santani failing to meet basic expectations. Individually, these lapses in service might not see

Truly Tranquil experience.. Unique property where you feel like you are living IN NATURE without any boundaries.. the view from the rooms is so expansive and peaceful and feels like you are sleeping in the lap of mother nature. Special call out to Oshi from the F&B team who was so kind and ensured customizations to our food based on our requirements.

Perfect place to shut down your busy life and just relax. My highlight was really to meet SAMMAN, he is a true healer. He feels your pain and inner without even touching you. True healer, authentic and real Reiki and Yoga Professional. I would definitely go back and enjoy the excellent food, massages and healing of SAMMAN. Thank you

We feel very blessed to have experienced such a peaceful and beautiful place to celebrate our honeymoon. It was extremely relaxing and special. Everyone took great care of us, especially as my husband was unwell on the first evening. The spa is very magical where I highly recommend the Shiro Dhara if you struggle with anxiety. The Sri Lankan breakfast with hoppers and evening curries were absolutely delicious. The room was gorgeous with the most amazing views. You are part of nature with the sounds of birds to lullaby you to sleep. Highly recommend if you need to escape and truly unwind and relax.

The perfect place to relax, unwind and reset. It’s just so peaceful and total bliss. Allows u to totally disconnect and enjoy nature. The balance reset wellness program was what opted for. Loved the walk trek to the river with the naturalist, Sandu, who was so knowledgeable The curated plans for food and spa therapies were really good. Sugarth was amazing. Enjoyed the daily yoga classes with the fantastic Yogi Rahul. He also did amazing meditation and pranayama sessions. So relaxing. Chef Indika and his team churned out a variety of curries and soups. The Sri Lankan style breakfast was delicious. Big thanks to the super attentive staff as well, especially Suresh, Kanishka and Prabhat. Would definitely go back.