Cinnamon Citadel in Kandy, Sri Lanka — a Hotel Review

Cinnamon Citadel is where we’d be stationing for the one night that we were there in Kandy. After our wonderful experience, most importantly, wonderful food experience at the Cinnamon in Habarana (Read: Review of Cinnamon Lodge in Habarana) , we were looking forward to our stay at the same chain here in Kandy. But then, they had us disappointed about food out here….Well, to that, in some time…first, about the hotel…

Quite a compact one this one in Kandy, compared to the sprawling grounds in Habarana. But Cinnamon Kandy is right on the Mahaweli river, flanked by forests and offers to cut you off from civilisation. We could do that, for, we checked in around 8 pm and checked out just after breakfast the next morning. As much as we would have loved to take a short boat ride, our schedule for the day didn’t allow us.

Thankfully though, Cinnamon Citadel has their dining hall facing the river. The verandah adjacent the dining hall is everyone’s favourite. We booked our table there both for dinner and breakfast….no letting go of what little opportunity we had….!

Rooms are decent with the regular facilities in place. But some how the place gave me a very ‘concrete-concrete’ sort of feeling. The alleys and the stairs have a hardcore concrete look to them. Maybe I had been expecting too much…I like naturally lit places, with more real greenery than ‘planted in pots’ kind. Cinnamon Citadel is slightly like any of those regular good hotels without a personal touch.

And now the food. Perhaps Cinnamon Habarana had spoilt us. For, if gauged on its own merit, perhaps Cinnamon Citadel’s fare is decent. But we tended to compare, here too, with their Habarana chain, and found is many notches below. Be it the spread or the variety, we had gotten used to the rich spread of Cinnamon Habarana! Fish was mostly Basa..they didn’t have prawns or lamb. Too bad…

On hindsight now, perhaps we should have looked for a homestay. In fact, I think we love homestays more these days. Don’t like places that are impersonal and lack a certain character.

For to round up, Cinnamon Citadel Kandy is a good hotel with good enough food, but not for the traveller who looks for uniqueness and feel of the country in that place…

Read: Sight-seeing in Kandy

P.S:  For a complete Sri Lanka itinerary and tour details, read — Best Itinerary & Blogs for Sri Lanka Road Trip