Boutique hotel · Tangalle

Halcyon Mawella

Behind a line of palms on Mawella Bay, a wide beach with a working fishing village, a short drive west of Tangalle and 10 minutes by tuk-tuk from Hiriketiya

About Halcyon Mawella

Rooms: 5 types
Dining: 3 places
Wellness: Treatments
Swimming: Pools

An owner-run boutique hotel of 10 rooms on Mawella Bay, with rooms on both floors of 2-storey cabanas roofed with iluk grass around a pool and garden, and the beach about 15 metres away. The 3-bedroom Lumi Villa next door, with its own pool, is let by the hotel too.

The hotel was designed with Lindsay Taylor of Tallentire House as a nod to the old tea factories, and almost all of its doors, windows and columns were reclaimed from old houses around the island. The Standard and Deluxe rooms have a sea view, and the Deluxe rooms sit under the grass roof with a four-poster bed.

It is known for its food and its work in the village: Illuk cooks a seafood-led menu from the day's catch and the hotel's own organic garden, the bar makes its cocktails with herbs and citrus grown on site, and the hotel's Prajava Gama Foundation supports a village-run workshop making soaps, jams, chutneys and bread, sold in its own shop.

Rooms and suites

Standard Double Room
50 sq mKing bedUp to 2TerraceSea view
50 sq m on the ground floor of a cabana, king bed, sea view, private terrace with a sofa and chairs, shower, up to 2 guests, 1 extra bed possible
Deluxe Room with Balcony
50 sq mFour-poster king bedUp to 2Balcony
50 sq m on the upper floor of a cabana under its grass roof, king-size four-poster bed, view across the pool and gardens to the sea, private balcony, shower, up to 2 guests, 1 extra bed possible
Triple Room
50 sq mKing or single bedsUp to 3Balcony
50 sq m, king bed and a full-size single bed on a mezzanine reached by a ladder, no private balcony but a seating area outside the door overlooking the sea, shower, up to 3 guests
Family Room
55 sq mKing or single bedsUp to 4Balcony
55 sq m, king bed and 2 full-size single beds on a mezzanine reached by a ladder, no private balcony but a seating area outside the door overlooking the sea, shower, up to 4 guests
Lumi Villa - 3 Bedroom Oceanfront Villa
120 sq m3 bedroomsUp to 6Plunge poolTerraceKitchenLiving room
120 sq m on the seafront next to the hotel, 3 bedrooms (2 with a king bed, 1 with 2 single beds), private pool, living room, fully equipped kitchen, terrace, up to 6 guests

Dining

IllukThe open-air restaurant by the pool, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily from a seasonal, seafood-led menu of Sri Lankan and globally inspired dishes, made with the day's catch and produce from the hotel's own garden, under head chef Nash.07:00 to 22:00
The barOpen-air, on the floor above the restaurant, fully licensed, with beer on tap, wines and signature cocktails made with herbs and citrus grown on site.07:00 to 22:00
Room serviceFood and drinks in the room or on the balcony or terrace through the day, and tea and coffee from 06:30.

Wellness

MassageIn-room massages by the hotel's massage therapist, with Ayurvedic treatments arranged on request.
YogaPrivate sessions with the hotel's teacher by the sea, arranged on request.
Breathe and Unwind Wellness PackageA stay of at least 2 nights with breakfast, a 60-minute yoga session and a 60-minute massage for each guest.

Amenities

Pools and spa

Outdoor pool among the cabanas, shallow from end to endPrivate pool at the Lumi VillaIn-room massagePrivate yoga on requestAyurvedic treatments arranged

More dining

Illuk restaurantOpen-air bar above the restaurantVegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes at every mealCocktails made with herbs and citrus from the garden

Activities

Kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and bodyboards for guestsKayaking on Mawella LagoonFishing trips for mahi mahi, red snapper, trevally and seer fishSnorkelling over the reef by boat with a guide, and diving with Ruhunu Dive Center nearbySurfing at HiriketiyaTurtle watching at RekawaSafaris to Yala and Udawalawe, and whale watchingTrips to Mulkirigala Rock Temple, Hummanaya Blowhole, Tangalle market and Galle FortSoap and pickle-making workshops with the hotel's village foundation

For families

Children of 6 and overTriple Room and Family Room with mezzanine beds1 extra bed in the Standard and Deluxe roomsChildren's menuBoard games

Services

Free parking, no booking neededHeliportTransfers from Mattala and Colombo airports arrangedCars and vans with drivers, and scooter hire, arrangedLaundry serviceWiFi throughoutFoundation shop selling the village's jams, chutneys, soaps and clothing

Rooms

King-size bed with high thread count linenAir conditioningMinibar in the Standard and Deluxe roomsSafe, kettle, hairdryer and wardrobeBathroom with showerTea and coffee brought to the room from 06:30

Good to know

Check-in from 14:00, check-out by 11:00
Children under 6 are not encouraged to stay; the Triple Room and Family Room are designed for families with children of 6 and over
No pets
Ground-floor rooms suit guests with reduced mobility, and ramps can be fitted on request; the Deluxe rooms are on the upper floor, and the mezzanine beds in the Triple Room and Family Room are reached by a ladder
The Triple Room and Family Room have no private balcony
The rooms have no television
The pool is shallow from end to end and open from 06:00 to 22:00
About 1 hour by road from Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and about 3 hours from Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo; Beliatta railway station is about 30 minutes away
Tangalle is a short drive away, Hiriketiya about 10 minutes by tuk-tuk, Hummanaya Blowhole a few minutes, and Yala and Udawalawe national parks about 1 hour 30 minutes by road
The hotel lists a heliport among its facilities, and seaplanes land on Mawella Lagoon nearby