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Fort Bazaar
Galle, Sri Lanka
PROPERTY FEATURES
The Premises
Immerse yourself in coastal city Galle’s past: stay at former spice, tea and gem trading-post turned luxury hotel, Fort Bazaar. The actual gems were likely pillaged a few centuries ago, but this stylish stay has many a valuable treasure to be discovered; unwind in the hotel’s Bali-inspired spa, dine on black pork curry and lagoon crab at Church Street Social and get some shut-eye in a comfy four-poster bed. Set in the heart of 17th-century, colonial-Dutch city Galle, the hotel’s in prime position for early-morning trips to the market, whale-watching from the fort walls and sun-worshipping on Sri Lanka’s sandy beaches.
SMITH EXTRA
Compliments of the House
A 15-minute head massage each for two
View Your Escape
At the Hotel
CHECK-OUT: Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. You can keep your room till 6pm for 50 per cent of the room rate, and you can leave your luggage at reception and use the hotel facilities after check-out. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
Rates include á la carte breakfast (pastries and breads, fresh fruit, yoghurt, eggs, and traditional Sri Lankan curries), afternoon tea and an evening 'mocktail'.
FACILITIES
Free WiFi throughout the hotel. In rooms: a TV, a gym-bag with yoga mat, air-conditioning and fan, minibar with soft drinks and snacks, a Nespresso coffee machine and tea-making facilities.
PACKING TIPS
It’s not about what you bring, but what you can take home: lots of spice jars and bags of locally grown tea from plantations and markets.
ECO-FRIENDLY
To ensure the safety of our staff and guests during these unprecedented times, we have made the decision to temporarily close our hotel. We apologize for any inconvenience, please check back at a later time wheen travel restrictions in the area have lifted. We look forward to hosting you in the future when the world is a much safer and happier place. We appreciate you, thank you for understanding.
SPA
The Z Spa has three treatment rooms; two of which are kitted out with private steam showers. Treatments use tea-infused local products; enjoy a deep-tissue massage, a restful wrap or soothing facial to get that ‘yes, I’ve been on holiday’ glow.
POOL
While the pool is being built, catch a tuk tuk (free) to the Lighthouse Hotel where you'll have full access to their pools.
ALSO
Until 2006, the hotel’s site lay derelict; Teardrop hotels transformed the space with the help of Colombo’s PWA Architects, using more than 65 labourers (and three dogs, if you’re counting). Remnants of the ruin still remain; the bar at Church Street Social was once part of the rafters.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Please note rates include taxes and a 10% service charge.
Rooms
If size matters, choose one of the Upper Suites; at a spacious 75sq m, they have high ceilings, private balconies and an adjoining seating area in the bedroom. Families with small children should stay in the Upper Family Suite which has all the perks of the Upper Suites, plus an additional loft space for kids.
Food & Drink
Unforgettable Features
From breakfast through to dinner, Church Street Social bustles with hotel guests and locals. The restaurant wholly embraces Fort Bazaar’s history, from the traditional picks on the menu to the decor. However, there’s a touch of modernity too; inside, the dining room is decorated with exposed industrial lighting and an embossed metal ceiling, plus, the bar top is made of reconstituted rafters from the original building. Inspired by Galle’s multicultural past, the restaurant serves a melting pot of cuisines; take your pick of burgers and fries, Moroccan lamb tagine, spicy Sri Lankan fish curries and Asian Malay chilli crab.
Liquid Bliss
Lined with cushion-topped sofas and manicured trees, the hotel's courtyard looks as if it were made for sundowners. Have one of the barmen mix you a G&T with Colombo Gin, a London dry made with four botanicals native to Sri Lanka (which were originally grown in the capital's Cinammon Gardens).
Experience the Extraordinary
With more than 400 years of heritage to uncover, there’s plenty to do in this Unesco World Heritage site. Your historic Galle hit-list includes the curious carvings on the tombstones in the Dutch Reformed Church, the lavish stained-glass windows of the Anglican Church, the old spice warehouses of the Maritime Archaeology Museum and the Historical Mansion Museum to see how the city’s other half (read, colonists) lived. The hotel’s staff can impart their expert local knowledge on a guided tour of the fort. Alternatively, escape the fort walls and bomb past the nearby paddy fields and tea plantations on a bike borrowed from the hotel, or head to Sri Lanka’s golden coastline for relaxing afternoons on Unawatuna beach, whale-watching in Mirissa, and snorkelling and scuba-diving around fish-filled coral reefs and centuries-old shipwrecks.
Transportation
Historic Galle Fort was once an outpost for Dutch maritime trade in the Indian Ocean. Now the streets of this 17th-century port are lined with beautifully preserved, grand colonial buildings, such as the one housing elegant boutique stay Fort Bazaar.
Planes
Bandaranaike International Airport is slightly under two-and-a-half hours away by car. Leave all your travel bits to our Smith24 Team (03334 145 550), who can organise both your flights and transfers to the hotel (US$125 each way).
Trains
A daily express train connects Colombo’s Fort Station to Galle; it’s a two-and-a-half-hour journey, but beautiful beach and jungle views will distract you as you chug along the coast. Our Smith24 Team can arrange tickets and transfers from Galle station.
Automobiles
Taxis, tuk tuks and hired drivers are a relatively cheap and easy way to explore the island, but if you want to discover it at your own speed, hire a car at Bandaranaike; our Smith24 team can help you to secure a set of wheels. You’ll need an International Driving Permit and a Sri Lankan recognition permit, which you can get at the AA in Colombo. There’s no parking at the hotel, so you’ll have to find a space in Galle’s narrow streets.
Location
26 Church Street Galle, Sri Lanka
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