Amangalla breathes luxurious new life into the former New Oriental Hotel, a seventeenth-century colonial gem inside Galle Fort, the UNESCO World Heritage Site on Sri Lanka's southern tip. Amanresorts has turned decay into decadence, restoring the now 30-room hotel to its long-lost grandeur and adding a celadon pool and a holistic spa. Rooms are an elegant homage to colonial comfortgrand four-posters, long-armed planter's chairs, and comfy cane chaisesbut have no TVs. The service is unrushed but Aman excellent with a discernibly local touch: Mention a favorite dish to your driver and he might well suggest a detour to his mother's kitchen. Though the hotel emerged from the tsunami unscathed, the three-hour drive from Colombo winds through some of the worst-affected coastline; guests may prefer the much faster seaplane and its stunningly lush perspective.
When to go: Avoid May through July, when temperatures sizzle and skies drizzle.
Which room to book: The Garden House, with a wraparound balcony perched above the treetops
Amenities:
Bar/lounge,
Pool,
Spa,
24-hour Room Service