Here are top hotels in Sri Lanka that consistently rank highest “according to travellers” (review sites, Traveller/Readers’ Choice awards and large review pools). I grouped picks by region and gave the traveller-based reason for each — links are to major review/award pages or reputable travel outlets.

Top picks (widely praised by travellers)

• Heritance Kandalama (Dambulla / Cultural Triangle) — Iconic Geoffrey Bawa–inspired design set into the rock and jungle; excellent guest reviews for views, service and location close to Sigiriya and Dambulla. (TripAdvisor.com)

• Amangalla (Galle Fort) — Highly rated by travellers for its historic setting inside Galle Fort, traditional colonial character and exceptional service. (en.Wikipedia.org)

• Galle Face Hotel (Colombo) — Heritage beachfront hotel long-loved by travellers for its history, location on the ocean promenade, and refined rooms/dining; recent reader-award recognition in regional travel polls. (en.Wikipedia.org)

• Jetwing Blue / Jetwing Beach (Negombo / Bentota area) — Frequent top-rated beach resorts on TripAdvisor lists for value, beachfront setting and family-friendly amenities. (Jetwing properties often appear among TripAdvisor’s highest-ranked resorts). (TripAdvisor.com)

• The Kandy House (Kandy) — Boutique heritage manor cited by travellers as one of the island’s best small hotels for atmosphere, personalized service and proximity to Kandy’s sights. (en.Wikipedia.org)

• The Grand Hotel (Nuwara Eliya) — Traveller favorite for its Tudor/Colonial charm, gardens and cool hill-country setting; consistently well rated by visitors to Nuwara Eliya. (en.Wikipedia.org)

• Heritance Negombo (Negombo) / Heritance Kandalama sibling properties — Heritance-branded hotels regularly show high traveller ratings for design, dining and location across TripAdvisor resort rankings. (TripAdvisor.com)

• Amangiri-style/Small luxury escapes (boutique villas and high-end lodges across south coast and interior) — While specific properties vary by traveller preference, boutique heritage hotels (small restored manor houses, Aman/Amangalla-type properties) score extremely highly on traveler review platforms. (en.Wikipedia.org)

• Boutique/eco lodges in Cultural Triangle (e.g., properties near Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa) — Travellers frequently rate eco-luxury and design-forward lodges near the cultural sites among the best places to stay for experience and access to attractions. (TripAdvisor.com)

• Colombo contemporary hotels (e.g., Shangri‑La, Cinnamon Grand / newer integrated resorts) — Business/leisure travellers give top scores for modern comforts, central locations and rooftop bars; large review pools (Booking.com Traveller Review Awards and TripAdvisor) highlight many Colombo hotels. (timeout.com)

Notes on sources and how to pick

• Traveller consensus is best judged from large review platforms (TripAdvisor “Traveler Ranked” lists, Booking.com Traveller Review Awards, Condé Nast/Travel readers’ choice lists). I used those reviewer-driven sources to assemble the above list. TripAdvisor’s country and resort ranking pages are especially useful for seeing which hotels currently top traveller ratings. (TripAdvisor.com)

If you’d like, I can:

• Send an up-to-date ranked list (top 10) from TripAdvisor or Booking.com for a specific travel period or month (I can pull current traveller-review rankings and scores).
• Tailor recommendations by region (Colombo, south coast, Cultural Triangle, hill country) or by style (heritage, beach resort, boutique, family-friendly, budget).

Which would you prefer?