We rarely consider a 3 Star hotel remarkable but Club Hotel Dolphin is one that we do. This is a stunning, 150 room 3 Star – 3 Star plus hotel with the largest swimming pool of any Sri Lanka hotel, meandering along the rooms. The second outstanding feature of this hotel, in addition to this unusual pool, is the location astride the largely deserted lengthy beach front continuing onto isolated sandy coves ideal for sun bathing, swimming and even horse riding. The third is the architecture of the hotel wings built around the meandering pool.

Although this is a large 150 room hotel, the gardens and grounds are so spacious and the beach frontage so wide that there is no sense whatsoever of overcrowding. Here also one can go for a walk on largely deserted beaches and discover numerous small nearly deserted bays beyond the breakwaters of the hotel.

The 146 air conditioned rooms, all with ensuite facilities, are divided into spacious red tiled, tastefully furnished deluxe rooms with on 3 floors in the main blocks astride the pool and 50 smaller very private ac cottages absolutely on the beach. A few seconds takes you from the front door into the waters of the Indian Ocean. All deluxe rooms have private balconies or terraces with superb sea views over the pool and the beach. The alteration of turquoise blue and dark blue tiles adds to the sense of beauty. Wherever you look there is water.. As this is a club concept hotel, organised pool animation activities, with music that could be a little quieter, do take place in the centre of the pool around one of the many bar areas but there is also a quiet small pool at the other end of the hotel near the cottages.

The giant pool and the smaller pool also host small cafes where you can enjoy snacks in between meals. The Miami Restaurant  is the main coffee shop where breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets are served.

Reflections in the giant meandering river of a  pool, including the sunsets add to the beauty of this hotel. The setting sun and a little later the moonlight bring out the beauty of this white walled – red brick hotel on the North Coast of Sri Lanka.

The beach is also the venue of volleyball played between Sri Lankans and the mainly English guests in a spirit of friendly rivalry that befits the Sri Lanka – England cricket matches. The friendliness of the locals and the fishing communities is as much a characteristic of the North Coast as it is of the South. Experience the culture and traditions of the coastal fishing villages and the bustle of the early morning fish auction. In fact, from the hotel beach front you can join the fishermen on a catamaran as they set sail early morning.

Or make your way 10 kms down southwards to the quaint town of Negombo with its rich colonial heritage to take boat trip down the Dutch canals. Visit hundreds of year old churches built by the Portuguese and the ruins of the Dutch Fort. For those keen on bird watching, take a ride into the Muthurajawela marshes and the Negombo Lagoon - home to numerous species of birds and amphibians.

Club Dolphin is also enroute to the Northern town of Puttalam and from there onwards to Anuradhapura, one of the 2000 year ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka with its wealth of UNECSCO World heritage sites.

Altogether an unusual and impressive spacious 3 star plus hotel of considerable character on the North Coast, 10 kms north of the well known bustling resort of Negombo and just 20 kms from the airport, that deserves to be discovered. Following our visit as part of our “Visit and inspect before recommending”, we recommend Club Hotel Dolphin.