Shangri la Hotel Colombo

Shangri-La's quality truly lives up to its reputation. The location, service, and room amenities are all top-notch. I felt that the staff's professionalism was significantly higher than in other hotels. However, the security checks when entering and exiting the hotel were quite strict, which was a bit inconvenient, likely due to a government building being right next door. The hotel's direct connection to the mall is a fantastic feature; you can walk straight from the lobby into the shopping center, which is great for shopping even on a hot day. The mall also offers a wide variety of restaurants with different cuisines. There's a large city under construction directly across from my room, which will probably take a year or two to complete, and this does impact the quality of the sea view. Still, I caught a beautiful sunset from my room on the day I checked in. Finally, I have to mention Shang Palace – it was quite disappointing. The dishes I ordered were all very average. I had held onto some hope after seeing mixed reviews, but it didn't meet expectations. If you have high standards for Chinese food, I wouldn't recommend trying it. I hope the hotel considers improving the quality of its Chinese cuisine.

This was the worst Shangri-La hotel we've ever stayed at, and without a doubt, the worst service we've experienced at any five-star hotel! To the General Manager and Management Team of Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo: I am writing to formally express my extreme disappointment and outrage regarding our stay at your hotel from February 13th to 15th, 2026. As a loyal Shangri-La Circle member who travels frequently worldwide, I have never encountered such a serious string of service failures at any five-star hotel globally. During our stay, our family occupied executive floor rooms 3009 and 2908. Below are the unacceptable incidents we experienced: 1. **Persistent External Noise Disturbance (February 13th and 14th)** After checking in at 10:00 PM on February 13th, we were immediately disturbed by loud music and vibrations coming from an outdoor venue. Although the operator assured us the music would end by midnight, this was not the case. At 12:30 AM, when we requested a room change, we were told the hotel was fully booked. My husband had to personally go down to the lobby to negotiate, but the issue remained unresolved, and the music continued until 2:00 AM. The next morning, the front desk promised to resolve the problem, but on the evening of February 14th, the music was even louder. After a tiring journey and a sleepless first night, we had to call again at midnight to request a room change. 2. **Serious Security and Privacy Breach (Early Morning, February 15th)** We were finally moved to room 2418 at 12:30 AM on February 15th. However, at approximately 4:00 AM, a staff member directly entered our room using a key card and re-inserted a card to turn on all the lights. This sudden intrusion was terrifying. When my husband confronted him, he claimed he had “delivered sugar to the wrong room.” This was a severe violation of guest privacy and security. Even if a guest requests an item, staff should never enter a room without permission, especially in the middle of the night. This incident left us unable to sleep again. My husband barely slept for two consecutive nights, and I only managed three hours, which severely impacted our subsequent travel plans and well-being. 3. **Lack of Professionalism and Accountability** Most disappointingly, when I raised these issues with the front desk, I received no explanation, not even an apology. The front desk manager came over, handed me a business card, and asked us to email him so he could send us the investigation results. We waited over ten days and received no response. Is this truly the "Heartfelt Hospitality" that Shangri-La claims to uphold? As a member, I expect comfort and security, but what we experienced was a complete breakdown of basic hospitality standards.

The hotel is a bit old, and the facilities in the rooms are showing their age. We arrived around 8 PM on the first day, and there was only one person at the front desk. This staff member was incredibly unfriendly. We had booked three rooms, all for two adults and one child, and asked for two key cards for each. She actually lied, saying there was another card already in the room. Secondly, when checking in, we offered our credit card for a pre-authorization, but she said it wasn't needed. This meant that all subsequent room service had to be paid in cash, which was extremely inconvenient. I suspect this front desk staff member on the night shift either has psychological issues or was intentionally messing with Chinese guests. Shangri-La was founded by Chinese people, so why was this happening? The next day, we cautiously asked the front desk for a second key card, and it was given to us easily. The service quality is inconsistent, with some good and some bad experiences, but most of the staff are friendly.