Nuwara Eliya · Hill Country · Sri Lanka
A century-old British retreat nestled among the tea gardens of Little England. Award-winning gardens, open fireplaces, and a quieter kind of elegance.
Our Heritage
"Here, time moves at the pace of a garden party — unhurried, gracious, and entirely its own."
Built in the late Victorian era at an elevation of 1,868 metres, Hotel Glendower stands among the most distinguished addresses in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. The Tudor-style manor, its gabled rooflines rising above banks of hydrangea and rose, was conceived as a place of genuine retreat.
Little England, as this corner of the island has long been called, earned its name through its resemblance to the English countryside — the cool, damp mornings, the emerald lawns, the measured civility of colonial life. Glendower remains its most eloquent expression.
Tended for over a century, our gardens remain among Sri Lanka's finest.
Open fireplaces lit each evening from October through April.
A tradition served on the lawn since the hotel's earliest years.
Accommodation
Each room at Glendower is a considered composition of comfort and character — period furnishings, warm textiles, and views that make waking here a particular pleasure.
Our Garden Rooms offer direct views over the award-winning grounds. King or twin beds, period furnishings, and all the warmth of a countryside sitting room.
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The Devonshire rooms are elevated in both position and character. Generous in proportion, they command views of the hill country through wide bay windows.
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Our finest accommodation. The Windsor Suites offer a private sitting room, a Victorian claw-foot bath, and a fireplace that draws on cool evenings.
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Breakfast through to Evening Dinner
Dining
Named for the finest catch in Sri Lankan waters, The King Prawn Restaurant occupies the manor's original dining hall — all dark timber, candlelight, and the particular silence of a room that takes its meals seriously.
Our kitchen draws from the island's larder with intelligence and restraint: locally sourced highland vegetables, estate-grown herbs, and sustainable seafood from the southern coast.
A Glendower Tradition
" "A properly brewed pot of Ceylon, the garden in full colour, and the day's unhurried last hour before the mist descends."
Every afternoon, as the shadows lengthen across the rose garden, tea is laid on the lawn with a quiet precision that has changed little since the house was first opened.
Available daily from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Advance reservation recommended for weekend service.
Curated Experiences
A private guided walk across one of Asia's most remarkable highland plateaux. Fog, endemic wildlife, and the silence of altitude.
Stand at the edge of a sheer 880-metre escarpment as the morning mist lifts below.
Walk the rows of a working tea estate, witness the plucking, and take a guided tour through the factory.
Play at one of Asia's oldest hill country courses. Clubs, caddies, and private arrangements made through the hotel.
An informed journey through the mythological landscape of the Ramayana.
Private helicopter excursions over the tea country and central highlands.
Gentle rides through the highland lanes on well-trained mounts. Suitable for all levels.
A morning walk to the waterfall and viewpoint above Nuwara Eliya.
Ayu Spa
Ayu — meaning life in Sanskrit — is practised here with the patience and precision of a tradition that predates us all.
A continuous stream of warm, medicated oil poured across the forehead in an unbroken thread.
A full-body warm oil treatment performed with long, rhythmic strokes to ease tension.
The hydrotherapy suite, designed as a complete sequence — heat, steam, cool water, rest.
Muslin bundles filled with highland herbs, warmed and pressed into key points. A Glendower specialty.
The 19th Hole
The room carries the atmosphere of a club rather than a bar: unhurried, convivial, and built for conversation.
Our billiards table — hand-crafted in Victorian England — has presided over this room for more than 130 years. The 130-year-old table remains in full play each evening.
Our billiards table — hand-crafted in Victorian England — has presided over this room for more than 130 years.
Special Offers
Select from our carefully curated packages, each designed to ensure your stay at Glendower is precisely what you had in mind.
A private welcome with champagne on ice, rose bouquet, and turn-down prepared with particular care.
Stay for three nights and your third night is complimentary, with no conditions beyond the company of good weather.
Residents of Sri Lanka are warmly received with a 20% discount on accommodation and a complimentary upgrade.
Recognition
Accolades accepted with gratitude; measured against the expectation of our guests.
TripAdvisor · Top Hotel Sri Lanka
Green Tourism · Silver Award
Sri Lanka Tourism · Heritage Category
TripAdvisor · Five Consecutive Years
Condé Nast Traveller · Sri Lanka
Guest Testimonials
"One of the most genuinely characterful hotels I have encountered in twenty years of travel. The fireplace in the sitting room, the silence of the gardens at dusk — it stays with you."
"We stayed in the Windsor Suite for our anniversary. The attention to detail was remarkable. The garden tea, the billiards room, the spa — it felt like a very particular kind of privilege."
"The misty mornings and the view over the rose garden are worth the journey alone. Glendower is precisely the kind of place that travel writers used to rhapsodise about."
Contact
For reservations, enquiries, and all matters of arrangement, our team is available seven days a week.
Chat via WhatsApp: Our concierge team is available 7AM to 10PM daily.
