Avinya Ayurveda Bentota by Aida

COMFORT

I was in Bentota, Sri Lanka at the Aida Ayurveda Hotel from 4 to 18.03.2025. Compared to southwest India, I find Sri Lanka really beautiful, especially because it is a bit more touristy and the people are very friendly and open-minded. My focus during the 14 days was Ayurveda Slimming, i.e. losing weight. I had already done Ayurveda in India two years ago and liked it a lot, I managed to lose 5kg back then - and now I've done it again. However, I also did a lot myself: hours of walking on the beach and 1.5 hours of swimming in the pool every evening (which is approx. 20m long and therefore sufficient). I'll keep it short now: 1) the resort is getting on in years, there is wear and tear or dirt everywhere. In addition, the resort is close to a main road and railroad tracks, so you can hear this noise until the evening: Grade 4 2) the staff is friendly but tired, I guess this is due to the end of the season (the rainy season starts at the end of March) - an example: I was supposed to get 1.5h treatments (plus sauna or steam bath) every day, but it was only 1h - only when I had probably addressed this a second time, I was massaged for 1.5h (but the massages in India were harder and better): 3) The food was okay but no better - due to the small number of guests of 15 people, the selection was significantly reduced (in India the selection was twice as large and tastier). In addition, the food was mostly cold or lukewarm (which is not so tasty with fish). I was able to regulate myself and filled up a little, but you could also have "eaten uncontrollably" (in India I had my own slimming menu and the waiters paid "strict" attention to it): School grade 3 4) the place Bentota is lively and there is a lot to see besides the great beaches. However, I also noticed a lot of dirt, especially during a 2-hour boat tour (if I were a boatman, I would call for all the "wild" garbage to be collected once before the season): therefore only a grade 3 Would I book the trip again? No, because the Ayurveda in India is better and more concentrated, because the hotel is worn out and because I always like to see something new. My overall impression is a school grade of 3, which is no reason to book Aida Ayurveda in Bentota again. I was actually lucky with the weather, but other guests had many rainy days even in February. Incidentally, the weather is different on the east coast of Sri Lanka, where the rainy season only starts in August and you have significantly more hours of sunshine until then (but it is much further away from the airport in Colombo).

Price-performance ratio not suitable; poor hygiene, especially in the sanitary facilities and Ayurveda. E.g. towel on massage table not changed for every customer, steam bath not cleaned, panty liners left in the public shower for days, shower in the room poorly cleaned; nevertheless very good recreational value; treatments good; medical support ok. Very attentive, friendly staff. Lots of staff, with a lot of "idle time" that could be put to good use to keep the hotel's infrastructure in good shape. Garden very nice; limited choice of food; preparation ok;