Werapitiya Kandy, Sri Lanka
Renovated
2024
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Luxe WellnessOutside the door
The house
SantaniMinimalist highland hideaway
Guests pad barefoot through breezy open-air pavilions, taking in misty valley sunrises and total quiet in the central highlands.
“The Santani Wellness Resort, nestled in an abandoned tea estate in the high central hills of Kandy, is emblematic of a new generation of luxury accommodation.”
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Stilted timber pavilions by Thisara Thanapathy feature glass walls, concrete terraces, and passive mountain cross-ventilation.
Remarkable
Attentive highland care spans personal Ayurvedic consultations, customized retreat programs, and dedicated butlers for private pool villas.
Remarkable
Resident Ayurvedic doctors customize daily menus, paired with two daily yoga sessions and hillside thermal hydrotherapy.
What they say
Two Michelin Keys
Michelin
Also in Wallpaper*.
At Santani, a ‘wellness resort’ isn’t simply a hotel with a spa, it’s a place that’s designed…to promote relaxation and contemplation.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Private walking paths wind through terraced rice paddies and tropical forest down to the secluded banks of the Hulu River.
The rooms
Stilted timber chalets forego air conditioning for highland cross-breezes, featuring glass walls that open onto private balconies overlooking the valley.
Spa, pool and yoga
Bring a swimsuit.
Daily Hatha yoga takes place in an open-air pavilion, and treatment rooms offer traditional Ayurvedic therapies like Shirodhara.
Sauna and thermal pool
A glass-walled cedar sauna looks across the valley, beside a covered open-air thermal saltwater pool.
Restaurant
Main Dining Pavilion
Glass walls look out over the Knuckles Range, where customized dishes are tailored to Ayurvedic dosha profiles.
At the table
The lounge bar serves cold-pressed juices, superfood tonics, and organic wines alongside floor-to-ceiling mountain views.
How it began
Built across an abandoned 48-acre tea plantation, the minimalist structures draw inspiration from ancient Buddhist meditation caves to tread lightly on the terrain.
Good to know
Stay here
Santani Wellness Kandy
Choose your dates to see every room and rate, and book in a few steps.
Add dates to see the price for your stay.
Or book with
Booking.com ExpediaWe may earn a commission when you book through Booking.com or Expedia. It never decides which hotels we include or how we rate them.
Kandy
More like this
Aarunya Nature Resort
“Highland plantation villas”
Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge
“Knuckles tea-estate lodge”
Kings Pavilion Kandy
“Teak hillside estate”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.