The Mount Lavinia Hotel started its rich history as a country home cum love nest for Sir Thomas Maitland, appointed Governor of Ceylon by His Majesty, George III of England.
 
The hotel has celebrated a number of firsts.  In 1957, The Little Hut, the country’s first nightclub, opened. The Mount Lavinia Hotel was the first to have airline crews on overnight stays. It had the first air conditioned bar, and was the first hotel to become a part of a chain, the Hyatt, even though it is now independently owned and operated. It’s also the first functional hotel school in Sri Lanka.
 
Dining
Lunch is the Sunday buffet at the Governor’s Restaurant. It features over a dozen salads, at least 20 types of bread, and dishes from Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, China, and Europe - some spicy, some mild, some vegetarian.  As you eat, you can the incredible colonial architecture. Elegant chandeliers hang from the high, vaulted ceilings while large windows let in the salty sea air and sunshine.
 
The Sea Food Cove is another of the hotel’s restaurants. It’s set on the beach and has simple décor. No walls and sand for floor. We ordered our seafood (Red snapper?  Tuna?  Lobster?  Jumbo prawns a full eight inches long, if not more?) from the open display at the front complete with a tank of live crabs, and watched it weighed, then chopped and prepared to order in the open kitchen.
 
Breakfast at the Governor’s Restaurant  starts with the large selection of fruits and fruit salads, past the dozen or so cereals, and gave the pastries the evil eye.  Scrambled eggs, omelettes, bacon, several kinds of sausages, breads, juices . . .  
 
Rooms
A room in the northern wing is angled to take advantage of the spectacular view as it overlooks the ocean, as every room in the hotel does, although some rooms also have a view of Colombo to the north. The private balcony overlooks the ocean. In another wing of the hotel you will pass a hair salon, a couple of jewellery shops, and an Ayurvedic spa, a bookshop, where you can stop and browse.
 
(Content Source : Travel Sri Lanka Magazine)