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4.5
#13 of 59 hotels in Galle
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
The Bartizan is a colonial boutique hotel located in the world heritage site of Galle Fort, Sri Lanka. The building was an old Dutch structure which has now been carefully renovated to a modern, stylish hotel while keeping the original architectural elements intact. It is uniquely situated across the street from the fort walls and right in the heart of local shops and restaurants located on Pedlar Street. It has a variety of room sizes from spacious rooms with private balconies and ocean views to intimate courtyard rooms and unique tower rooms. All rooms boast modern furniture and fixtures and luxurious bathrooms with complimentary bath amenities. All guests enjoy a cool welcome drink upon arrival and daily breakfast. Complimentary hi speed fiber optic wifi is available throughout the property and rooms come with complimentary water and daily housekeeping. The property has one of the top-rated locations in Galle where guests can enjoy ocean and fort views right from the hotel.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
City View
Ocean View
Languages Spoken
English, Sinhala
Location
77 Pedlar Street, Galle 80000 Sri Lanka
The Bartizan Galle Fort
275 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled near the historic Galle Fort, The Bartizan Galle Fort hotel garners accolades for its prime location and stylish atmosphere. Guests have called out the charming and spacious rooms, particularly noting the picturesque balconies.
While the service is generally regarded as attentive and the premises praised for their cleanliness, some have experienced minor inconsistencies. The delicious breakfast and well-equipped amenities earn rave reviews, yet opinions on the hotel's value for money are mixed among travelers.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Well-appointed
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We made a quick trip to Galle over the past week and so happy we picked The Bartizan for our stay.
The property is (true to its name) an old watch tower, restored beautifully into a clean, minimalist hotel. The restoration has been done so beautifully, and shows that the design has kept its historic integrity during the renovations.
Each room has its own character, we got the North Tower , with the small terrace deeming it more private and the most breathtaking view of the Galle fort and the sea. Our room wasn't the biggest but did plenty for our requirement.
Fully Airconditioned with telephone access to the front desk.
The room was also equipped well with the amenities such as a hair dryer, hot water , there was no TV but access to WiFi if we needed it. The property is situated at the corner of Pedlers street and Rampart facing the ocean so it's a very central location to explore the Fort, with ample access to other restaurants and cafes .
They also offer a spectacular breakfast which we did enjoy.
Our stay was all this and more mostly due to the service, and the obliging staff.
The General Manager, Andrew, was friendly, accomodating , and ensured that we were comfortable and got the complete Galle Fort experience. He, together with his staff (including the security uncle) made all the difference in making the stay that much pleasant , with his hospitality.
Thank you, all the best and We will be back :)
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Date of stay: February 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bartizan Hotel, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Mar 4, 2021
Dear madam Draupadie, Thank you so very much indeed for the kind compliments and detailed description of the hotel, room, service and surrounding fort. It was a huge pleasure to have you stay with us at the hotel Bartizan and we hope to see you return to stay with us very soon, Thank and sincerely, Andrew (GM)
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We will miss our morning thosai, egg curry, milk rice breakfast/brunch for sure! As well the perfectly brewed afternoon tea and on request, fresh lime sodas lazily imbibed from our most excellent balcony with the stunning view of the Galle fort wall & the ocean beyond. In all our travels, this was one of the most delightful comfy beds ever. The family room itself was spacious and luxuriously appointed. All of the hospitality from the staff was genuinely warm without being too much in our faces, as can be the case in some places where you can find yourself longing for privacy. Here they strike the perfect balance. The location is optimal to explore Pedlar street shopping and restaurants. Overall, a terrific stay!
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The_Bartizan, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Feb 16, 2020
Dear madam Rajasvnib, Thank you so very much indeed for the marvelous and kind review of the hotel Bartizan. We thoroughly enjoyed serving you throughout your stay with us. Our beds are specifically made for comfort and our location on Pedlar's and Ramparts street gives us perfect positioning to navigate the fort. Thanks once more and we look forward to welcoming you back when you next visit the Dutch fort in Galle, Sincerely, Andrew (GM)
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There are two unbeatable things about this property: 1) the location: it is right by the ocean on Rampart St, walking distance to the Light House and a block away from Peddler's St. Very ideal when you want to walk around the Fort. You get lovely views of the ocean and the fort from the balcony. Plenty restaurants around as well. 2) the breakfast: it is not just gorgeous, but even more so delicious.
The hotel provides a nice balance of a typical colonial architecture while also being contemporary in comfort and convenience. Andrew is a pleasant host.
I'd like to add just one thing, and I admit this could be more of a culture thing. The rooms are small, presumably because they were so in the original design of the building. That's ok. The wash basin is within the approx 10x10 ft room, and the washroom has a glass door with a lot of gap between it and the wall (essentially, about an inch on the top/bottom and a couple of inches on the side, no latch/lock). You can also hear people from the washroom in adjacent rooms through the ceiling vents.
I want this to be here because it may not work for everyone - I don't quite enjoy hearing people go about their morning business.
This bit aside, a very lovely property.
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Date of stay: November 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Choose a room that has an ocean view on the first or second floor. The courtyard rooms open up to...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bartizan Hotel, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Nov 28, 2021
Dear Libranof1987, Thank you very much indeed for the kind comments regarding our location, breakfast, beautiful views, comfort and historic architecture. The courtyard rooms and the tower rooms are comparatively smaller than the deluxe and superior rooms categories together with the family room. We had to stay true to the original heritage of the building when making the rooms as you surmised, We can only apologies about the acoustics on the ground floors and compliment you for having excellent hearing although in this event it was not the best of experience’s as your remarks suggest. Had you informed me or the reception immediately we would have been able to assist you and not let you leave without enjoying the property thoroughly and with the complete satisfaction that all of us staff here at the hotel strive to give our visiting guests. The suggestion to choose a balcony room on the second and third floors, and may I also suggest the tower rooms, is very good, as the courtyard rooms are smaller and the view of the courtyard and the 300 years old wall may not be everyones cup of tea and given that we have so many alternative rooms that are larger and face the ocean etc, it would be unfortunate to miss, when staying with us, who are so well located. Looking forward to giving you a much more pleasant and satisfactory experience filled with beautiful scenery and sounds, like for example the waves of the Indian ocean lapping at the walls of the hundreds of years old ramparts outside us in harmony with the changing tides the next you visit the hotel Bartizan in the Galle Dutch fort, Sincerely, Andrew (GM)
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My stay at the Bartizan was an absolute dream! The entire staff went above and beyond to make sure my friend and I had a fabulous stay. Our room was beautiful and we loved both our personal patio and the rooftop one where we enjoyed watching the sunset every evening. Don’t even get me started on the breakfasts too. Ridiculously good with fresh fruit, a wide variety of entire options and the best banana pancakes. Seriously, don’t skip out on them, the location of the hotel is perfect being on the edge of the fort so it’s got quick access to both the water and all of the best shops and restaurants in the fort. Also, a shout out to Andrew, the manager, who also went out of his way to make sure we had the best experience while there. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bartizan Hotel, Owner at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Jun 15, 2020
Dear 17010PDnicolee Please excuse the delay replying, we have only just now regained our full wi fi ability post the beginnings of the pandemic. Thank you very much indeed for the wonderful review of the hotel and facilities and it was a sincere pleasure to have you stay with us indeed at the hotel Bartizan in the Galle Dutch fort, We look forward to you returning to stay with us in the future, in the meanwhile stay safe and blessed abundantly, Sincerely, Andrew (GM)
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What The Bartizan misses in size, it makes up in location and intimacy. Located right at the edge of the Galle Fort, unlike the other grand and stylish hotels inside the fort city The Bartizan gives you beautiful views of the ocean & fort walls from your room balcony.
The property itself is tastefully done especially the Family Suite where we stayed. The third floor terrace is great for watching beautiful sunsets. And because it’s not a massive hotel you don’t have to stand in long breakfast lines. You are served a personalised, massive and delicious breakfast in the courtyard every morning.
There are couple of points the hotel could improve upon. Galle is extremely hot in even in Jan. In such a situation having just one air conditioner for the entire Family Suite which has 3 beds, two rooms + bath areas is not enough. The thick fort walls take forever to cool down.
The Family Suite is right below the third floor terrace. So in the morning when the staff moves about the chairs to clean the terrace, the loud dragging sounds are bound to disturb your sleep in the early hours. But if you tell the reception staff they’ll be kind enough to ensure it doesn’t happen much the next morning.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The B, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Jan 4, 2020
Dear ManchuChanchu, Thank you very much the kind review and we are delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us. We look forwarded to you returning to stay with us at the hotel Bartizan the next you visit the Dutch fort in Galle, Sincerely, Andrew (GM)
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We stayed at the Bartizan for one night in February. We could totally trust the people there even before the arrival as they were so helpful on the phone when we contacted them from overseas about our booking. The location is inside the fort, right next to the ocean wall and close to many restaurants and cafes. The courtyard room on the ground floor was a bit smaller than we expected, and had no window, but it was clean and tranquil and had everything we needed. The room is very charming. We could make our own coffee and tea in the room, and drink it in the outside courtyard. The shower is great with lots of hot water and excellent water pressure. If you don't need a lot of space to lay out your work in, it is fine. If you would like something a bit more spacious with a window, you may wish to book one of the tower rooms instead.
Breakfast is served at the very European-feeling courtyard, and we were very happy with both the Sri Lankan breakfast as well as with the Eggs Benedict. And as noted, the customer service at the hotel is top-notch. We needed to get a pre-departure Covid test 48 hours before our flight, for example, and the manager Andrew kindly and expertly arranged it a hospital person came to the hotel to administer the tests, and we got the results right away. We found some mistakes in the official certificate that came in the email about an hour later, and Andrew had one of the staff members to call the hospital for us and we got the correct certificate soon after. We cannot thank them both enough for this. We also needed late check out and once again they were able to work something out for us.
In sum: the location is great, the staff are very professional and the hospitality of this small hotel is exceptional. Andrew in particular was perhaps the most competent and accommodating hotel manager we have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. You cannot go wrong by booking here.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
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Response from Bartizan Hotel, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Feb 25, 2022
Dear queue100, Thank you so very much indeed for the very kind review. The staff are delighted. The compliments regarding the location, room and service is absolutely appreciated. I am in particular ecstatic and so are the rest of the staff. Thank you sincerely for staying with us and we hope to see you return to stay with us at the hotel Bartizan the next you visit the Dutch fort in Galle, Thank you once more, sincerely, Andrew (GM)
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Stayed for two nights at the Bartizan Boutique Hotel, were sad to leave! Simple yet stylish rooms, got one on main floor so no views but really quiet considered it’s right in front of the ramparts. If you are a sound sleeper rooms on top floor have gorgeous views of the sea. Rooftop terrace with view of the sunset, great spot for afternoon tea (complimentary, between 3pm and 5pm). Breakfast was delicious with both classic continental or definitely try the two Sri Lankan breakfast if you don’t mind a bit of spice in the morning. Service was kind and caring. Excellent value for money!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The B, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Jan 17, 2020
Dear CloeRB, Thank for the beautiful and wonderfully detailed review of the hotel Bartizan and we are so delighted indeed. We look forward to seeing you return to stay with us at the Bartizan the next you visit the Heritage Dutch fort in Galle, Sincerely, Andrew (GM)
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The Bartizan is in an excellent location with views of the ocean … just behind the fort wall in Galle Fort. The room and the balcony were very nice although basic (perhaps a 3 star hotel). They did however let themselves down a bit - I stayed for 5 nights and the room was only serviced once when I requested it (perhaps every second day would be enough if only to empty the bin and refresh the amenities). Security at the entrance were very friendly and the breakfast was good (as were the two regular staff providing it). The maintenance guy was very helpful. I was OK that there wasn’t a TV as I had a few good books. I understand the power problems are beyond their control but the other hotel I stayed at in Galle had a backup generator - this hotel does not (although it is much more expensive - in fact as expensive as my 5 star hotel in Colombo). There were extended periods in darkness … hopefully that all passes when the country gets through the current crisis.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Location
Service
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Response from Bartizan Hotel, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Jul 13, 2022
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to write a review and the feedback on your experience. We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed staying with us and for mentioning the hotel's excellent location and our helpful staff. We apologize if your room was not serviced as you expected. We will be sure to look into this. As a practice however, we only make up the rooms if the guests requests it by placing the make up room card on the door as some guests prefer it that way. We also do not advertise our rooms as having TVs. It is conscious decision to maintain the old world heritage ambiance of the hotel. We are happy to hear you had some books to enjoy during your relaxing times. We also apologize for the 2 to 3 hours power cuts experienced by the whole country these days. It is unfortunately due to the major economic crisis Sri Lanka is facing currently. Other hotels even with backup generators are not always functional due to lack of fuel to operate them. We do hope Sri Lanka will see better days soon and we invite you to stay with us again to experience The Bartizan with all it's glory. Thank you Sam Owner.
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We had a great 1-night stay at The Bartizan in November 2022 as part of our honeymoon trip. The room was perfect for a quick stop over in Galle and the hotel itself is perfectly located - walking distance to all of the sights of Galle, restaurants and shops. The breakfast and service were absolutely perfect. The hotel could do with a little of TLC and a fresh coat of paint in places, but this didn't remotely impact our stay and we would absolutely recommend for a short stay here.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
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Response from Bartizan Hotel, General Manager at The Bartizan Galle Fort
Responded Jul 16, 2023
Dear guest, Thank you for your lovely review and for choosing The Bartizan as part of your honeymoon trip. We are thrilled to hear that you had a great 1-night stay with us in November 2022. We are delighted that you found our boutique hotel to be lovely and perfectly located in the heart of Galle. Being within walking distance to all the sights, restaurants, and shops is indeed a great advantage for our guests. We are pleased that our room was perfect for your quick stopover and provided the comfort you needed. We appreciate your positive feedback on our breakfast and service. Providing a perfect dining experience and exceptional service is our goal, and we are glad that we met your expectations in these areas. We appreciate your feedback regarding the need for some TLC and a fresh coat of paint. Rest assured, we continuously strive to maintain and improve the condition of our hotel to ensure our guests' comfort and satisfaction. Thank you for recommending The Bartizan for a short stay. We truly appreciate your support. Should your future travels bring you back to Galle, we would be honored to welcome you again. Warm regards, The Bartizan Management
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I enjoyed my 3 day stay (room 22) in this small boutique hotel, just inside the walls of the Galle Fort. Great location, friendly helpful staff, really good breakfast and a large room with comfortable king size bed and a large balcony overlooking the internal courtyard.
This hotel is expensive and owners / management need to pay attention to some small details in the hotel. During my 3 day stay the room was not made up, towels not replaced and water bottles not replaced (you can’t drink the tap water). The hotel directory shows that the rooms will be made up every day, and towels will be replaced if they are left on the floor. I left the (please make up my room” sign o the door every day, but no one came into the room mover the 3 days. These are only small issues, and would not matter if you are paying $100 a night, but I would expect much better when I have paid over $240 a night
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Galle area.
PRICE RANGE
C$151 - C$213 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Sri LankaSouthern ProvinceGalle DistrictGalle
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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