Whether you stay in them or not, Colombo has some grand old hotels with plenty of legends and history attached that are well worth visiting, even for a sundowner on the veranda. The Grand Oriental Hotel faces the once-bustling cruise terminal and in the age of elegance played host to the rich and famous travelling on the famed Cunard and P&O cruises to Colombo. The Galle Face Hotel faces the Green with a haughty, beautiful façade. It oozes with charm and is believed to be the oldest hotel east of the Suez Canal. The Mount Lavinia Hotel at the city's beach resort was originally the residence of the British Governor.

Address: Grand Oriental, 2 York Street; Galle Face Hotel, 2 Galle Road; Mount Lavinia Hotel, 100 Hotel Road, Mount Lavinia

Telephone: 011 232 0320 (Grand Oriental); 011 254 1010 (Galle Face Hotel); 011 271 1711 (Mount Lavinia Hotel)