City Beds is one of Colombo’s many budget hostels, and if you’d rather a private room than bunking with other travellers, this is a pretty good option.
Location
From the outside, City Beds doesn’t look like much, it could pass for somebody’s old house. It is in a great location, and that’s it’s strongest point. It’s on the Lake House corner in Fort, next to the stupa of the Sri Sambuddhaloka Vehara, in a convenient square between Slave Island, Pettah, the Dutch Hospital, the big Fort hub hotels, and Galle Face Green. It’s also near the train and bus station. As a tourist, you’re going to love trying out the isso vade at Galle Face, crab at the Ministry, wandering around down old Fort streets, or maybe segwaying down Janadhipathi Mawatha.
Rooms & Rates
Don’t let the exterior of the place fool you though. Even as you enter the main lobby, a small narrow humbly decorated space, it’s nothing impressive. But the rooms are actually very well maintained, comfortable and tastefully done. The other hostels on our hostel roundup have the option of shared dorms, but City Beds is exclusively private double rooms. It comes with an attached bathroom with a smooth concrete finish and chic fittings. A night will cost you about $45, or Rs. 6000.
There’s also a bit of charming Sri Lankan themed pop art on the walls of each of the rooms to liven up the space.
Travelling
City Beds helps you experience the city while you’re here. They arrange a little food tour in the busy Fort-Kollupitiya hub for free, bicycle tours, and make useful travel recommendations. Eshan, the guy in charge at the hostel, is friendly and with an obvious avid interest in travel, also responsible for the ‘City Beds Food Wall’ stuck up in the lobby – which features a lovely mix of local foods, from Burgers King to Barefoot.
Conclusion
If you’re new to Colombo and you’re looking for a very comfortable, quiet place to stay, in a central travel-friendly location, City Beds is worth considering.
