The world's finally catching on to how great Sri Lanka is, and tourism is booming, which means hospitality is too. AV15 fulfils a great niche, that of affordable yet chic serviced apartments. We stayed there a couple of weekends ago, and loved our experience. The ownership and management is the same as Weligama's W15, so you know you're in safe hands.
Location
While Colombo 06/ Welawatta is a tad far away from Colombo 07 and 03s hotels and bars, it's still very much in Colombo city, and the Marine Drive location means you're a mere 5-10 minute drive away from the heart of the city. You're also close to plenty of spots like Savoy Cinema and OZO Hotel.
Logistics
AV15 is the chic revamp of a former apartment building, Alexandra Villas. They've converted around 5 stand alone villas into apartments with individual rooms and a shared common area (dining room, kitchen, living room, rooftop).
You can choose to rent out the entire villa with 4 rooms that sleep two at $200, or individual rooms at about $60 a night. We stayed in a Captain suite at $65. While our room was well worth it, I'd say the whole villa for $200 is a steal, and would be a lot of fun for a group of friends or family.
There are no meals or frills provided, but there's a partially furnished kitchen (no fridge while we were there unfortunately, but plenty of utensils and even wine glasses).
Ambience
The Captain room was great, not very spacious, but well appointed. Everything from the bed linen to the elegant blinds and photographs were carefully chosen and great in their design. The bathroom featured a large rainwater shower, cement finishing, and hot water.
The common areas such as the dining and living room were absolutely massive. The glass walls and high ceilings created a lot of airy, naturally lit open space. It was almost like a demo home.
The only thing I'd question is the space ratio between the common areas and the bedrooms. Perhaps it would have been better to open out the rooms a bit more and cut down on the common area space.
But if you're coming with a larger group and renting out the villa, you'd probably need all that open space so it makes sense.
Service
There wasn't really much involving service, seeing as meals aren't provided. We basically just had to deal with the manager at check in, who was friendly and helpful.
Overall
If you're looking for a temporary stay for a large group of people in the city, AV15 is one of your best bets. A fraction of the price of an equally well appointed hotel, it's a great spot for a large visiting family or group of friends. Their fast and free WiFi, and lovely rooftop area deserve mentions too!
