906 is the name of a Taru Villa in Hikkaduwa – they’ve also got similarly beautiful holiday-getaways in Bentota and Colombo. 906 is a very comfy, private relaxing space for about six people, the service is awesome, and it’s by the beach.
The Space
The villa has got a central living room space with cable TV and a huge cushiony couch, a sleek kitchen counter space, two bedrooms, and an awesome veranda outside with a view of the pool and the beach.
The interior is all grey slab and white cloth, very soothing and simple. The pool isn’t for swimming but is great for about two or three people to chill in. The sandy space next to the pool is large with seating, an idyllic place to lie down and catch some morning sun – it makes up for the lack of shore space by the beach. There’s a little gate that opens to the beach, which isn’t private, but feels like it is when it’s off-season.
The highlight of the villa, we’d have to say, is the veranda – where there’s a dining table, and a sofa and arm chairs looking out towards the beach. This is such a cool place to share a mug of tea with friends in the evening and maybe jump in the pool later.
The Rooms
Although I want to say the outside lounge space is our favourite part of the villa – it’s the bedrooms that we loved the most. They’re big but not too big, and the beds are so cushy you never want to get out of them.
Alongside the clean concrete floors and white feel of the space, you’ve also got an antique powdery brown cupboard and chest, and gorgeous little green pigeon sculptures atop the latter. The rooms are extremely simple but we appreciated the effort put into artistic little details. Also, plus points for the spacious attached bathrooms, again very simple and neat with a huge shower-space.
Food & Service
The people at 906 were very polite and attentive – there were about three staff members who are pretty unobtrusive and only appear if you need anything (there’s a little golden hand-bell in the veranda outside that you can ring for help). The food was not fantastic or anything but was still good, and the dishes were always wonderfully presented (the cook on our visit was on trial so we can’t exactly review their regular meals).
Rates
906 has got a very classy modern vibe to it, so you expect that it’s going to be ridiculously expensive – but we checked their site and it’ll cost about Rs. 30K during off-season (August-October). This is pretty awesome if you split it between 4-6 friends, considering the typical rates in Hikka and the quality of your stay.
Update: 906 has a new policy where you can only book it if you stay for a minimum of two nights, which unfortunately kind of sucks if you’re trying to keep it in a budget and want to be back within the weekend.
Conclusion
Taru Villas’ 906 is a super place to stay if you’re in Hikkaduwa for a holiday with friends or with someone special. The space is very relaxing, comfortable and private, and the service is pleasant. It’s affordable for a villa too, so two thumbs up for this one.
