Jetwing Mahesa Bhawan

A fantastic boutique hotel, close to everything in Jaffna but on a quiet street. Also - and we only realized this on our final morning when we got breakfast - the food at this hotel is the best Sri Lankan food we had during two weeks in Sri Lanka. By far! We normally like to explore, and if we could do it again we'd every meal at this hotel.

We were so lucky to be able to book one of the only four rooms at Jetwing Mahesa Bhawan - what an absolute gem in Jaffna! Staying at Mahesa Bhawan feels like stepping into a luxury heritage homestay with service from all members of staff that is 5+ star. Many reviews talk about the two upstairs rooms, but downstairs in the 'Elephant' room we could not have been more comfortable and happy. Breakfast is an absolute feast, served at the communal table, although we didn't see many other guests as we were all on different schedules. For our 3 evening meals we did choose to eat out, however there is little doubt in our minds that the food would have been top notch - our reason for eating out was purely to enjoy being around more locals with a little more atmosphere. We are so grateful to the team at Mahesa Bhawan for their warm welcome and incredible level of service over the course of our stay - to allow us use of the washing machine and to return our dry clothes to our room really went above and beyond. Thank you all for such a memorable stay, Celia and David.

We stayed here for a couple of nights whilst visiting Jaffna. The website descriptions are accurate. This is a very welcoming small luxury boutique hotel. There are four rooms. We stayed in the ‘peacock’ room which was very comfortable with good air conditioning. The whole villa is tastefully and thoughtfully furnished. The hotel is within walking distance of the town but we chose to eat in both nights as we were tired from sightseeing. You choose options from a suggested menu (traditional) and they cook it freshly for you at your preferred time. Spices were adjusted to our personal preferences. Breakfast was a similar arrangement and all food was eaten at the beautiful dining table. It felt like a private dining experience. The swimming pool was very welcome and is set in a well tended garden. Thankyou to Kogulan (front of house) and Mekala (chef) for a wonderful stay.

I cannot explain how fantastic the hospitality was in Mahesa Bhavan. This was a family trip and had a total of 13 of us divided between Mahesa Bhavan property and Jetwing Jaffna. Ms Nila, Kogulan and team did an exceptional work at making sure we felt comfortable the entire stay there. We stayed for 3 night and had the entire villa to ourselves. Janaka was available 24/7 and was always so helpful and accommodating. Megala prepared yummy food for breakfast, tea and dinner. I will HIGHLY recommend Mahesa Bhavan to anyone who is going to Jaffna.

Staying here felt like a honestly and was just not worth the inflated price . The rooms are comfortable but ours was poky. We booked on B &B basis but the breakfasts were very mean. There was no fruit and fruit juice was served only if you asked for it. However the menu mentions all this. The same fish curry was served on three consecutive days. There is no functioning kitchen so meals have to be ordered well ahead. The staff were very kind and obliging but the meals and amenities for the price we paid were not justified

Beautifully restored 1935 bungalow with 4 rooms, good pool, centrally located on relatively quiet street. The staff were terrific - Juckshan the villa manager, Janaka the butler and Megala the cook. Food was great, butler service formidable, and all staff including Jetwing GM Nilanthi made is feel very much at home.