Lantern Boutique Hotel

Lantern Boutique Hotel: A Beachfront Villa-Style Retreat on Sri Lanka’s South Coast

A scenic two-and-a-half-hour drive south of Colombo International Airport brings you to a quieter stretch of Sri Lanka’s fabled coastline, where Lantern Boutique Hotel rests directly on the sands of Kamburugamuwa. Just ten minutes from the laid-back bustle of Mirissa—with its curve of golden beach, lively cafés, and whale-watching boats setting out at dawn—this intimate sanctuary feels more like a private villa by the sea than a hotel.

With just six rooms—four Deluxe Ocean View Rooms and two expansive Ocean Suites—Lantern may be boutique in scale, but it more than makes up for it with warmth and generosity of spirit. Crisp white linens, modern interiors, and balconies angled towards the Indian Ocean create a breezy sense of place, while the Suites add spacious living areas and wide terraces, perfect for families travelling together or couples seeking special moments and privacy. This is a place that welcomes both couples and children with a natural ease that feels effortless.

The mood here is deliberately simple yet quietly elegant. Stays are offered on a bed and breakfast basis, with the option to upgrade to half board or full board if you prefer to linger by the sea each evening. Meals are taken at 71 Bistro & Bar, where chefs cook in an open kitchen and the day’s catch becomes fresh, flavourful dishes. Private dinners can be arranged on the terrace, accompanied only by the sounds of the sea.

Life at Lantern promises the best of both worlds: sand and sea on one side, a serene pool on the other. The garden flows straight to the beach, so you can step barefoot from lounger to shoreline in seconds. When it’s time for restoration, the small spa offers soothing massage treatments infused with local oils. Service, meanwhile, is exactly what you’d hope for in a boutique Sri Lankan stay—generous, genuine, and delivered by a team whose pride in their island shines through in every detail.

Lantern is wholesome and intimate, offering exceptional value in this part of Sri Lanka. It is an elegant retreat where the essentials are done beautifully: restful rooms, excellent food, a superb location, and a rhythm of life dictated by the sea. With Mirissa’s colourful excursions close at hand and the villa-like serenity of the hotel at your feet, this is a place that balances discovery with pure relaxation—an address you’ll remember long after the tide has washed your footprints from the sand. Perfect as the finale to a Sri Lankan multi-centre journey, or as a couple of unhurried weeks spent in restorative, flop-and-drop style by the ocean.

Many of our guests travel to Sri Lanka as part of a wider journey, taking in multiple regions to experience the island’s extraordinary diversity. Lantern Boutique Hotel is often just one stop on a much broader tailor-made itinerary. To explore how this hotel might fit into your own bespoke journey, visit the ‘Tailor-Made Itineraries’ tab or get in touch — we’d be delighted to help you make the most of your time on this vast and varied island.