Nestled in the misty hills of Nuwara Eliya, The Grand Hotel is a historic Tudor-style manor turned luxury heritage retreat, featuring 154 elegant rooms, 10 dining venues, lush gardens, and timeless colonial charm. Falling in love with the beautiful locale of Nuwara Eliya so reminiscent of ‘home,’ the 5th governor of Ceylon from 1824 to 1831, Sir Edward Barnes and known as the ‘Father of Nuwara Eli
ya built a single storeyed, Tudor style bungalow in 1828, naming it ‘Barnes Hall., which now stands as the Legendary “Grand Hotel” with a proud history of well over 194 years. In 1874 Reginald Beauchamp Downall – a planter and a legislative officer – purchased the property, promoting it as a hotel. Ever increasing in popularity, it was purchased by William Milson in 1891 and on 2nd of April 1892, the ownership was transferred to the Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company Limited when Milson sold Barnes Hall together with a total of 27 acres of land for a sum of Ceylon Rupees 35,000. The legacy of The Grand was thus born, and the company continues to retain ownership to this very day. The Present Grand Hotel boasts of 154 elegantly furnished bedrooms including 3 Presidential Suites and 3 Junior suites, 11 tastefully curated Food and Beverage Offerings, A mindfulness studio encompassing a temperature-controlled pool, spa, gym and sauna with an array of adventure and nature activities. A significant milestone in its anecdote is in 1954 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visits the hotel during Easter to enjoy a proper cup of Ceylon Tea in style. Declared as a Heritage Property by the National Archaeology Department of Sri Lanka, the Grand Hotel has been cited as a must visit place by NAT Geo in the year 2012.
