My Winter Beach Dream Came True: A Honest Review of Citrus Hikkaduwa 4-Star Hotel

I chose Sri Lanka for my vacation this year, and it's a beautiful island in the Indian Ocean. I'd always dreamed of visiting the ocean, and my dream finally came true!

Citrus Hikkaduwa reviews

I knew a few things about Sri Lanka before I started looking for a hotel - that it's cleaner than Thailand, and that there are sea turtles you can swim with in the ocean. I also knew that Sri Lanka isn't like Turkey or Egypt, where everything is all-inclusive and the service is top-notch in 5-star hotels. The service here is a different story, and it might disappoint some people. But we've been to Asia before, so we had an idea of what to expect from a 4-star hotel - it's more like a 3-star, and you're mainly there to sleep and shower. We weren't looking for the most luxurious option, but we also didn't want to go all out on an all-inclusive package. I ended up choosing the Citrus 4-star hotel, which is located in Hikkaduwa. It takes around 2 hours to get there from the Mattala Rajapaksa Airport (Hambantota), maybe a bit longer. The drive was terrible, but the return flight from the Bandaranaike Airport (Colombo) was a different story - it took exactly 2 hours, and the bus was big and comfortable, so the trip was smooth.

Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwa hotelsPriceWe booked our trip in the fall of 2024, and every day the prices were going up by 5,000 rubles while we were deciding which hotel to choose. In the end, our February trip cost us 423,000 rubles. This included accommodation in the hotel (2 adults + 1 child) for 10 nights and 11 days, transfer, flight, breakfast, and insurance.

Since we had to pay for lunch and dinner ourselves, our total vacation cost came out to be almost a million rubles. Whether this is expensive or not for this destination, I'm not sure – not many people mention prices in their reviews (which I find strange, I get that exchange rates change and some people take \'hot\' tickets, but any mention of price would give some idea of the costs, so I think this information is really important in a review).

Citrus Hikkaduwa prices 2025Check-in

We arrived at the hotel around 5 pm, went into the lobby, which had sofas and tables, and there was also a beautiful aquarium with some unusual fish.

We were immediately greeted by a friendly and smiling staff member, who offered us refreshing drinks (juice). The girl asked for our passports and vouchers, and then, five minutes later, we were given our room keys and escorted to our room. The hotel has a standard check-in system from 2 pm, but since we arrived later than that, we got our keys quickly without any wait. They only give one key per family).

Citrine Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka Number Review

We've got the number with an extra bed for our little one.

Citrine Hikkaduwa Reviews At first glance, everything looks great - cozy, clean, and pretty. The double bed comes with two soft pillows for each of us and a duvet instead of blankets. But, in reality, it's two separate mattresses on the double bed. Sometimes they'd shift apart, but it wasn't a big deal for me.

Citrine Hikkaduwa Reviews 2025 The room even comes with a TV, but we didn't use it once - I'm not even sure if it had a remote control.

Citrus Hikaduwa Reviews from Tourists 2025 Under the dresser is a free safe. That's super important, as theft is a pretty common issue here. Our hotel guide told us that even at night, staff might come in and rummage through your stuff while you're sleeping. So, you should always lock the door with the latch, and never leave the safe unlocked, even when you're sleeping. There's also a small working fridge under the mirror, which is great. And, of course, a kettle and a set of cups are provided.

Citrus Hikaduwa Sri Lanka Reviews from Tourists Check out the air conditioner on the photo above. It works fine, and the controls are on the wall panel near the bed. Unfortunately, there's no remote, so you'll need to turn it off manually at night. This is the wardrobe:

Citrus Hikaduwa Sri Lanka Reviews from Tourists 2025 It looks big, but the middle panel is fixed, which makes it a bit tricky to use. The bathroom:

Citrus Hikkaduwa The shower in my room had some serious oomph to it. No separate showerhead, just a tropical shower experience. Plus, there was a handheld showerhead for extra convenience. The water temperature was always spot on - not too hot, not too cold, just right. I've had my fair share of lukewarm water in hotels before, but this one delivered. Citrus Hikkaduwa The hair dryer in my room was a joke, though. I mean, it's a Daiso special, and let me tell you, I've had my fair share of those. It blows out scorching hot air at a snail's pace. I could see the plastic casing melting, and I was like, 'No thanks, I'll just air-dry.' It's not a hair dryer, it's a hair fryer. Citrus Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka The toiletries in my room were replenished as needed - shampoo, body wash, and soap. They also restocked my tea, coffee, sugar, and even dry milk powder daily. Water was replenished every day with three 0.5L bottles. citrus хиккадува By the way, let's talk about the water pressure. As I mentioned earlier, it's really good in the shower and the toilet with the sink. The tap water in Sri Lanka is decent, but you shouldn't drink it (obviously). On the other hand, you can rinse your mouth without any issues (no risk of getting a rotavirus). The bathroom doesn't have a toilet brush (no joke, it was missing in other rooms too - we found out from fellow travelers), nor does it have an air freshener. However, the ventilation system works well and turns on automatically when you switch on the light, which can be a bit annoying at night.

Check out the photo below of the stairs leading to the balcony.

Shri-Lanka, Hikkaduwa It's funny - I've never seen a hotel room with a 'private entrance' leading to a tiny balcony before!

Citrus Hikkaduwa reviews The balcony is huge, with three chairs, a table, and a clothes drying rack. One thing to note is that you should always lock the balcony door with the latch. Firstly, to prevent theft, and secondly, because you don't want any unwanted visitors (like the photo below). A hermit crab is unlikely to crawl in, but those pesky bugs might (and I found one on my balcony chair, which wasn't exactly the most pleasant surprise). Sri Lanka Hikkaduwa 2025

Citrus Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka 2025 The view from the balcony is pretty limited - it's just the pool.

Citrus HikkaduwaUnfortunately, the ocean is mostly hidden behind the dense trees. But you can hear it at night, which is pretty cool. I've read that the sound of the waves can be a bit of a nuisance, but for me, it was actually really soothing. It's funny, though - sometimes it sounded like a strong wind or even a tsunami, but it was just the waves crashing against the shore. Citrus HikkaduwaThe power outlets in the room are a bit different from what we're used to in Russia. I've heard that the hotel provides a converter, but we didn't get one. The staff said it wasn't necessary, but our chargers only fit into one of the outlets, which was near the mirror - not very convenient. So, we ended up buying a converter at the local store for 850 rupees (~280 rubles).

Hikkaduwa Citrus 2025 When I took a closer look at the furniture in the room, I started to notice some issues. For instance, the bedside tables were pretty basic and the lower dresser was flimsy and hard to slide back in place.

Citrus 4 Hikkaduwa reviews I also noticed the extra bed's headboard - it looked like it was cobbled together from whatever they could find. It gave me the impression that they just threw something together. So, I'd say Citrus Hikkaduwa is definitely not a 4-star hotel like I initially thought, but more like a 3-star (I can only imagine what it's like in 1-3 star hotels).

Citrus 4 Hikkaduwa Room Cleaning

They do daily cleaning. They mop the floors with special cleaning products, change the towels every day (although we left them on the floor), and make the beds. The bed sheets were never changed during our 10-day stay (or I just didn't notice). They bring tea, coffee, water, and toiletries, check the toilet paper, take out the trash (there were two bins in the room, one in the bathroom).

By the way, they store clean towels and water in the closets like this (it's a shame they don't remember to close these doors):

Citrus Hotel Reviews 2025 I've noticed the floors are never spotless, and the tables aren't wiped down. There's always sand on the floor, no matter what, since you're the one who brings it in on your feet.But I have to say, cleanliness is a different concept for Asians. To them, this is clean, and we're just being picky.

Shri Lanka Hikkaduwa Citrus I also want to mention the COCKROACHES. We were in Thailand, and it was a shock to find them in our room. I prayed to all the gods that there wouldn't be any, but I didn't really believe it. To be honest, we were lucky. We had no issues for a week, but on the eighth day, my daughter dropped a piece of cake, and within 10 minutes, a whole army of cockroaches crawled out. Now, I'm not fazed by them, but they're definitely unpleasant. Luckily, we were leaving soon anyway.xa0

ENTERTAINMENT

You can see the program on the photo below, but to be honest, I wouldn't call this entertainment in the classical sense. It's nowhere near as good as Egypt or Turkey. I've never actually attended one of these events, but I've heard them from my room at night. The TRASH on karaoke nights is especially bad. The singing is ear-piercing, especially when foreigners sing in Russian with a thick accent (Belye Rozy, Belye Rozy, Bez Zashchitny Tsve...). It goes on until midnight. Luckily, there were only two or three of these nights during our entire stay.

citrus 4 хиккадуваWI-FII've gotta give a huge thumbs up to the hotel's Wi-Fi - it's seriously top-notch! Everywhere I went in Hikkaduwa, from restaurants to cafes, I just asked for the Wi-Fi password and they'd whip it out on their phone. Our hotel's Wi-Fi was rock-solid, and I even managed to get a signal on the sun loungers by the pool, or even from across the road at the local shop. What's more, the password's not just for 3 days like the printout says - it's actually good for 14 days.

Citrus Hikkaduwa 4LOCATIONThe hotel grounds are pretty tiny, to be honest. You step out of the main building and straight onto the pool. To the right, there's the restaurant, and to the left, some kind of dive shop or something. That's pretty much it, though - there's a small shop inside the hotel, and some sun loungers and a couple of swings around the pool.

Hotels in Hikkaduwa, Sri LankaThe pool is treated with something other than chlorine, so it doesn't have that harsh chemical smell. But by evening, it's full of human skin (saltwater can be pretty harsh on skin). I saw it on my first day and haven't set foot in that pool since, even though it's cleaned regularly. My daughter and husband, on the other hand, swam in it every evening, and the water's always warmer than the outside temperature. I was lounging on a sunbed, reading a book, and sipping a cocktail. Hotels in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka 2025By the way, have I mentioned the hotel's mini-library? It's got a great collection of books in English and Russian, including some of my favorite authors. I was thrilled to find Arthur Hailey's 'The Moneychangers' on the shelves - it's been on my reading list for ages. There's something special about reading a book while gazing out at the ocean. Citrus Hikkaduwa ReviewsBack to the hotel's grounds. They're home to a bunch of adorable cats, and they're all total freeloaders. Some of them are pretty bold, while others are a bit more subtle. The bold ones will even meow loudly right next to your feet while you're eating. Others will jump onto your lap and start rubbing against you.Hikkaduwa CitrusOne of the highlights of our stay was spotting a monitor lizard - it was so fat and adorable! We also saw lizards, various beetles, scorpions, crabs, and prawns. We only spotted prawns and crabs, but the crabs were only visible in the evening when it got dark.Monitor lizard photoBEACH

Hikkaduwa has public beaches only. While our hotel had direct access to the ocean, swimming wasn't an option due to the reef and strong waves. Our guide told us about a girl who underestimated the ocean's power and got caught on the reef, requiring stitches. It's a serious safety concern, and it's clear why as soon as you're there.

However, Citrus is located conveniently. If you head right from the hotel, you'll reach a beach with sea turtles in about 7-8 minutes. There's a bay where you can swim comfortably, even with kids!

Citrus 4 Hikkaduwa hotel reviewsSeeing sea turtles was a whole new experience for me - I knew about them, but witnessing one in person gave me an emotional high. Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka sea turtles They're awesome, pretty much hand-trained, chill with eating seaweed from your hands, swim alongside, and show up on the beach every day. I read somewhere in the review that there are only three of them, but trust me, there are way more. I saw about five or six in one day, and some were huge, while others were smaller.

Sri Lanka sea turtles photos Keep in mind that sea turtles can bite, but it's not on purpose. It's just when they're reaching for seaweed from your hands, you gotta be careful and pull your hands back in time. My daughter got bitten once, but it was barely a scratch – no blood at all. Unfortunately, one guy wasn't so lucky; the turtle bit him hard enough to draw blood. We also spotted REEF SHARKS on the same beach (not in the cove, but nearby, where there's a reef and you can't swim).

Reef shark photos And GROUPER FISH (we saw two of them).

Muraena photoWhat's even crazier is that locals feed them meat, putting on a show. There's more than just muraenas going for a piece of meat, it's a whole school of fish. I even saw a dog wading into the water and getting chased by a muraena (they didn't attack people, though).As for the beach, going to see the turtles every day wasn't a chore or a drag. On the contrary, I was psyched to go.

Do you need water shoes in the ocean? We brought some, but to be honest, the bay has relatively few rocks, so you can swim without them.

Water temperature? It's really warm, but it cools down when the sun is beating down at its peak. We had a blast!

The reef isn't as pretty as the one in the Red Sea. Maybe if you swim further in, you'll find something more impressive, but as it is, it's mostly grey, but there are fish.

Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka reviewsWe had mostly sunny weather during our trip, but there were some rainy days. Out of 11 days, only one was completely rainy from morning till night, but even then, we still went to see the turtles.On sunny days, you can witness stunning sunsets! My photo turned out like a postcard, especially since I managed to capture it on a wave)

Hikkaduwa 2025 For the most part, it was a balmy 30 degrees during the day and 24 at night in February. The climate is humid, so my clothes were only dry on the balcony in the sun. My hair didn't even dry at all! I wasn't freezing, but I always wore a light jacket by 6 pm on the sunbed when the sun was almost down - the wind was pretty noticeable, and I wasn't exactly itching to take a dip at that time.

FOOD

Our package included only breakfasts, and we could grab something to eat from 7:30 to 10:00. We usually showed up around 9:00.

Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka The buffet was Swedish-style, but the food was pretty one-dimensional. There were always sausages made from chicken and pork/beef, and some sort of fried potatoes (we never touched those). The chefs would also whip up an omelette or scrambled eggs for you on the spot.

Citrus Hikkaduwa 4* breakfastsAnother thing I would have asked for was something like this from a test and an egg. I tried it once and didn't like it at all, so I only took omelets or scrambled eggs.

Citrus Hikkaduwa breakfastsFruits: bananas, papaya, watermelon, and something else. The watermelons weren't even juicy (some were even green), I didn't eat them, but I did gorge on papaya - it's super tasty!

Citrus 4 Sri LankaThere was also this corner with spices. It looks really atmospheric, but I didn't take anything from there and didn't try it.

Hikkaduwa hotels Sri Lanka reviewsAnd there was another table where you could take bread, muffins, croissants, and other baked goods, plus add-ons like jam, chocolate, and so on. There were also cereal balls there. From drinks: tea, coffee, and three juices to choose from + water.In general, despite the monotony, this was always enough to fill me up and not think about food until lunch.

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We ended up eating dinner at this same restaurant in our hotel a few times, and I was really impressed by the seafood platter that included a whole lobster, a full fish, shrimp, and squid. It came with fries and a salad. The price for this feast was surprisingly low compared to other restaurants - you can see it in the receipts below.

Cinnamon Citrus Hotel Hikkaduwa ReviewsMy only complaint was that everything was undersalted, and the saltshaker had become a solid block of salt due to the humidity.

Cinnamon Citrus Hotel HikkaduwaWe didn't eat there often, but it was a convenient option when it was raining and we didn't feel like walking to another restaurant on the beach.

Cinnamon Citrus Hotel Hikkaduwa 2025

Cinnamon Citrus Hotel HikkaduwaThe average bill for a full meal at the hotel restaurant was around 11,000 rupees, or about 3,500 rubles.

Hotel Citrus Hikkaduwa PricesRight Next to the Hotel

I was stoked to find a huge supermarket right across the street from the hotel, literally just a stone's throw away. You can grab anything you need there, and there's even another door that leads to a bar serving beer and spirits. The prices are way cheaper than what you'd find in the hotel's restaurant, which is totally logical.

If you need to exchange currency, don't bother doing it at the hotel - the staff will actually warn you about that. We found a currency exchange nearby, and it's literally marked as an 'exchange' spot. Just pop into any shop and ask if they exchange dollars for local currency, and they'll let you know the rate.

By the way, the older your dollar bills are (like from 2009 or earlier), the cheaper they'll be. It's also a good idea to get larger bills, like at least $50, or even better, all the $100 bills you can get, because they'll give you a better rate for those.

Citrus Hikkaduwa 4*, Sri Lanka, HikkaduwaCheck-out

They brought us a note the day before our departure with our flight details and a friendly message thanking us for choosing Citrus 🙂

The standard check-out time is 12:00 PM, but if you've got a late flight, you can extend your stay for an extra fee if there are available rooms. We were able to check out at 9:55 AM without any issues, and we even managed to grab some breakfast before heading out.

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I've got to be honest, giving this hotel 4 stars feels like a stretch. In reality, it's a solid 3 out of 5 – I liked it, but it didn't blow me away. The beds are comfy with two pillows, the shower has great water pressure, and there's Wi-Fi, which are the standout features of the room. And then there's the ocean, the turtles, and the incredible atmosphere – that unique Asian vibe, the laid-back mentality, and the crazy traffic on the roads... it's all worth the investment of a million bucks.

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I ended up giving Citrus Hikkaduwa 4 stars (I knocked off a star for the little things) and I'd definitely recommend it – I've stayed at some hotels where you can tell from the outside that it's going to be a disaster.

Citrus Hikkaduwa '