Originally built as a Governor’s mansion, the Grand hotel is one of the most oldest buildings in the country. The building was initially called the Barne’s Hall in memory of its former owner, and the then Governor of Sri Lanka Edward Barnes. The ownership of the building passed between various people until it finally came to the Nuwara Eliya Group of Hotels who renovated the building to one of the most stately buildings of the country. Its white facade stands amidst a landscape of beautifully trimmed gardens full of flowers and towering pine trees. Having successfully retained its English charm the hotel has now become one of the idyllic retreats for people who wish to spend their holidays in the picturesque beauty of the hill country.
Sri Lanka has a rich colonial heritage and for ages had been influenced by traders who found commercial interests in its many natural treasures like spices, tea and rubber. Nuwara Eliya, with it’s cold climes and lush vegetation appealed to these colonisers as an ideal place to set up a home away from home. As a result, fairly tale cottages, red bricked buildings and rose gardens are a common sight at Sri Lanka’s very own Little England.
