Sitting directly on the banks of Beira Lake in the Slave Island area, Cinnamon Lakeside is one of Colombo's most recognizable hotels — a large, lake-facing property that's become a fixture of the city's business and leisure hospitality scene, operated by John Keells Holdings under its Cinnamon Hotels brand.
Location
The hotel sits at 115 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, in Slave Island, close to Galle Face Green and Colombo's financial district. It's within easy reach of several major city landmarks:
- Gangaramaya Temple — approximately 2.5km away
- Crescat Boulevard and Odel shopping malls — roughly a 10-minute drive
- Colombo National Museum — around 4km away
- Bandaranaike International Airport — roughly 30km, a 45-60 minute drive depending on traffic
Scale and Facilities
The hotel spans 337 rooms and suites across 15 floors, many with views over Beira Lake or the city skyline (including, on clear evenings, the nearby Lotus Tower). Facilities include what's often described as the city's largest hotel pool, a spa, a full fitness center, and tennis and squash courts — a genuinely comprehensive set of amenities for a city-center property.
Dining
Cinnamon Lakeside operates around nine separate dining venues, spanning international, Thai, and Japanese cuisine alongside indoor and outdoor lakeside seating options. 8 Degrees on the Lake and the hotel's various restaurants and bars have built a reputation as a genuine destination for dining and evening drinks in their own right, not just a hotel amenity for overnight guests.
The Library
One of the hotel's more distinctive features is The Library — a calm daytime lounge that transforms into a nightlife venue after dark, complete with pool tables and live DJ sets. It featured in our guide to nightlife in Colombo as one of the city's more unusual dual-purpose venues.
Events and Business Facilities
The hotel maintains a strong reputation for events and conferences, with two ballrooms, several conference venues, boardroom suites, and a distinctive "floating venue" on the lake itself. It's a frequently chosen venue for weddings, corporate conferences, and fashion shows, reflecting its dual identity as both a leisure hotel and a serious events destination.
Recognition
Cinnamon Lakeside has been recognized by Sri Lanka Tourism as a leading five-star city hotel, and its central, waterfront setting has made it a consistently popular choice for both business and leisure travelers visiting Colombo.
Exploring the Area
Given its central location near Galle Face Green and the Fort district, the area around Cinnamon Lakeside is an easy base for exploring the rest of Colombo — see our guides on driving in Colombo and nightlife in Colombo for what's within reach.
Getting Around from a Beira Lake Base
A self-drive rental makes it easy to head out from central Colombo toward the rest of the island once you're ready to move beyond the city — see our guide to important tourist places in Sri Lanka for route ideas.
Exploring Colombo and beyond?
Book Your Self-Drive Rental with iWay →Final Thoughts
Cinnamon Lakeside's Beira Lake setting, central location, and wide range of dining and event facilities have made it one of Colombo's most established hotel landmarks — a useful reference point for the city's hospitality scene whether or not it's where you're staying, and a good example of how central Colombo blends waterfront calm with genuine urban energy.
