+ cleaning fee
Heated Infinity Pool
Ella Rock on Your Doorstep
Resident Cook
Fireplace for Cool Highland Nights
Tea Tasting on the Estate
Up to 6
Guests
3
Bedrooms
3
Bathrooms
About this Property
Perched at 1,200 metres above sea level in the Hill Country, The Highland Retreat redefines mountain living. Floor-to-ceiling glazing dissolves the boundary between interior and landscape — Ella Rock, the Nine Arches Bridge, and a patchwork of emerald tea estates form your ever-changing backdrop.
The three-bedroom retreat is designed with understated luxury: natural stone, reclaimed railway timber, and bespoke cane furniture created by local artisans in Kandy. The heated infinity pool seems to pour directly into the valley below.
Mornings here are rituals: fresh-picked tea prepared by our resident cook, mist lifting from the ridgeline as the sun crests Ella Rock, and the distant whistle of the Colombo-to-Badulla hill train. Evenings bring a stillness unknown at lower altitudes. The Highland Retreat is for those who seek altitude — in every sense.
Amenities & Features
Outdoor & Views
Essentials
Services & Comfort
Entertainment
Room Rates
Ridge Master Suite
Expansive corner suite with floor-to-ceiling glazing and direct Ella Rock vistas
Tea Estate Room
Mid-level room facing the emerald terraces of the surrounding tea plantation
Valley View Room
Cosy room with a private deck overlooking the valley and Nine Arches Bridge
Whole Villa Rate
Exclusive use of all 3 rooms. Min 2-night stay.
Save $20/night vs booking rooms individually
Select a room above to book it individually, or proceed without a selection to enquire about whole-villa exclusive use.
The Story
The Highland Retreat was conceived as a pure response to its setting. Sitting at 1,200 metres on a working tea estate above Ella, the three-bedroom retreat was designed by a Colombo-based studio with a single instruction: let the landscape in.
Floor-to-ceiling glazing dissolves every wall into a frame for Ella Rock and the valley below. Structural materials were chosen for their connection to place — natural stone quarried from the estate's own ridge, reclaimed railway timber from a dismantled platform in Badulla, and cane furniture woven by artisans in Kandy.
The property's heated infinity pool is positioned to create an uninterrupted visual line from the water's surface to the valley floor — six kilometres away and 500 metres below. On clear mornings, the coast is visible from the pool terrace.
Location & Area
The area around this property is one of its great assets. Here's what you can reach easily during your stay.
Panoramic terrace restaurant with reliable rice and curry, cold Lion lager, and the best view in Ella town.
Rooftop café serving western breakfasts and smoothie bowls — great stop after a morning hike.
Estate-grown tea served in a colonial planter's bungalow — the quintessential highland experience.
Policies & House Rules
Location
6.8667, 81.0466
Ella, Uva Province
Guest Reviews
4.8
34 reviews
Exceptional
Guests consistently rate this property among the finest they have stayed in.
“We watched the Nine Arches Bridge disappear into cloud from the infinity pool every morning. The Highland Retreat isn't just a house — it's a perspective shift. The resident cook's evening curry spread was extraordinary. We ate better here than in any restaurant on the island.”
Nils J.
Stockholm, Sweden
“The design is exceptional — nothing is superfluous, everything is considered. The fireplace in the evenings, the tea tasting at sunrise, the self-check-in code arriving exactly on time. We hiked to Little Adam's Peak, took the train to Kandy, and came back to the most peaceful house imaginable.”
Amara & Devika P.
Singapore
“We booked three nights and extended to seven. The infinity pool at sunrise — with clouds below you and Ella Rock catching the first light — is something I'll describe to people for the rest of my life. The cook's wattalapan is the finest dessert I've eaten anywhere.”
Sophie R.
Zürich, Switzerland
Also in the Collection
Reserve Your Stay
+ $90 cleaning fee
Check-in after 15:00 · Check-out by 11:00
Max 6 guests
Have questions? Contact our team — we respond within 4 hours.
Usually booked 4 weeks in advance
Peak season: very limited availability Dec–Feb
$295 /night
★ 4.8 · 34 reviews
