Hi there!

 

So you have a longish layover in Colombo.

 

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia travel blog

 

Should you spend that time waiting around in the airport halls?!

Well, as always…

Maybe, maybe not! 

It can depend on your flight plan, how relaxed you want to be, and how much you’re willing to spend for that relaxation.

 

Colombo airport transit hotel layover. Sri Lankan Airlines flight to Colombo CMB. Serenediva transit hotel. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia travel blog.

 

So there’s a “transit hotel” inside Colombo Airport.

So when you have a layover in Colombo that’s between 8 hours and 24 hours, checking in to a hotel without having to go very far might be an option! 

In May 2019, had a 14 hour overnight layover at Colombo airport on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight on my way to local islands in the Maldives.

 

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - Colombo to Gan Island flight, Maldives. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

 

I figured my options for the airport layover were:

  • Sleep at the airport overnight on a row of seats or the floor (there are seats with no arm rests throughout the airport… but you may annoy someone by taking up all the seats!)
  • Find a cheap guesthouse near Colombo airport
  • Stay at the “transit hotel” inside the airport (without going through immigration)

 

 

Why stay at a hotel inside the airport?!

If you stay at Colombo airport’s transit hotel, the Serenediva transit hotel through Sri Lankan Airlines, you don’t have to leave the airport.

It can mean that you don’t have to go out onto the streets of Colombo and get a ride both away from and back to the airport. (Well, onto the streets of Negombo actually since that’s where the airport is located!) 

Not leaving the airport means that you don’t have to go through the process of getting a transit visa. (Although this doesn’t seem to be too difficult, and you can do it on arrival.)

It also means that you don’t have to go through immigration to get out of the airport…

And you don’t have to go through immigration to get back into the airport! 

You also don’t need to allow extra time not knowing how long it’ll take to get through security. 

It means that within 5 minutes of stepping foot into the airport, you can be checking in to the hotel!

 

 

How to get to the airport hotel

So Colombo Airport does not seem to be that big.

Once you get off your flight, you can basically just follow the signs.

For the first part it’ll point you in the same direction for both arrivals and transfers.

 

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - arrivals and transfers. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - arrivals and transfers. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

 

Then it’ll split off. 

At this point, to get to the transit hotel, you will shortly follow the signs for ARRIVALS, which is to the left.

 

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - arrivals and transfers. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - arrivals and transfers. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

 

You will also likely see the information desk as you come across the split for arrivals and transfers, so when in doubt, you can ask there about how to get to the “transit hotel.”

And then once you turn left here, you’ll see elevators and a sign for the transit hotel on the left side, almost directly across from the immigration line. 

 

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - immigration. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - immigration. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - immigration. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel and sri lankan airlines lounge at airport - immigration. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

 

You’ll then take the elevator, and then once you get off the elevator, it’ll be pretty straightforward! 

You’ll pass by the Emirates Airlines lounge too.

 

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel at airport - immigration. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to Emirates airlines lounge at airport - immigration. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - How to get to serenediva transit hotel and sri lankan airlines lounge at airport - immigration. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

 

And then you can check in to the hotel!

 

 

So…

Is the Serenediva transit hotel worth the cost?!

 

Well first…

How much does the airport hotel cost?

If the cost of your Sri Lankan Airlines flight meets a certain threshold, you may be able to get a free hotel stay. 

For a one-way ticket, the minimum is US$350. For a round-trip ticket, it’s US$700.

Check here for updated info.

The cost of my flight was under the minimum so I was paying for the hotel out of pocket.

You can make a reservation in 6-hour blocks.

And then you can also pay hourly after that.

If you reserve a room for 12 hours, then the price will simply be double of the 6 hour price. (So there’s no discount.) 

 

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - Serenediva transit hotel room - how much cost for 6 hours. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Prices subject to change! Photo taken May 2019. Also see here for updated prices.

 

I booked my room for 12 hours, and basically maxed out the 12 hours. 

So the cost of the room was US$120.

 

 

Was the room worth US$120?!

This basically comes down to how important rest is to you!

In traveling through Asia, I have rarely spent over US$100 on a night at a hotel. A recent rare exception to this was staying at a “cheaper” resort on a local island in the Maldives… and that was just for one night. 

But it was really a matter of how well-rested I wanted to be when I flew into my next destination…

And I wanted to be well-rested and not be tired all day on my first day in the Maldives! (It could be a waste if your time at your next destination is short and you want to maximize the time you do have!) 

So I won’t say “it was worth every penny” – it’s really just a basic room that gives a place to sleep – but I did feel pretty happy when I woke up and felt like I got good sleep.

Being able to sleep at the airport (as opposed to outside the airport) gave me a little bit extra time in the morning since I didn’t have to wake up as early. (It was a 7am flight, and I think I checked out around 6am.)

 

It was quite nice to be able to roll out of bed an hour before boarding time and simply walk a few minutes and be at the boarding gate! 

I didn’t have to think about having to wake up extra early with consideration to the time it takes for driving to the airport, going through security, or going through immigration! 

 

 

What’s the room like at the Serenediva transit hotel

In short…

Don’t expect too much!

It really is just a simple place to rest for a few hours. 

TV reception and wifi connection wasn’t the best. So don’t decide to stay just for the TV or internet! 

 

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - how many people - single, double, family, standard, deluxe. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - bed. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - bed. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - free water, coffee, tea. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - free water, coffee, tea. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - toilet, bathroom. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - toilet, bathroom. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - shower, bathroom. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

Colombo airport transit hotel layover - 12 hours in Serenediva transit hotel room - tv, wifi, internet. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

 

 

Hotel booking for the transit hotel

They do say reservations are recommended, so as soon as you know that you’ll be flying through Colombo, it could be a good idea to e-mail them to book a room.

That said…

I did not make a reservation ahead of time. 

Of course, in not booking ahead, there’s always a risk of a room not being available.

 

 

Other places to stay near Colombo Airport?!

If you decide to stay at a hotel outside the airport…

Things can change, so be sure to check updated info but it does seem like transit visas are free for Sri Lanka for all countries.

A “transit” is considered 2 days in Sri Lanka.

 

Colombo airport CMB transit hotel layover - Sri Lanka transit visa on arrival - tourist visa on arrival desk. Backpacking Sri Lanka, South Asia

 

HAPPY COLOMBO AIRPORT LAYOVER!

 

Nervous about taking public transportation in India?! Sometimes just knowing what to expect can ease the mind! While I have traveled in India with travel partners (people I've met while traveling in India), here are some of my public transport trips in India, most of which I did as a solo female traveler:

For examples of general class train travel, see:
For examples of AC train travel, see:
For examples of local bus travel, see:
For examples of overnight bus travel, see:
See more backpacking India travel tips!