Beach Life Hostal Uppuveli

Before booking, please read both the negative reviews and the owner's responses on Booking.com and Google. Many of the issues we experienced have already been reported by other guests, and some of his responses seem untrue and sometimes even disrespectful or sexist towards female travellers. A few things future guests should know: - The owner may try to calculate the LKR amount using the Euro exchange rate instead of the USD rate shown on Booking.com, resulting in a significantly higher price. - He repeatedly tried to get us to cancel our Booking.com reservation, which in our opinion would have made it harder for us to leave a review. - Tours and scooter rentals offered through the hotel were more expensive than alternatives nearby. Our experience: We booked five nights in a Deluxe Double Room. The room looked clean and modern, but after the second and third nights, both my girlfriend and I developed severe itching and bite marks around our ankles. Based on the pattern of the bites, we strongly suspected bed bugs. When we asked to change rooms, the owner immediately denied that there could be bed bugs and demanded proof. After searching the mattress, we found what we believed to be one, but he dismissed it and continued insisting there was no problem. He eventually agreed to let us switch rooms, but only if we cancelled our Booking.com reservation. We explained that this was unnecessary, but he kept insisting. The discussion became increasingly uncomfortable. He invaded our personal space and spoke in an angry and threatening manner. The situation got even worse when he marked us as "no-shows" on Booking.com despite the fact that we had already stayed three nights. During the discussion, he took our phone out of our hands and did not immediately return it. We had to take it back ourselves. Because of all this, especially his behavior and after a long discussion we left 2 nights earlier. First he refused a refund, then eventually refunded one night. To the owner: listen to your guests when they raise concerns instead of immediately blaming them. If multiple guests independently report possible bed bugs, there may actually be a problem. Not everyone who leaves a negative review is fake or has a mental disorder, as you often claim in your responses. The rooms are modern and have potential, but based on our experience, we cannot recommend this property.