The hotel was opened on 27 December 1898 by Porolis C. Fernando[1] and it has been operated by the Fernando family ever since. The building was originally built in 1857 as a coffee factory (kopi kale) before being converted to a hotel.[2] In 1998 it was designated as a 'Conserved Building' by the UNESCO as part of the listing of Kandy as a World Heritage City.[3][4]
On 8 July 2005 it was formally included as an 'Archaeological Protected Monument' by the government.[5]
The Victorian-style building, features three white stone arches on the ground floor, with an open verandah and cast iron balustrades on the first floor, supported by four stone doric columns, and a half round tile roof.[6] The entire upstairs floor has polished wooden floorboards on timber beams. The upstairs verandah commands a view over Kandy Lake[7] and provides a viewing platform for guests to watch the Kandy Esala Perahera.
The hotel was used as a pub in the 1940s/50s but was converted by the owners into a guest house/budget hotel in the 1970s.
It has 14 bedrooms upstairs, with the entrance being from Colombo Road at the back of the building. The hotel has communal bathrooms for guests.[8][9]
In July 2010 the hotel caught fire, sustaining damage to the upper floor and roof.[10] It was subsequently repaired and restored.
In January 2014 Manor House Concepts took over the lower floor of the building and renovated the two downstairs dining rooms into a single café, fronting Temple Street.[11][12]
^Wright, Arnold, ed. (1999). Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources. Asian Educational Services. p. 695. ISBN9788120613355.
^Karunaratna, Nihal (1999). Kandy, Past and Present, 1474-1998 A.D. Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Religious and Cultural Affairs. p. 265. ISBN9789556131215.
^Seneviratna, Anuradha; De Silva, Nimal (1999). World Heritage City of Kandy, Sri Lanka: Conservation and Development Plan. Central Cultural Fund. ISBN9789556131260.
^"The Project for Formulation of Greater Kandy Urban Plan (G". Chapter 10 - Present Condition of the Heritage Area. Japan International Cooperation Agency: 10–6. September 2018.
