More than meets the eye

Behind impeccable service and a multitude of offerings, Ani Sri Lanka has a deep story to tell.

- Joy Ling 

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when I discover that the private beachfront resort I am staying in was initially conceived as an art academy. But it is not that the two-hectare property with its 15 villa suites, two 25m infinity pools, and full-sized tennis court previously sat as a school—nor was it designed to be one. Allow me to go back to the beginning of my experience at Àni Sri Lanka for clearer context.

A three-hour drive from Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport to the southernmost, palm-fringed tip of the country certainly sets the scene for an idyllic coastal retreat. The first encounter upon arrival treats the senses to the views and sounds of powerful waves on the Indian Ocean. Paths wind to the villas, which are split into Classic, Family and Split-Level suites, with some connected via a shared entrance to enable flexible sleeping arrangements. This is where it gets interesting.

A private haven

What’s special about the Àni experience is that it is solely reserved for one guest group, accommodating anywhere between six and 30 guests in a single booking. The understated luxury is further expressed in the individual plunge pools and outdoor rain showers many of the rooms are equipped with, alongside expansive private terraces fitted with daybeds. The same tropical modernism of dark wood, brass rod and woven-bamboo runs across seamless open-air areas.

Framed by verdant foliage and cooled by the sea breeze, there’s an atmosphere of calm and domestic comfort. You come to realise that not only is the estate private, in that you don’t share the grounds with random tourists, but that it is tailor-made for one to find personal respite.