About Villa Maggona
We are very pleased that you have decided to choose Villa Maggona as your home. In this short writeup we will let you know a little about the Villa, its history and special features that help us conserve water and minimize our carbon footprint. And we will also make some suggestions in how you can assist us in this latter objective.
The villa
The villa sits on a plot of land that for generations was owned by a family involved in the polishing and trade of precious stones. In fact, even today the neighbouring city of Beruwela remains the hub of the stone cutting and polishing business in Sri Lanka. The present owners bought the land and an old house that stood on it in 2004. Their intention was to take down the old structure and build a new villa in its place for use as a vacation home. Plans were made and approved and detailed drawings produced for a thoroughly modern two-story structure. Construction was about to begin.
But then the Tsunami came and everything changed. The Sri Lankan government imposed strict new regulations that forbade any new construction within 500 meters of the coast. However, no restriction was placed on renovating or refurbishing existing structures. Using this leeway the architect on the project worked with the owners to salvage the project. The decision was made to work with the existing old house. We would retain the footprint of the existing building, its external structure and roof. The inside would be gutted completely and redesigned as a family vacation home.
As it turned out this was more challenging and time consuming than constructing a new building. The roof of the existing structure had to be propped up while the inside walls were taken down. This was no mean feat. In the end the result was very pleasing. The architect on the project – Madhura Premetilleke – even won a design award for this work. It was conferred on him by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects. The plaque for the award is affixed at the entrance to the Villa.
Wonderful few days at Villa Maggona. I first came here when the house was under construction in 2008 and realized that it was going to be something very special. Now it is finished it captures all that is best in Sri Lanka, a wonderful architectural response to the Sri Lankan context – the sea, the plants the traditional heritage, the quality of light and the natural environment. The hospitality has been superb – amazing sri lankan meals and all our favorite dishes produced by c, g and r who give every attention to our comfort. J and M’s furnishing and interiors leave no detail unconsidered. Thank you to all the staff for a wonderful break at this lovely house. I am sure the memories will last forever
Villa Maggona proved to be a hidden gem and we had a truly splendid holiday. The service was spectacular and G and C made us feel like royalty! Every meal was a well thought out scrumptious culinary delight and we are really going to miss the good food. The apple/pineapple crumble is highly recommended. We leave this beautiful paradise with fond memories, some great pictures and a hope to return again!
Very relaxing stays, only wish we could have stayed longer, we certainly hope to visit again soon! The food was amazing, we loved trying all of the Sri Lankan dishes. Thanks too for organizing our diving trips and massage therapy. We will definitely recommend Villa Maggona, with the most-friendly atmosphere, to our friends. Special thanks to C, G and J. Hope to see you again soon!
Wonderful stay, food delicious, amazing staff, very attentive. No faults nothing a problem. Will definitely be back
VERY RELAXING, EXCELLENT MASSAGE, FOOD WAOW!!! EXCELLENT, FANTASTIC STAFF VERY ATTENTIVE. FOOD PRESENTATION WAS EXCELLENT ALSO QUALITY SECOND TO NONE. WILL NOT HESITATE TO RECOMMEND THIS RETREAT TO ANYONE. THE SUITES WERE GREAT.
Our stay at Villa Maggona was a fantastic rest during a challenging time.
The incredible, kind, and attentive staff made us feel at home. The setting could not be more beautiful. Thank you for your exceptional hospitality!
We arrived on the 18th of December and had a wonderful stay. The staff was very attentive and welcomed us whole-heartedly, we had fantastic customer service, lovely food, the pool was very refreshing, the rooms provided maximum comfort and overall a relaxing ambience.
Our experience at Villa Maggona was fantastic and would not hesitate to recommend to others and visit once again to this lovely site.
Thank you once again to the entire staff who attended to our needs.
AGAIN WE ARE SAD TO LEAVE, ANOTHER AMAZING TIME. WHAT A FANTASTIC TEAM.
WE LOVE YOU ALL.
SEE YOU IN MAY
Dear Team Maggona,
What a brilliant few days we’ve had!
The most beautiful space, stellar service & staff, and incredible food. We’re already trying to figure out when we can come next!
An absolute gem of a break after what has been a very challenging year.
Thank you for the hospitality and care! We’ll carry these memories
Dear Team VM,
We had a wonderful stay of two nights at this beautiful and breathtaking and well-maintained property. Everything was seamlessly handled and well looked after. Special mention must be made of the courteous and obliging staff who left no stone unturned in ensuring we had a memorable stay at VM. Loved the little details like the beach sarongs and slippers. Overall the food, ambience and service deserves a big thumbs up. Shall recommend and also return soon.
Thank You!
Many thanks to Villa Maggona! What a magnificent way to spend lockdown… incredible food and staff, beautiful location and rooms. Big shout out to the wonderful villa staff – nothing was too much. A fantastic stay during trying times. We hope to return soon and will definitely recommend you to others.
Dear VM,
Thank you for our quiet break near Colombo. Thanks for all the friendliness. We had a good time.
Sincerely
Thank you to all at Villa Maggona for an exceptional stay. The villa and surrounds are incredibly beautiful, the hospitality was wonderful and the food – exceptional!
Thank you and look forward to returning.
Dear Team VM,
Thank you very much for an absolutely relaxing experience with the best of service!!
Enjoyed every second.
Definitely will recommend to others.
To the WONDERFUL STAFF @ VM,
Sumitra, Stanley, Ashen were most accommodating and truly wonderful to us at this LOVELY, relaxing villa. Chef Sampath, we tremendously ENJOYED each meal and the special Tea Time treats.
Thank you, Sumitra, for the fantastic massage… need to be back for sure.
THANK YOU ALL… we’ll be back
Thank you so much for making our stay so comfortable. Food was great and service excellent. The surroundings have been maintained very well. Loved the cleanliness of the rooms. The dinner table was always set beautifully.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you for your lovely hospitality and service. We started off this year by spending time in this wonderful villa with a picturesque view and your spectacular service made our time more special! The food that was served to us was the highlight of our trip, the Sri Lankan pancakes were the best.
Thank you and wish you all the best
Our second trip and our favorite things about the villa remain the same – the stellar staff, beautiful settings and the wonderful food.
Thank you for helping create great memories for our families, consistently!
Can’t wait to be back!
Special shoutout to Sumithra ❤
Thank you for such a wonderful stay – service and food was fantastic – home away from home!! Our kids along with our friends were looked after so well. A special mention to Sumithra who was so wonderful with the kids – thank you!
We look forward to coming back 😊
Thank you for such a relaxing and indulgent stay! What a little oasis this place is – like a mini paradise. No request was too hard and the food… wow, it was divine! Particular thanks to aunty Sumithra who was an absolute godsend and helped with the children – made the stay even more pleasurable!
We will definitely be back!
A general suggestion
We recommend that you keep the glass sliders closed at all times. The salt laden sea air is very corrosive to electronic equipment such as laptops and tablets. We also find that it shortens the lifetime of VM’s electrical equipment such as our ACs, power sockets, telephones etc.
Eco friendly
Our objective is to minimize VM’s ecological footprint. And these features aid us in doing so
Water
An unusual feature of the property when it was bought was an old-fashioned water well that was located at the back of the house. It turned out that the well was a source of fresh water for the house at a time when there was no municipal supply.
When the property was refurbished, we retained the old well. You won’t see it because it’s hidden under the sundeck in the middle of the pool. The well continues to supply fresh water in abundance. We use this supply to water all our gardens – front and back. The same water is also used to top up the pool when needed. Utility water is only used inside the villa.
Power
We generate our own power through solar panels attached to the western side of the pitched roof. The electricity generated from the panels is tied into the utility grid. So at peak hours we are in fact sometimes supplying power to the grid. Of course, when the Sun goes down we are obliged to rely on utility power. We also use a separate solar panel, on the eastern side of the roof, to heat water for the main villa. We are particularly keen to minimize our carbon footprint. And you can assist us in achieving this objective by setting the AC to 26 Deg C or higher. The lower the AC setting the larger the carbon footprint.