OUR PLACE
Buckingham Place sits slightly elevated on 5 acres south of Tangalle town, between Rekawa’s spectacular wilderness beach and scenic lagoon, overlooking both. Amidst natures’ tranquil sanctuary, this hideaway hotel is set well away from busy towns, noisy roads and ‘tourist spots’. Expect something quite different. Bold and timeless, stylish though not slave to the word, but moreover the hotel is warm and friendly like the home of an old friend. Think half hotel half homestay - you’ll be about right.
Buckingham Place goes the distance to put you at ease from the off, and makes you feel at home by being thoughtful, informal and as helpful as can be.
If there's something you need say the word! Smart ideas for days out? We’ve got them. Your birthday by the pool, an ironing-board or guitar for your room? A forgotten anniversary card, electrical adapter or taxi to the airport? Mosquito plug-ins, flight check-ins, night-turndowns, gecko relocations, extra towels, special diets at odd mealtimes, a doctor in the night or, early morning bed-tea; your shopping done, a picnic box for the beach or fisherman’s cigar at 2am – nothing is too much trouble here.
Whether it’s an extra-hot curry for breakfast by the pool or your lion tamed, our resourcefulness is (almost) limitless!
OUR PEOPLE
There’s a good reason people return to Buckingham Place – its people. About 50 local men and women aged 18-60 work hard here, most having acquired new knowledge and skills since joining the hotel.
Some joined the building site 19 years ago, seizing the moment to build a career, while several speak English now to varying degrees and will introduce themselves.
Don’t worry if you don’t recall a name by the way, none of us get offended or hurt, we promise. We don’t want to wear name badges as some have suggested but won’t ask you to either!
Everyone here is key to the smooth and happy functioning of the place, but also have managers like other hotels.
General Manager - Kalpa
Guest Facilities Manager - Chamindu
Guest Manager - Umesh
Chef - Suranga
Restaurant Captain - Deepal aka The Commander
OUR ETHOS
Our ethos was born of a workshop in 2006, before any of us had worked in hospitality or, we had even opened our gates to guests (2010). Our motto Believe in Sri Lanka and core values drive everything we do, while we continue to evolve. Back then we agreed that a holiday should be fun - for you and us. So, we will make your stay as joyful as we can, while caring for your needs professionally and honestly. Through teamwork we’ll deliver quality like a well-oiled machine, from the food on your table to the comfort of your room.
Much of what we do includes a certain amount of style but without us being slave to the word – your wellbeing comes first.
Rekawa East and West are farming and fishing communities and where most of the team live. English is not widely spoken except in pidgin form but, why should it be? How widely is our hosts’ language spoken in our villages and hotels? Everyone at Buckingham Place will do their best to communicate effectively, but please be patient and tell us if at times we fail. Thank you.