Here's the revised review incorporating the additional details about the breakfast buffet and gluten-free options:
My wife and I stopped over at the Shangri-La hotel in Sri Lanka on our way from Australia to the Maldives. We arrived around 11 pm on an Air Sri Lanka flight. If you don't fly business class, expect a long line at customs. After clearing customs, we easily located the Shangri-La desk, where a friendly staff member greeted us. He assisted with our luggage and arranged a cab to the hotel, which was a standard sedan without any hotel branding.
The hotel has extensive security, with two checkpoints to pass through before reaching the reception. Check-in was smooth, and the staff's English proficiency was adequate for a 4-5 star hotel in India. Our luggage arrived in the room shortly after, but we had to remind the staff to clearly note our room number.
Our room was well-appointed, with four complimentary water bottles, which we greatly appreciated. The strong sandalwood scent was initially overwhelming but became more tolerable over time. The bathroom was nice, although the bathtub was a bit too narrow for my comfort. We were pleased to find a manual bidet installed in the toilet, although an electric and heated version would have been even better.
The view from our room and the coffee spot was pretty, albeit industrial, overlooking the water. The espresso met expectations, although I'm admittedly a coffee snob. The breakfast buffet had a wide variety of options,
