Tea Factory Hotel - Nuwara Eliya

Where else in the world can you stay in a converted tea factory, pluck your own tea and take it home with you as a souvenir? At 2km above sea level, the views over our lush green organic plantations as the sun mingles with the mist are truly unforgettable. Enjoy them as you tuck into high tea on the terrace or a delicious tea-themed menu in the restaurant. Welcome to Heritance Tea Factory, where the kettle is always on.

In the mountain range that gave the world pure Ceylon tea, Heritance Tea Factory was built in the days of the British Raj. It has been converted while preserving much of the original style and machinery.

From the moment you arrive, to be greeted by a cup of hot spiced tea, you realise that this is a hotel like no other. The atrium is latticed with steel, colour coded green to show the original metalwork and red to show which supports were added during the conversion in 1996. Above your head, two giant brass-capped wooden fans remind you that the bedrooms used to be the withering lofts, where the tea leaves were laid out to let the moisture evaporate.

The original engine in the basement that provided the main source of power is turned on for half an hour in the evenings – it’s fascinating to watch the camel-hair belts turning. And in the Goatfell Lounge you can see the solid scales used for weighing tea made by W&T Avery Ltd of Birmingham, UK.

The tea-packing room is now the hotel’s popular Hethersett bar. Where tea was sifted and graded is the hotel’s fine Kenmare restaurant. The former engine room is now the modern kitchen.

But this is not a historical museum. Heritance Tea Factory provides all the modern comforts and facilities to ensure you have a relaxing stay.

The 54 cosy, carpeted bedrooms come with bathtubs and showers as well as heating for when the mists close in. As well as our main restaurant, we offer the unusual experience of dining in a 1930s narrow-gauge railway carriage. And in addition to finding out about the local wildlife and community on our nature treks, you have the chance to pick your own tea and have it processed in our Mini Tea Factory, so you can take a little piece of Sri Lanka home with you.

Heritance Tea Factory has won 26 awards for its architecture, heritage, environmental policies. Most recently, in June 2011, we won the Gold Award for Architectural Heritage in the prestigious Green Apple Awards.

 
Rooms

Heritance Tea Factory has 54 comfortable rooms on four floors, converted from the former withering lofts (this is where the freshly plucked leaves were laid out on jute mats for some of the moisture to evaporate).

The full-length windows that once helped to control the temperature for drying the leaves now ensure that the rooms are flooded with natural light, while providing spectacular views of the surrounding tea plantations.

Wood is a key element of the rooms, with doors, shelves and cupboards (plenty of them) left in their natural colours.

The free bottles of Hethersett Water come from the hotel’s own spring, pure and natural, and of course each room is supplied with our own tea leaves, as well as coffee and a fully stocked minibar.

Furnishings are all made locally, from the prints showing local villagers bartering goods to custom-made toiletries.

The fourth floor (executive floor) is entirely non-smoking.

All rooms are accessible to wheelchairs, and we offer driver quarters if you have your own driver. We also provide free Wi-Fi in every room, as well as laundry service and 24-hour room service.

Free cots are available for babies; we can also provide an extra bed for a child on request.

Driver’s accommodation inclusive of all three meals will be provided free of charge.

Check in : 2:00 pm and Check out 12:00 pm

All rooms are non-smoking

Location

Heritance Tea Factory is located in Sri Lanka’s hill country, 14 km from Nuwara Eliya and 163 km from Colombo. It takes 6-7 hours to drive from Colombo and the international airport.


Destination                                           Distance
Colombo                                          about 180 km
Nearest town (Nuwara Eliya)                     14 km
Bus station                                                    4 km
Train station                                                20 km
International airport                                  189 km
Church                                                          4 km
Temple                                                          5 km
Mosque                                                         6 km


Phone     : +94 052 2229600
Fax         : +94 052 2229606
Email     : fom.teafactory@aitkenspence.lk
Website  : www.heritancehotels.com/teafactory