Levels Unawatuna

Our Story

LEVELS Unawatuna, an intimate Luxury & Lifestyle boutique hotel near Galle, is the first property under the Pearl leisure portfolio. Picturesquely perched on the lush green Rumassala headland, this luxurious design hotel reveals views of a wide turquoise bay that stretches from Jungle Beach to the world-famous Dutch fort of Galle, and is located right in the heart of this cosmopolitan neighbourhood. Sumptuous guestrooms, an eye-catching tri-colour infinity pool and sultry areas for dining and imbibing make this the hottest new address on the southern coast.

The Locale

LEVELS is situated on Rumassala, a verdant headland that punctures Sri Lanka’s low-lying southern coastline, midway between cosmopolitan Galle and playful Unawatuna. Its position captures the stunning westerly views in enthralling detail; the infinite Indian Ocean, an enigmatic palm-fringed coastline and Galle’s illustrious 17th century Dutch fort. This privileged locale also affords easy access to the region’s increasingly diverse collection of restaurants, attractions, activities and nightlife.

Rumassala is a biodiversity hotspot and home to many species of wildlife including rare, yet easy-to-spot, purple-faced leaf monkeys. The hill harbors many engaging cultural sites such as the Vivekarama Temple and the Japanese Peace Pagoda (where stands a life-sized statue of the monkey god Hanuman) as well as idyllic Jungle Beach, which lies at the foot of the headland directly accessible from the hotel. Jungle Beach’s twin secluded bays are ideal for swimming and snorkelling, and the pale sandy beaches are washed by a sparkling coral sea rich in marine life.

The Legend

The colonialists referred to Rumassala as ‘Buono Vista’ (a corruption of the Spanish buena vista), or ‘pleasant view’, thanks to the picturesque panorama that stretches from the ocean to far inland. However it was Valmiki who first featured Rumassala in his Indian Hindu Epic, the Ramayana, enshrining it in mystery and legend.

As the story goes, the evil King Ravana of Lanka abducted Sita, the wife of India’s Prince Rama, and brought her to Sri Lanka. Amidst the bloody battle to rescue her, Rama’s brother Laxman was injured and Hanuman, the legendary monkey god, was sent back to India to collect specific medicinal herbs that would save his life. In his haste Hanuman forgot which herbs were required and instead brought back pieces of the Himalayas containing a melee of herbs and accidently dropped one of them at Rumassala. Even though the Ramayana is a mythological story, the rare and endemic flora found on the mountain mysteriously seems to support its legendary tale.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rumassala is also thought to have rare magnetic properties. The late Sir Arthur C. Clarke, a renowned British science fiction writer who made Sri Lanka his home, attributed this to a meteorite strike and it is said that satellites cannot be placed directly above the hilltop in space. As such, the aura alluding from all of this mythological possibility definitely gives LEVELS a mysterious edge.