Pool day passes in Colombo
Compare pool day passes at 7 Colombo hotels, from LKR 1,500 at Cinnamon Grand to the Mount Lavinia beachfront buffet package. Prices, inclusions, how to book.
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Colombo's pool day pass market is smaller and less formal than beach-resort cities, but a handful of hotels sell clean, bookable access. Mount Lavinia Hotel pairs its beachfront pool with a weekend lunch buffet, while ME Colombo's rooftop infinity pool comes with a full day-outing package that includes lunch and evening tea. City-center options like Cinnamon Grand, Cinnamon Lakeside, and Hilton Colombo sell simpler pool-only access at lower prices.
Day passes range from around LKR 1,500 (about $5) for pool-only access at the Cinnamon properties up to LKR 6,000 (about $20) for ME Colombo's full food-and-pool package on weekends. Most rooftop and city hotels don't list pricing on their own websites, so a phone call or WhatsApp message is the fastest way to confirm the current rate and availability.
Few Colombo hotels take online day-pass bookings. Expect to call ahead, especially on weekends when local families crowd the pools at Cinnamon Lakeside and Mount Lavinia. Bring a form of ID, and confirm whether the price includes a food and beverage credit before you go.
- Mount Lavinia Hotel — from LKR 2,700 (about $9), beachfront pool with a weekend seafood buffet
- ME Colombo — LKR 5,000-6,000 (about $17-20), rooftop infinity pool, lunch, and evening tea
- Cinnamon Grand Colombo — around LKR 1,500 (about $5), two outdoor pools in the city center
- Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo — around LKR 1,500 (about $5), the largest hotel pool in Colombo
- Hilton Colombo — around LKR 2,500 (about $8), pool pass redeemable on food and drink
- Granbell Hotel Colombo — from LKR 14,000 (about $47), rooftop infinity pool and jacuzzi with sea views
- Jetwing Colombo Seven — from LKR 18,500 (about $62), rooftop infinity pool day-room package
Planning a trip to Colombo? Here are the tools I use and recommend:
How much does a pool day pass in Colombo cost?
Pool-only access at the Cinnamon hotels runs about LKR 1,500 per person, the cheapest entry point in the city. Packages that bundle food, a day room, or spa access climb well past LKR 10,000. Prices below are per person and sourced from hotel staff, guest reports, or day-use booking platforms where the hotel doesn't list a rate on its own site.
| Hotel | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon Grand Colombo | about LKR 1,500 ($5) | Cheapest pool-only access |
| Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo | about LKR 1,500 ($5) | Largest hotel pool in the city |
| Hilton Colombo | about LKR 2,500 ($8) | F&B credit toward the pass price |
| Mount Lavinia Hotel | from LKR 2,700 ($9) | Beachfront pool plus lunch buffet |
| ME Colombo | LKR 5,000-6,000 ($17-20) | Rooftop pool with full-day dining |
| Granbell Hotel Colombo | from LKR 14,000 ($47) | Rooftop infinity pool and jacuzzi |
| Jetwing Colombo Seven | from LKR 18,500 ($62) | Rooftop pool plus spa access |
Can non-guests use hotel pools in Colombo?
Yes. Most large Colombo hotels sell pool day passes to non-guests, though few advertise this on their own websites. Hilton Colombo and the two Cinnamon properties confirm day access by phone, and Mount Lavinia Hotel runs a standing weekend buffet-and-pool package open to anyone. A handful of hotels, including Shangri-La Colombo, don't offer a public pool pass at all and keep the pool for overnight guests only.
Do I need to book a Colombo pool day pass in advance?
Booking ahead is strongly recommended. Colombo hotels don't run online day-pass checkout the way resort destinations do, so a phone call the day before, or the morning of, confirms both the price and that the pool isn't fully booked out to guests. This matters most on weekends, when local families fill up Cinnamon Lakeside's pool and Mount Lavinia's buffet seating.
Where to stay in Colombo
Most visitors treat Colombo as a short stopover before heading to the hill country or the south coast, so pick a base for convenience rather than a destination in itself. Galle Face is the best all-round choice, with the seafront promenade on your doorstep and Fort's colonial streets and Pettah's markets within easy reach. The Galle Face Hotel is the standout here, a seafront property dating to 1864 with the kind of colonial character you won't find anywhere else in the city.
If you'd rather be near the business and shopping district, the Cinnamon Grand Colombo puts you in the middle of it, with its own pool day pass making it easy to justify staying the night too.
For something with sand rather than skyline, Mount Lavinia Hotel sits on its own private beach just south of the city, a quieter break from central Colombo without adding much travel time.
Mount Lavinia Hotel
Mount Lavinia Hotel sits on its own private stretch of beach south of central Colombo, with an outdoor pool set between the colonial-era building and the sand. It's the only property on this list with direct beach access included in the day package.
Pool and Beach Day Pass (from LKR 2,700, about $9). The pass includes pool and beach access plus a lunch buffet, with a seafood-heavy spread on weekends. Exact pricing has varied year to year, so confirm the current rate when you call.
The pass runs during regular restaurant hours and doesn't require advance payment, though calling ahead on weekends helps secure a table for the buffet.
Book direct: mountlaviniahotel.com/dine — or call +94 112 711 711
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>> Click here for info and current pricing <<ME Colombo
ME Colombo is an Art Deco-styled boutique hotel in the city center, with a rooftop pool and jacuzzi looking out over the skyline. It runs the most complete day-outing package of any hotel in the city.
Day Outing Package (LKR 5,000 weekday / LKR 6,000 weekend, about $17-20). The package covers pool access from 9am to 4pm, a lunch buffet or set menu, a welcome drink, and evening tea with cake.
The package is sold through the local day-outing platform DayoutBooking.com rather than ME Colombo's own site, so confirm current availability directly with the hotel before booking.
Book direct: mecolombo.com — or call the hotel to confirm current Day Outing rates
Cinnamon Grand Colombo
Cinnamon Grand Colombo is a city-center hotel with two outdoor pools, making it one of the more straightforward pool-only options in Colombo.
Pool Day Pass (around LKR 1,500, about $5). Guest reports put the pass at LKR 1,000-1,500 per person for pool-only access, with no food or drink included in the base price. The hotel doesn't list day-pass pricing on its own site, so call ahead to confirm the current rate.
Access is generally available daily outside of full-occupancy periods, but capacity can be limited on weekends and during holidays.
Book direct: cinnamonhotels.com/cinnamon-grand-colombo — or call +94 112 161 161
Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo
Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo sits on the Beira Lake waterfront and has the largest hotel pool in the city, set within landscaped grounds that feel removed from the surrounding traffic.
Pool Day Pass (around LKR 1,500, about $5). Reviewers consistently cite this as good value given the pool's size, though like its sister property the hotel doesn't publish a rate online, so confirm by phone before visiting.
Weekends draw local families, so arriving earlier in the day gives better odds of finding loungers.
Book direct: cinnamonhotels.com/cinnamon-lakeside-colombo — or call +94 112 491 827
Hilton Colombo
Hilton Colombo is a high-rise hotel near the World Trade Center, with an outdoor pool that guests describe as a quiet break from the surrounding business district.
Pool Day Pass (around LKR 2,500, about $8). Guest reviews describe the pass as redeemable against food and drink at the hotel, effectively lowering the net cost if you plan to eat there. The hotel doesn't list the pass on its own website, so confirm the current terms by phone.
Access runs during daytime hours and doesn't require online booking.
Book direct: hilton.com/en/hotels/colhitw-hilton-colombo — or call +94 112 492 492
Granbell Hotel Colombo
Granbell Hotel Colombo is a boutique property with a rooftop infinity pool and jacuzzi looking out over the sea and city skyline, a step up in setting from the ground-level city hotels nearby.
Day Outing Package (from LKR 14,000, about $47). The package is day-room-inclusive rather than pool-only, running from 9am to 5pm with breakfast, parking, and pool access. A second tier is available at LKR 17,000 with added inclusions.
The package is booked through DayoutBooking.com; call the hotel directly to check for a pool-only rate outside the room-inclusive package.
Book direct: granbellhotel.lk/facilities/infinity-pool-jacuzzi — or call +94 112 397 397
Jetwing Colombo Seven
Jetwing Colombo Seven is a boutique high-rise near Cinnamon Gardens with a rooftop infinity pool that's become one of the more photographed spots in the city.
Day Room Package (from LKR 18,500, about $62). The package runs 9am to 5pm and includes a day room, pool access, spa credit, and wifi, positioned more as a full day-use product than a pool-only pass.
The hotel's own site doesn't list day-use pricing, so confirm current rates and availability with the hotel before booking through a day-use platform.
Book direct: jetwinghotels.com/jetwingcolomboseven — or call +94 112 550 200
Frequently asked questions
Does Shangri-La Colombo sell pool day passes?
No. Shangri-La Colombo's offers page is focused on overnight stays, with no day-use or day-pass package listed. If you want to try the pool anyway, call the hotel directly, since policies can change and other Shangri-La properties elsewhere do run day passes.
Do children pay full price for a Colombo pool day pass?
Policies vary by hotel and aren't published online for most Colombo properties. Mount Lavinia's buffet package typically prices children at a reduced rate, similar to its regular dining menu, but confirm directly with any hotel before booking for a family.
What should I bring to a Colombo hotel pool day pass?
Bring ID, a swimsuit, and cash or a card for any incidentals not covered by the pass. Towels are provided at every hotel on this list, but sunscreen and a phone case are worth packing since poolside shops are limited outside the resort strip.
More pool day passes near Colombo
Colombo works well as a stopover before heading to Sri Lanka's beach coast, and other Indian Ocean cities follow a similar day-pass pattern of phone bookings and food-inclusive packages. Malé and Zanzibar both mix rooftop and beachfront pools with comparable pricing, while Grand Baie offers a wider spread of resort-style options if you're extending the trip further into the region.