Trebartha East
The Roundhouse.

Crowning a hill in Sri Lanka’s cinnamon country, this sculptural hotel pairs sustainable design with next-level service and sweeping valley views.

Scene.

Sri Lanka’s south coast may glisten at the shoreline, but much of its seduction lies inland. Slip beyond the beaches and the scenery loosens into rumpled hills, dense jungle and winding backroads, punctuated by the odd lagoon. A turn off the coast at Ahangama leads into cinnamon country, where spice groves rise toward one of the island’s most striking stays: Trebartha East: The Roundhouse.

Perched high above a luminous valley, its circular form surveys rice paddies and roaming buffalo, while the long, rising cry of unseen peacocks echoes across the hills—wild and haunting. Reached by a solitary 200-metre causeway cut through the paddies, the hotel feels like an island and, in the rainy ‘green’ season, its 12 acres become one—adrift in a sea of emerald.

Rarely does architecture feel so rooted in its setting. Trebartha recalls the circular edge of a forest clearing and at the same time, a spaceship, resting lightly on the land.

Style.

Rarely does architecture feel so rooted in its setting. Trebartha recalls the circular edge of a forest clearing and at the same time a spaceship, resting lightly on the land. Constructed entirely of locally sourced timber, it shifts with the climate and breathes with its surroundings. The inner curve remains round, braced by a 360-degree, open-air walkway; the outer edge breaks into a play of solid and open spaces.

Inside—walls, floors and ceilings in a variety of gently varnished timber—feels like a sumptuous treehouse. Views are framed by towering roundwood columns that echo the surrounding forest, while skylights filter light like sun through jungle canopy. Sleek sofas, modernist pieces in rich tropical hardwood and the occasional rattan chair—softened with rugs and textiles woven by local artisans—speak to the tropical modernism for which Sri Lanka is known.

Story.

With its humid climate and perfectly balanced soil, Sri Lanka has long been synonymous with cinnamon, its trade traced back to 2,000 BC. Worth its weight in gold and at times, more, Arab merchants guarded the secret of its origin. Native to the island—known to them as Serendib—‘true cinnamon’ is sweeter and more delicate than the cassia variety grown elsewhere, and the very reason the Portuguese, Dutch and British later vied for control of its shores.

It was this same spice-rich landscape that would, in 2017, draw a Cornish couple inland. Patrick Latham and his wife, Benny, had been visiting Sri Lanka since 2005, just after the tsunami, and realised immediately that they’d found something rare: paddy islands of this scale seldom hit the market, and the surrounding cinnamon plantation offered the chance not only to restore its beauty but its economic life. They named it Trebartha East, after their family home in Cornwall—Trebartha, a Celtic-Cornish word meaning house by a stream.

Searching long and hard for the right architect, they found a kindred spirit in Professor Narein Perera of the University of Moratuwa. The brief was simple: 360-degree views, four or five rooms, and no concrete. The rest was left to Perera’s imagination. Originally conceived as a winter retreat, the project soon revealed greater ambition. As construction progressed, it became clear that this sweeping curve of sustainable architecture had the makings of a boutique hotel. Trebartha East: The Roundhouse opened in 2023, its sculptural timber form recognised at the Monsoon Architecture Awards.

Suites.

Four guest rooms take their names from the timbers used in construction. Kumbuk and Jak (40 sqm) feature king four-poster beds and armchairs angled towards sweeping views of the rice paddies and rainforest canopy. Teak (34 sqm) shares the same outlook, with a pair of single four-poster beds and rustic rattan end stools, ideal for sharing. Hora (70 sqm) unfolds across two levels: a king bedroom with a sitting area, and stairs leading down to a study with a desk and daybed overlooking the cinnamon grove.

Floor-to-ceiling, fully retractable windows dissolve the barrier between inside and out for the full treehouse experience. There are ceiling fans and air-conditioning, although with Trebartha’s exceptional cross ventilation, you’ll rarely need them. Timber-clad ensuite bathrooms come with rain showers and locally sourced toiletries; open the window and it feels like you’re showering in the jungle.

Spaces.

A large, breezy reception room is the heart of the house, with a long dining table and sofas for lounging with books or board games. Across the courtyard—a young banyan tree growing at its centre—a curved 18-metre infinity pool continues the sweep of the house, with sensational views across the plantation and down the valley. Next to the pool, a platform-like deck with rattan chairs makes an ideal spot for morning yoga or sundowners. From here, a spiral staircase leads to a treatment room with an Ayurvedic spa menu. Trebartha works with two exceptional therapists: Korkilla specialises in Ayurvedic medicine and Lafith is a sports masseuse with decades of experience.

At the base of the hill, a grassed trail circles the property—perfect for a morning run—raised above the paddies and lined in indigenous fruit trees. Tours of the plantation workshop can also be arranged. Cinnamon production is a fascinating, tightly regulated craft: essentially the finer and thinner the quill, the higher the grade, with Alba the most prized.

Trebartha’s nutrient-packed comfort food was one of the highlights of my six-week trip to Sri Lanka. Breakfast opens with kola kanda, a savoury herbal soup of fresh gotu kola (Indian pennywort), coconut milk, red rice, ginger and garlic. Next comes buffalo curd with kithul—palm treacle—the curd sourced from the dairy next door, followed by tropical fruit, string hoppers and classic Western dishes.

There are no set times for meals: you eat when you want to. Lunch might be a healthy Round House rice bowl with marinated tuna or Ceylon black pork curry; dinner fresh lagoon crab, lobster or whole fish cooked to order, washed down with a Chilean rosé or Spanish red. Cocktails lean on arrack, gin and vodka—the Ceylon Martini is the one to order.

Sustainability.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more eco-minded stay than this masterpiece of sustainable architecture. Swimming pool aside, Trebartha’s footprint is so light it barely seems to touch the ground. Prioritising natural, locally sourced and recycled materials, Perera’s design uses not only a responsible palette but less material overall. Energy comes from on-site solar PV, water is sourced on the property, and the hotel has the capacity to operate entirely off-grid. There’s zero plastic and food is grown on the property or locally sourced.

Service.

Manager Kasun and his team—Tharaka, Janaka, Nipuna and Buddhi—have been with Benny and Patrick from the very beginning. Their kindness and generosity of spirit are next level, making arrival a joy and departure a difficult pill to swallow. I had two nights at Trebartha East but recommend a much longer stay to fully sink into its rhythms—the breeze blowing, buffalo grazing and the haunting call of peacocks across the hills.

Spend.

Double rooms GBP 210 per night, including breakfast and taxes. 

Book your room at Trebartha East:The Roundhouse here.

Photography: c/o Trebartha East:The Roundhouse.