Despite the bombings in Sri Lanka that happened during our stay, we had a fabulous time at Villa Riina.
Pros:
Good communication with owner, friendly staff
Nice spot on the beach with amazing sunsets
Easy to catch tuk tuks
Nice meals
Easy to arrange transportation and tours
Excellent air-conditioning in the bedrooms
Shampoo, shower gel and soap provided
Cons (most of which Villa Riina has no control over):
1. The rooms smelled a bit musty, but airing them out during the day helped. I have allergies, and they were not set off so it really wasn't too bad.
2. The two adjacent properties seem to be illegal trash dumps and the waves can both pull out the trash and deposit new trash on the beach--including the usual plastics, glass bottles and cans, but also dirty diapers and household trash. I did a beach clean up--I hope everyone considers picking up a couples pieces of trash each time they go to the beach.
3. Undertow too strong for swimming--I wouldn't suggest anyone with daring, disobedient, or very young children stay there. My 10 -16 year olds were strong enough to play in the surf, but none of us felt comfortable enough to dive in. This might be seasonal.
4.The noise from the road--there are tuk tuks that go around selling bread, ice-cream, etc, and each has a different jingle. They start EARLY.