Mount Lavinia Hotel

Western Province · Sri Lanka · Hotel

The governor's secret love, the dancer Lovina, is said to still slip through the tunnel beneath the grand seaside hotel.

Mount Lavinia Hotel was built in 1806 as the residence of British governor Sir Thomas Maitland. He fell for the local dancer Lovina Aponsuwa and had a secret tunnel dug between his wine cellar and her house so the lovers could meet unseen. The romance ended when Maitland was recalled home, but Lovina gave the place its name and is said never to have left. Staff and guests speak of a female figure glimpsed at night in the old corridors and down by the walled-up tunnel.

FAQ

Where is Mount Lavinia Hotel located?

Mount Lavinia Hotel is in Western Province, Sri Lanka.

Image: Vipulanp / CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons