Negombo is Sri Lanka’s best-known and most accessible beach resort, just 15 minutes from the international airport and 35 minutes by express highway from the capital Colombo.

The jewel in Negombo’s crown is its spectacular tidal lagoon, fringed by mangroves teeming with wildlife and connected to points north and south by the Dutch (Hamilton) canal, for centuries a major waterway for the island’s famed spice trade.

Now the crown has a new hidden gem in the shape of Hush, a delightfully modern value hotel and restaurant nestled in the seclusion of the lagoon’s eastern shore.

And what a gem it is—small, perfectly formed, and poised to redefine popular mid-market hospitality that lies somewhere between Negombo’s up-market boutique hotels and the resort’s many family-run guest houses.

Because of its location on the narrow strip between the airport road and lagoon, Hush lacks a pool, but more than makes up for this with terrific west-facing views across the lagoon set against a backdrop of epic tropical sunsets.

The elegant simplicity of the en-suite rooms reflects the sophisticated less-is-more contemporary motif that Hush embraces and makes its own, while the inside-outside dining area extends right to the water’s edge.

Whether for a night or two at the beginning and end of an island-wide tour, or as a base for exploring Sri Lanka’s myriad coastal and inland attractions, Hush sets new standards of comfort, convenience and value.