The hotel's entrance lobby is situated at the terminus of a sloping 2.7 km (1.7 mi) long private road that branches north from a secondary arterial leading back to the centre of town.

A large slanted canopy that angles down towards the entrance to a enclosed tunnel-like walkway, with a boulder-lined wall, with an expansive open-air lobby and panoramic view northward over the Kandalama Reservoir.

The ecological concerns dominated the debate initially, however, the perceived negative impact of the local culture was cited as the reason for opposition later.

[4] Heritance Kandalama was adjudged as the best five-star hotel at the Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism for the third consecutive year in 2010.

Jeewaka Weerakone, the general manager of the hotel received the award from then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa.