My family and I stayed at Thidas Arana for three nights. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there, but I would only give it a 4 out of 5 stars. Why? I think a 5 star hotel has everything perfected and deserve the top marks. Although Thidas Arana was amazing, from the helpful staff to the amazing grounds, it lacked in certain areas. The main area it lacked in was its food. The food was average to below average and literally took 1/2 hour to 45 minutes for a meal to be ready. We would go back to our rooms, after ordering, and wait for them to call us for dinner. Once the meal arrived, it was only average; even the Sri Lankan dishes. That being said, over the 3 days we were there we toured Polonnaruwa and the temples on bikes they provided and took a tour through Minneriya National Park with their help and it was superb. I would recommend staying here, but you need to know about the reason for the 4 out of 5 stars.