Seven Pillars sits in the heart of a 17th-century Dutch fortress on Sri Lanka’s palm-fringed southern coast. This three-bedroom villa, with its old-world charm and graceful period features, evokes a sense of nostalgia, as it envelops you within its warm and homely embrace.

Located at 39 Lighthouse Street within Galle Fort, Seven Pillars Galle Fort stands as a testament to the Dutch East India Company’s (VOC) legacy from the 17th Century. Originally serving as the residence of a prosperous VOC merchant, this historic structure, like many others in the fort, passed through various owners over the centuries. Unfortunately, neglect and maintenance challenges led to its decline into ruin. In the early 1980s, a wave of foreign investors, taking advantage of Sri Lankan government policies allowing foreign land ownership, acquired such colonial-era ruins. Among them was an American enthusiast deeply passionate about history. With meticulous care and guidance from the Galle Archaeological Department, which preserved original plans and historical records, she meticulously restored Seven Pillars Galle Fort. The renovation integrated parts of the original 17th-century structure which were constructed using materials like coral stone, straw, and brick, preserving its architectural integrity.

Reflecting classic Dutch Colonial design, the home features pillared verandas, sheltering eaves, arched doorways, and a 30-foot timber ceiling that naturally cools the interior. proudly owned by a Dutch Burgher family with deep ancestral ties to Galle Fort. architectural history but also honours the cultural and social legacy of Galle Fort, offering guests a unique blend of past elegance and contemporary luxury. Antique furnishings from the period further enrich its historical ambiance, ensuring modern comfort alongside old-world charm.

Today, Seven Pillars Galle Fort is proudly owned by a Dutch Burgher family with deep ancestral ties to Galle Fort. Their roots trace back to prominent VOC-era figures who were integral to the Dutch Reformed Church community, as evidenced by their family members’ gravestones still present in the churchyard. This heritage home not only preserves architectural history but also honours the cultural and social legacy of Galle Fort, offering guests a unique blend of past elegance and contemporary luxury.

Accommodation:

Seven Pillars’s three bedrooms are spread across two floors, with the master room upstairs. Each bed is adorned with Egyptian cotton sheets and luxurious padded bedcovers, and all bedrooms offer both air conditioning and ceiling fans and feature modern ensuite bathrooms fitted with showers.

Master Bedroom: Being the only bedroom on the first floor of the house, Seven Pillars’s master room is exceptionally private.  Breezily opening through twin sets of folding doors onto a terrazzo-floored galley, the room overlooks the vine-draped red-tiled rooftops of the fort.  Swathed in soft netting, the grand four-poster king-size bed sits atop polished mahogany floorboards and beneath an impressive pitched timber ceiling. The master room is accessed via a small fan-cooled reading lounge furnished with rattan day beds.

Second Bedroom: This airy double bedroom opens onto the lush garden and a pillared veranda towards the back of the house.  Sitting atop polished floors is a king-size four-poster bed wrapped in soft netting, positioned so you can lie back and watch the squirrels and chattering birds in the garden.

Third Bedroom: Located just off the living room, this terrazzo-floored bedroom overlooks historic Lighthouse Street through wide folding windows.  A queen-size bed takes pride of place in the room, complemented by a matching antique wardrobe.

Payment and Cancellation Policy:

50% deposit of the rental fee upon reservation, fully refundable until 30 days prior to check-in.

Remaining 50% of the rental fee due 30 days before to check-in date.

100% cancellation charges apply – 30 days before check-in.

No show – No refund will be made.

Inclusions:

Continental breakfast
Welcome drink
Service charge is not included in your rate.You may tip staff for good service at your discretion.
Taxes are included in the rate
Personal service by the villa staff including  butler/cook and attendant
Exclusive use of the whole villa and listed facilities
*Refundable Security Deposit at USD150 (to be paid in LKR upon check-in)
*Laundry is charged at LKR4,500 per load

Villa Layout:

A screen discreetly separates the outside world from Seven Pillars’s entrance veranda. Beyond the veranda, folding doors lead into Seven Pillars’s living and indoor dining areas, which give a feeling of space and grandeur, featuring high vaulted ceilings. Further ahead and out the wooden doors, a furnished garden-side veranda is waiting to be discovered, with an alfresco dining table nearby. A double bedroom leads off to the right of the entrance and above it is a mezzanine TV lounge. Also on the first floor is the master bedroom with its own terrazzo galley, below which lie the kitchen and third bedroom.

Indoor Living:

Seven Pillars’s expansive fan-cooled open-plan living areas lie beneath a soaring timber ceiling. Custom-made furniture – a striking complement of antiques and reproductions – harks back to the Dutch-colonial era, and injects the interiors with a heady historical atmosphere.

The homely lounge is furnished with a trio of daybeds lavishly capped by burgundy-hued cushions, antique rattan lounge chairs and a glass coffee table. This is a warm and welcoming social space. Folding windows open onto a front veranda, allowing you to keep one eye on the activity of Lighthouse Street as you relax in comfort.

A striking archway demarcates the indoor dining area, which is furnished with an impressive three-metre teak table for ten, overhung by copper drop lamps that cast a subtle light and create a nostalgic setting for home-cooked meals. A set of saloon doors nearby lead towards a fully equipped kitchen, which also opens up to the garden.

Up on the first floor is a tranquil reading room (an anteroom to the master room) with twin daybeds and a mezzanine lounge furnished with two more cushioned daybeds, a 50-inch flat-screen TV with satellite channels.

Outdoor Living:

Beyond the dining area are twin doors leading onto a breezy L-shaped garden veranda, edged by white pillars. Relax on the deep daybed here, curling up with that book you’ve been longing to start for months as our staff pour you tea and the fort’s family of exotic birds put on a heady musical performance.

Also within the walled gardens is a six-seater alfresco dining table which makes an idyllic spot for enjoying long lazy breakfasts or sipping cocktails at sunset.