Shipping containers add an industrial aesthetic to this Sri Lankan jungle hotel, which combines concrete and steel to rugged effect.

Palm Hotel is located in a former coconut plantation, just outside the paddy fields of Ahangama in the Southern Province. Its owners, who moved to Sri Lanka from London, describe its unexpected appearance as ‘Shoreditch-infused tropical architecture.’

Guests can lounge in hanging cane chairs at Palm Hotel’s communal space, made from repurposed shipping containers, or retire to one of six corrugated steel huts, dotted about the surrounding coconut grove.

Says the owners: ‘We wanted to spread the buildings across the land so our guests could disconnect and enjoy the quiet and serenity of their own space but still have a central place to mingle when they feel like it.’

Polished concrete floors help rooms stay cool, while gauzy curtains and bamboo blinds keep the sun at bay and soften the hotel rooms’ brutalist interiors, and open-air bathrooms with rainfall showers make the most of Sri Lanka’s tropical climate.

Palm Hotel caters for wellness enthusiasts, offers outdoor yoga and Crossfit classes, as well as an all-day kitchen serving healthy dishes made with local produce. Prices start at $100 per night.

Galkadanduwa, Nakanda, Ahangama, Sr Lanka

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