Focus Cambodia shares our guide to the best places to stay when in Siem Reap
Phum Baitang
In the Khmer language, Phum Baitang means “green village.” Indeed, this stunning luxury resort is modelled upon a traditional Cambodian community. Wooden walkways weave past its 45 terrace and pool villas, their antique furnishings on wooden floors beneath thatch and tile roofs. They share 20-acre grounds with groves of sugar palms, lemongrass meadows and rice paddies harvested three times a year. Beside the 50-metre saltwater pool, Bai Phsar restaurant is locally famed for its Khmer cuisine made with garden-fresh ingredients. Phum Baitang also features a spa with seven individual treatment bungalows, a yoga pavilion, a gym and free use of resort bicycles.
Jaya House Riverpark
Meshing mid-20th-century Cambodian modernism with the grand style of ancient Angkor, the luxurious boutique Jaya House wins praise for its focus on community and environmental initiatives. Its Refill Not Landfill campaign, pioneered in 2015, made it Cambodia’s first plastic-free hotel, doing away with single-use plastics by encouraging reusable drinking bottles and free refill stations. Dozens of paintings by underprivileged students from Siem Reap’s Small Art School demonstrate a similar commitment to Khmer culture — as does the creative Khmer and international fare served at the Trorkuon restaurant. The hotel’s 36 rooms overlook a tropical garden. Other special touches include a rooftop sky bar and two swimming pools. The Riverpark also has a new sister hotel, the Jaya House Angkor Park.
jayahouseriverparksiemreap.com
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
Nowhere else in Siem Reap has the historical cachet of the Raffles Grand. Since opening in 1932, this colonial landmark on the road to Angkor Wat has hosted a who’s who of famous faces, from Charlie Chaplin and Somerset Maugham to Bill and Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. Closed for renovation for six months in 2019, it has lost none of its grandeur. Nods to history are everywhere, and the weekly classical dance performances may be the best in Siem Reap. Service and attention to detail — look out for the original wrought-iron cage elevator and fully functional rotary phones — are exquisite. Restaurant 1932 is a fine place to sample royal Khmer cuisine, while the Café d’Angkor is a more casual option. Traditional afternoon tea is served in The Conservatory, overlooking the spacious pool and the Royal Garden, and the atmospheric Elephant Bar offers cocktails and an extensive wine list.
Treeline Urban Resort
Designed by artists for art lovers, this centrally located boutique hotel is the creation of architect Hok Kang. Inspired by Cambodian heritage and the Kingdom’s natural beauty, Kang developed a property with a minimalist aesthetic that carries to its 48 guest rooms. Wood and stone design details predominate. Music filters through the open-air courtyard gallery that features a private collection of works by contemporary Cambodian artists. The eponymous “treeline” is best seen from the rooftop, with its infinity pool and forest-like views of the foliage lining the adjacent Siem Reap river.
Viroth’s Hotel
Imbued with a ’50-’60s ambience, Viroth’s is a step back in time to a peaceful period of Cambodian history. A chauffeur-driven vintage Mercedes or Rolls Royce collects guests at the Siem Reap airport and scoots them to the leafy Wat Bo area in the heart of the city, just across the river from the Old Market. Here, 35 rooms and suites — embraced by gardens and vertical greenery — offer elegant simplicity accentuated by cutting-edge technology. Famed for its service, the hotel has a 20-metre swimming pool and spa for guests’ exclusive use. A casual restaurant serves both Khmer and continental cuisine.
Rambutan Hotel & Resort
Is it a hotel or a resort? In the case of Rambutan, the first gay-friendly boutique lodging in Siem Reap, it’s both — adjacent communities on a quiet lane across the river from the Old Market. Hotel and resort are modelled upon traditional Khmer villages with saltwater pools, tropical gardens, spa, restaurant and bar. Room interiors are decked out in modern trappings, including contemporary artwork, with nods to Khmer culture in the locally made furniture and silk textiles. Each room in the resort has its own private terrace, outdoor bath and splash shower; the hotel’s balcony units spill over two levels.
