Gayatri Bhaumik finds Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat is also home to Cambodia’s coolest boutique hideaways.
If Asia is on your travel radar, you have to have Siem Reap, Cambodia’s own temple town, on your destination list. Eclectic, ancient, and fascinating, Siem Reap is a city that’s always reinventing itself. With colonial architecture, a rich heritage, a vibrant cultural scene, and some of the country’s finest restaurants to book, the gateway to the Angkor Wat temple complex is a must-visit for any Indochina-bound traveler, and when you do arrive, you’ll also find a host of uber-cool boutique hotels packed with personality. Here are a few of our favorites.
Anantara Angkor Resort
A quiet hotel ten minutes from the hustle and bustle of the city center, the Anantara Angkor Resort is a cozy retreat inspired by Cambodian heritage – think plenty of wood and colonial-era touches. The heart of the hotel is a central courtyard dominated by a saltwater pool; clustered around it are three interconnected buildings which house the property’s 33 guest rooms and six suites. Deluxe rooms are decked out with rich wood floors and furniture, and locally-inspired handcrafted lamps and woven headboards as well as outdoor rain showers, private balconies, Anantara Spa amenities, and 37-inch flatscreens.
Cambodian traditions can also be seen throughout the rest of the property in features like the locally-inspired rituals of the Anantara Spa, elegant Khmer cuisine at The Sothea restaurant, and fresh coconuts from the poolside stand. Be sure to explore the local culture with Anantara’s exclusive offerings, which include Khmer cooking classes, picnics at Angkor Thom, temple bike tours, tuk-tuk city transfers, and market tours with an Anantara’s ‘Streetwise Guru’.
Heritage Suites Hotel
Tucked down a small street just 15 minutes from Angkor Wat, Heritage Suites Hotel is a chic, colonial-inspired throwback to French influence in Cambodia. Boasting just 26 recently-renovated rooms and suites, this chic, intimate property blends modern Cambodian design with bursts of Art Deco touches and a fleet of well-maintained vintage Mercedes-Benz cars to ferry guests around.
The expansive yet minimalist rooms are dressed in soothing whites, creams, blues, and greens, and feature plush furnishings, decorative lamps, and gold-toned headboards. Check into one of the Bungalow Suites for the ensured privacy that comes with a separate sitting area and private garden, an open-concept bedroom-shower-bathtub combo, a walk-in wardrobe, and dressing room. You’ll also find an espresso machine, premium teas, and your own steam room – but no TVs. Spend your free time here lounging by the outdoor pool, being pampered at the lavish Heritage Spa by Bodia, or perfecting your conversation over western-influenced Khmer cuisine at the elegant Heritage Restaurant.
Shinta Mani
An upscale two-for-one boutique offering created by American designer and architect Bill Bensley, Shinta Mani is actually two design-savvy properties set in the heart of Siem Reap’s French Quarter. Both properties are sophisticated boltholes marrying clean, modern aesthetics with local Khmer accents, but Shinta Mani Club is a private-club like oasis of just 39 rooms, while Shinta Mani resort is – as the name suggests – a resort-style property with 62 suites centered around a tropical garden and swimming pool, with each room featuring DVD/TV setups, iPod docking, local artwork, and espresso machines.
Book a Poolside Garden Room at the Resort to enjoy direct access to the pool along with vintage-feel furniture, dark wood accents, mirrored feature walls, Bluetooth technology, and artwork created by Bangkok’s Bensley Design Studios set against a brooding color palette of black and deep grey enlivened with bright bursts of orange. Guests have access to four F&B options across both the Club and Resort, but the unrivaled highlight is Kroya, where you can enjoy Khmer tasting menus while ensconced on swing seats. Rounding out this unique property’s offerings are a stylish spa, and activities including temple adventures, Vespa tours, and visits to Phare: The Cambodian Circus.
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