The Best Hotels in Siem Reap

"On the tree-lined banks of the Siem Reap River, in the heart of the bustling tourist town of the same name, a walled compound harks back to a more refined era.Its sloping terracotta roofs, louvered doors, and teak and basalt accentsdraw onboth traditional Khmer and French colonial architecture. The grounds are lush, filled with large-leafed tropical plants and brightly hued flowers that shade lounging residents from the intense sun and perfume the steamy air with sweet fragrances. Wooden pavilions offer breezy resting spots, where a refreshing hibiscus tea, or something stronger, never goes amiss; when the heat gets too intense, the most refreshing respite is a dip in the turquoise pool. By evening,traditional dance and musical performances accompany gourmet Khmer dinners. What’s most impressive about the Belmond La Résidence d’Angkor is that it was built only in 2002 (and completely renovated in 2016) and yet has managed to cultivate a feeling of Old World elegance.The rooms in this all-suite property areoutfitted with the latest in modern technology and luxury, yetthe atmosphere is one of Khmer tradition and refinement (thinkhand-woven silks, locally made crafts, and original art). The decadent spa, too, feels like a more modern sanctuary, even though its treatments use traditional methods and locally made products; guests are also greeted with a choice of housemade soaps for their room, and sent home with extras as a gift, demonstrating the hotel’s consummate hospitality."

"Heritage Suites Hotel How often does a king’s car pick you up at the airport? Arrival at Heritage Suites begins with a vintage 1962 or 1968 Mercedes—one of which used to belong to the late King Norodom Sihanouk—before you're promptly whisked off to a historic cream-colored building of soaring arches, mahogany columns, and wrought-iron balconies. With just 26 rooms (most of which are suites), the boutique hideaway is often so serene as to feel more like a royal’s private compound than a hotel—if a royal’s compound had its own high-end tour agency and one of the trendiest jazz bars in town. Rooms are spacious and surprisingly modern in style—all suites have a lush private garden, and top-tier rooms also have a private hot tub—and welcome drinks and canapés help guests immediately acclimate to the villa’s languid and decadent atmosphere. The sprawling saltwater pool and its umbrella-shaded sunbeds beckon at all hours (including for romantic candlelit dining), while the intimate spa offers yet another way to unwind in between temple excursions. Best of all, the hotel gives back: It works closely with the Sala Baï Hotel and Restaurant School, training and hiring students from this school that works with underprivileged Cambodians, especially women, and offers guests opportunities to participate in activities with the school."

"Phum Baitang Why we love it: A serene stay just outside of town that captures the spirit of Cambodia The Highlights: - A breathtaking setting amid gardens and rice paddies - Standalone villas with private terraces or plunge pools - A cocktail and cigar bar with a perfect view of the sunset The Review: Most visitors to Siem Reap come for just enough time to see Angkor Wat, but Phum Baitang—a five-star property from Zannier Hotels—makes a case for staying longer. Set amid eight acres of lush gardens, lemongrass meadows, and fully functioning rice paddies, the intimate resort offers relaxation in spades but is still just a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride from downtown when you want to explore. Inspired by Cambodia’s traditional wooden houses, the 45 stilted villas are simple yet luxurious, with cool cotton linens, handmade wooden furniture, and lantern-style lighting. Some have private terraces and others have backyard plunge pools, but all include spacious bathrooms with stone sinks and oversized bathtubs. When not soaking up the serenity in your room, take the raised wooden path through the rice paddies to the outdoor infinity pool, passing the hotel’s resident water buffalos as you go. If you seek sustenance, repair instead to the Cigar & Cocktail Lounge, located in a century-old farmhouse furnished with rattan wing chairs and Oriental carpets. There are also three restaurants on site—the Pool Bar serves light meals and homemade juices, Bay Phsar highlights local ingredients and flavors, and Hang Bay offers international cuisine like seafood and steaks. For more relaxation, there’s the Spa Temple, where treatments incorporate coconut milk and local moringa oil to pamper guests after a day spent temple hopping."

"Opened in 1932 in the historic Royal Khmer compound, this landmark hotel was the first luxury lodging in the area, catering to well-heeled adventurers intent on visiting the storied ruins of the temples at Angkor. Everyone from Charlie Chaplin and Charles de Gaulle to Jackie O and, more recently, Angelina Jolie have slept within its dramatic, art deco walls. Just a short walk or tuk-tuk ride to central Siem Reap , the hotel, now part of the Raffles collection, features 15 acres of manicured gardens with more than 20,540 species of tropical plants, making it a relaxing oasis after a day spent exploring the temples. Following a major restoration by David Grace Designs in 2019, the 119 rooms, suites, and villas—some set in the original main building, others overlooking the garden or pool—are now a vision of French windows, hardwood floors, and marble bathrooms with Italian tiling and oversized rain showers.Some have added perks like furnished terraces, high ceilings, or four-poster beds. Elsewhere in the hotel, features like the 1929 metal-and-timber elevator, art deco black-and-white tiles, and classic conservatory have been refurbished but maintained. The large central swimming pool is ringed by loungers, while the tucked-away spa has a sauna, Jacuzzi, and six treatment rooms for excellent, regionally inspired therapies. Both in-house and outside guests frequent the six drinking and dining options, which include the legendary Elephant Bar, the elegant Restaurant Le Grand (serving both Western and Royal Khmer cuisine), and the completely renovated Apsara Terrace, which offers a dinner-cum-cultural dance show three or five nights a week, depending on the season. The on-site gallery and boutique showcase high-quality local goods."

"Dutchman Dirk de Graaff left a demanding consulting position in Hong Kong to become a hotelier in Siem Reap , falling for Cambodia’s natural beauty, smiling residents, and laid-back way of life. He ran the first gay-friendly guesthouse in town before opening two hotels, a boutique hotel and the more upscale Rambutan Resort, a 16-room property, where he’s successfully re-created the traits that led him to the country in the first place. The simple but stylish rooms employ local, natural materials, with custom-made, chocolate-brown and white-flecked sugar-palm beds (of eco-friendly wood), brightly hued silk lamps, and private outdoor terrazzo soaking tubs. Modern Asian art—including comical pieces by Chinese artist Yue Minjun—adorns the walls. A lovely slate-and-stone tiled, tree-shaded pool anchors the property, its cascading water feature lending a meditative quality. And though Rambutan’s flair is more than enough reason to stay, it’s the exceedingly personable staff that makes it a true standout. Guests are welcomed like old friends (many are on return visits); the affable check-in crew and servers artfully walk the line between doing their jobs and making time for a chat. De Graaff invests in his team—providing scholarships to further their careers in hospitality, for instance—and their mutual affection for the place shows."

"A love for the lush Cambodian countryside and its charming rural architecture led four Swiss and French friends to open Sala Lodgesin 2012. They amassed 11 stunning examples of the wooden homes on stilts that punctuate the Khmer landscape, hiring carpenters to carefully select, disassemble, transport, and resurrect them on alush village-like property in Siem Reap not far from the temples. Each house has its unique style and story to tell—the oldest ones date to the late 1950s. Antiques, canopied beds, soft lighting, and pastel-hued fabrics, updated with essential modern-day luxuries like air conditioning and rain showers, now fill the majestic structures. Indigenous trees and plants like palm, papaya, and banana trees, and rice fields populated by little frogs and chirping crickets, are an ode to local village life. The generous layout of the rooms and verandas lends a languid atmosphere perfect for taking in the property’s enchanting sights and sounds while contemplating the splendor of Angkor."

"Given the abundance of hotels in Siem Reap , it’s hard to imagine that when the Shinta Mani opened in 2003 there were few—if any—comparable boutique properties in town. It set the bar for those seeking a smaller-scale, personable, and indulgent experience, from the traditional Khmer decor to the cuisine. And like any great hotel, there comes a time for a change. Enter Bill Bensley, the Harvard-educated, Bangkok -based architect and landscape designer behind many of the world’s most arresting properties, who led a two-year total renovation of the place completed in 2012. Using cues from Angkor—columned passages, Buddhist shrines, maps and photos of the temples—Bensley dramatically transformed the Shinta Mani into a contemporary haven with a touch of whimsy, now called Shinta Mani Angkor(the larger Shinta ManiShack resort is across the road). Interiors use a stark palette—white subway-tiled floors and walls; heavy black armoires; charcoal-gray terrazzo partitions; stainless-steel light fixtures—offset by tangerine accents, in a nod to the orange-clad Buddhist monks who meander the temples’ time-worn sandstone structures. From the sugar palm tree–fringed black granite lap pool to the dangling daybeds where you’ll enjoy the decadent breakfast buffet, the Shinta Mani offers just the right mix of drama and comfort."

"Hidden away in the lush jungle south of Siem Reap , the sleepy village of Treak is home to one of Cambodia’s best-kept secrets. In such a tourist-flooded destination, it’s easy to get swept away in the sightseeing infrastructure—both luxury and backpacker—and miss out on local Cambodian culture. But this palm tree–filled oasis of just 10 villa-style rooms has the answer. The hotel is staffed almost entirely by villagers, the sleek modern decor comes from local artisans, water is heated through solar energy, and the restaurant sources its fresh ingredients from nearby farms. Sojourn even has its own NGO, Husk, which works with local families on everything from health to education, providing opportunities for guests to educate themselves and engage with the community in a positive way. Best of all, Sojourn encourages this responsible tourism without sacrificing a modicum of luxury, from its glassy saltwater pool with a swim-up bar to its custom-made destination dining experiences. The secluded, romantic suites have private gardens, and the decadent spa is the perfect way to bliss out after a day of exploring the dusty ruins."

"If you’ve come to Siem Reap , you’ve already got architectural wonders on the mind. And though you’ll spend your days learning about a 1,000-year-old civilization, a stay at Viroth's Villa allows a more recent era of Khmer creativity to be contemplated: the 1960s. The decade saw the arts flourish in newly independent Cambodia, most notably in the modernist New Khmer Architecture style. Viroth's Villa’s boxy, petite, two-story building is one of the Le Corbusier–inspired genre’s few remaining examples (there are others in Phnom Penh and Kep, on the coast), and its owners, Fabien Martial and Viroth Kol, went to great pains to honor its clean lines and honest aesthetic when renovating the dilapidated building in 2007. Rooms use local materials to modern effect, with dark gray tiled floors and polished terrazzo baths, woven water hyacinth mats, and teak doors. Decor is kept to a minimum—a single standing Buddha, a giant frond from an Elephant Ear palm in a vase—but expertly curated and placed, lending the property the feel of a Southeast Asian art gallery. The intimate, seductive style can also be found in the couple’s second, larger property, Viroth's Hotel, a newly constructed 1950s-inspired space that opened in January 2015."