Viroth's Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia - Explore & Book
"Teaming up with ASMA, Cambodia’s brightest young architects, Viroth’s Hotel pays witty tribute to the country’s brief flowering of modernist architecture with a double-retro bow to the tropical Bauhaus revival. Think Kampala, 1958: diplomats’ wives, remittance men, a table of quiet, intent fellows plotting the overthrow of the regime. But the crisp white lines of the 2 wings are softened by drooping vines and burgeoning evergreens, while public spaces flow gently into one another, from lobby to lounge to bar to pool, all furnished with vintage-style Scandinavian furniture. A bold winding staircase leads up to an equally bold walkway connecting the 2 wings, while underneath a pool, tiled pristine white, shimmers in the midday sun. The 35 rooms are little oases of Tropical Modern, with more clean lines and top-of-the-range fixtures and fittings, each decorated with a few well-chosen and fun pieces of bric-a-brac (chopped palm fronds, mounted sickles, door knockers). Ideal for the young and design-conscious, and surprisingly comfy for everyone else. Highs Bright, witty, elegant design and lots of welcoming public spaces, with greenery sprouting left and right A sociable bar, decent restaurant and serene spa with fruity treatments Lovely staff and a lovely manager, all keen to make anyone feel at home without being obsequious. Many remember your name An easy 20-minute tuk-tuk from Angkor Wat, and you'll be given a breakfast basket if you want to go for sunrise Lows Bathrooms are compact and functional rather than lavish, and the towels were a bit stale Lying by the pool puts you slightly on stagey display from the lobby and lounge areas, which sit on lower ground It's not the quietest place on earth" - Nicolas Buchele
