I began my time in Cambodia at the historic Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, the original luxury hotel in Siem Reap. This is a very special hotel with much to love about it.
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor Review – Siem Reap Luxury Hotel
Known as “La Grande Dame of Angkor,” the hotel opened in 1932 and was designed by French architect Ernest Hébrard. This jewel of French Indochina remains one of the last colonial-era hotels in Cambodia and was acquired by Raffles in 1994. Notable guests have spanned from Charlie Chaplin to Bill and Hillary Clinton, from Jacqueline Kennedy to Charles de Gaulle…and now yours truly! 😉
My nightly rate was $388, but by booking with American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts my stay included:
- 12:00 pm check-in (based on availability)
- Room upgrade (based on availability)
- Daily breakfast
- 1oo USD property credit
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- 4:00 pm check-out
Note, this hotel was not bookable via the Capital One Premier Collection but is bookable via Chase’s Luxury Hotel Collection with the same benefits as above.
It’s located about 45 kilometers (55 minutes) from the new airport (SAI) compared to only 13 minutes from the old REP Airport that recently closed. Angor Wat, however, is only 10 minutes away and the city center of Siem Reap is walkable, though I recommend using a taxi or rickshaw (about a mile drive, which is a lot on a hot day…).
A friendly valet will greet you upon arrival and help with your bags.
Check-In
After arriving from Singapore, I checked in at about 4:30 pm. My room was ready and I was informed of an upgrade to a Landmark Room, one of the original hotel rooms dating back to the 1932 opening.
One very cool vestige of the past at this hotel is the vintage elevator that also dates back to the opening and that is still in full operation today.
Room
Each floor has lovely common areas near the elevator and stairs.
My room, 3118, was spacious (about 36 square meters or 387 square feet) and included a king-size bed, desk, sitting area, and balcony overlooking the pool.
I loved the vintage phone:
A generic espresso pod machine was placed in the room as well water bottled in-house. A welcome amenity included a bowl of fruit, bottle of Prosecco, and a sweet treat:
The marble bathroom was small, but included a toilet, bathtub, shower, and toilet.
Food + Drink
The hotel offers several restaurants and bars, making it difficult to leave in a city filled with excellent food.
The Conservancy
My favorite part of the hotel was The Conservancy, a lobby lounge that includes a small bar in the corner (offering coffee and alcohol) and the gentle sound of piano music (with singing in the evening).
There’s also outdoor seating available (shared by Cafe d’Angor), though it was far too hot during my stay to sit outside, even in the shade.
You’ve got to meet Raul…the hotel’s pianist in residence, who is both remarkably kind and remarkably talented. This experience places the hotel in a different league and is something worth staying here for.
Elephant Bar
More iconic than The Conservancy is Elephant Bar, the hotel’s vintage main bar. Dating back to 1932, it offers an excellent menu of food (I had lamb…of course) and excellent cocktails. It is open daily from 4:00 pm to midnight.
Cafe d’Angor
Breakfast is available from 6:30 am to 10:30 am every morning (11:00 am on weekends), with a wide selection of local, French, and other Western food, barista-made coffee, fresh-squeezed juices, and free-flowing Champagne (Charles Mignon). There was even an avacado bar!
1932 Khmer Cuisine
Khmer cuisine is available nightly from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm in a beautiful dining room.
Pool Terrace
Food and drink are available poolside daily from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Room Service
Finally, 24/7 room service is available…something I did not try this visit.
Spa + Wellness
I used my hotel credit for a 90-minute massage…which may seem counterintuitive in a city in which inexpensive but excellent massage parlors abound…but the massage was great and I want to call out Sophanna for her excellent techniques…it was a massage that helped to get the knots out of my shoulders.
The wellness area was located inside the locker room and included a sauna, steam room, and cold plunge pool.
Fitness
My only criticism for this property (especially when compared to the Park Hyatt that I stayed at next) was the small fitness center. While still functional, there was very little on offer in terms of strength resistance machines.
Pool
The pool is the centerpiece of this property and beautiful both by day and night.
Service
Kudos to the lovely and professional staff here. Everyone was gracious and there was not a single bad service encounter.
CONCLUSION
I don’t have enough good things to say about the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap. This is a lovely historic hotel, the kind of hotel that you absolutely have to at least stop by if staying in Siem Reap. It’s quiet, just 10 minutes from Angor Wat, and offers spacious and comfortable accommodations with great service. I cannot wait to return!
Seems lovely. The Park Hyatt Siem Reap is cut from the same bolt of cloth although each has some better aspects such as the public pool at Raffles. My wife and I stayed at the Park Hyatt at the beginning of the year and were highly impressed. You have to do you but maybe it would be worth looking into on future visits. Also, if you need a driver my wife found one who’s well above average. Even beyond the ruins I’m getting to like Siem Reap more each time.
Siem Reap is a blast. The last time I rented an electric scooter for 2 days and drove myself around the temple complex. There are so many small, cozy restaurants in the city to choose from, many set up by expats preparing food from the countries they retired from. It is worth planning a couple nights just to chill by the pool, eat, and walk. The town is already beginning to lose its quaint feeling so the time to go is now.
Just some constructive criticism, but maybe a section on how to get to and from the hotel…and maybe some info on what type of neighborhood/location it’s in.
Added info from airport. My concern was that my visit was when the old airport was still open (13 minutes away) but wasn’ t sure how far the new airport was…I looked it up. Yikes, it’s 55 minutes away. What were they thinking?!
They had to put the new airport far enough from the sites that it wouldn’t cause further degradation like the old airport did.
@Matthew, perhaps you hit the publish button too early? The conclusion is missing… And Grammarly (or should we call it Errorly?) strikes again. :-\
You should’ve added a closeup of your Wellness area selfie; I can’t wait to read the comments about that. :-p
Somehow the Service and Conclustion sections get cut off…I just re-inserted them.
This trip report breaks my heart. I left Thailand because Raffles was on my childhood bucket list. I am fascinated by historic hotels. While checking in I was informed there was now a strike. Apparently in Cambodia they have strikes. Staff made arrangements for other hotels and transport for everyone. It was solar max hot and periodic gunfire in the evening. I was alone and flew back to Chiang Mai the next day, which felt like northern Canada.
Sometimes stuff doesn’t work out. I will try again. Thank you for the trip report.
I’m sorry that occurred but hope you can get back to Cambodia one day!
Should i die before, at least I had this great trip report. Remember I never got out of the lobby!
I want a trip report from there by all the new AA ExP’s that earned their status by booking rooms there in Cambodia but no showed.
But the dumps they are booked aren’t as nice.
This was the first hotel I stayed at in Cambodia about 20 years ago. I still have fond memories from that stay.
I adore grand old hotels and your review convinced me to consider this one.