Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort

This is one of the bigger hotels visited, with 238 keys divided into 5 categories. A popular choice for group reservations, this hotel sees many of its guests from Korea and China. During peak seasons, occupancy rates can soar to the high nineties, while dropping to 40 – 60% during low seasons.

The hotel has a large pond in the centre of the property, surrounded by a great variety of flowers, trees and greenery. In a tropical country like Cambodia, the 1,400 trees in Sofitel Angkor provide shade and adds an aesthetic touch to the compound. In the centre of the pond is a ‘hut’ for holding an intimate dinner or private party. The standard rooms are 46 sqm each selling at US$250.

This wonderful hotel is supported by 350 full-time staff. The pay of the staff is supplemented by a service charge that can range from US$90 to US$150 per month. The sales team is located in Penom Penh.

La Residence d’Angkor

After a long day touring Angkor Wat, a guest finds instant relaxation amidst the lush greenery surrounding the salt-water swimming pool that he is soaking in. This is La Residence d’Angkor, a 62- key boutique luxury hotel situated 20 min from the Siem Reap airport. Its main guests hail from the Americas and Europe, and is also a favourite place for romantic getaways and honeymoons.

In Sep 2009, the hotel spent US$4 million to built a new spa centre with suite, entrenching the property deeper as one of the leading premium spa destinations in Siem Reap. A spa package, together with the suite, can cost around US$600 per day. For those who are not keen to pamper themselves, the ADRs range from US$170 during low season, to US$300 during high season.

Outof the 62 rooms of the hotels, 8 are suites with floor areas between 110 sqm to 127 sqm. Service isdefinitely top notch, with a rating of almost a full 5 stars by 217 reviews on Tripadvisor

Hôtel de la Paix

This is a 107-key privately owned hotel that sits at a major cross junction and attracts by passers’attention with its clean lines and art deco architecture. Moving from the exterior to the interior,a guest will be intrigued by the art pieces in its lobby. As seen during the Master Class visit, the recessed lobby floor was filled with a thin layer of water to create a clear reflection of the hanging art pieces. Other stunning art displays in the past included a red eagle made of rifle nozzles
swooping just above the lobby floor . As what the Director of Sales and Marketing, Christian deBoer, has told the Master Class, the hotel’s philosophy is to serve the guests with sincerity and pride.This is strongly reflected by a respectable 4.5 stars out of 5 in the Tripadvisor ratings. In its pursuitto stay at the fore front of Siem Reap’s hospitality industry, the hotel has invested in technology to enhance the guests’ experience. Currently, all rooms have iPods and docking stations, with an additional 25 iPads being ordered for the suites.

Hotel de La Paix has won 11 awards in 2010, including the Conde Nast Traveler “World SaverAwards”, for its efforts in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Another notable accolade was its 6th ranking in Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards list of Top Resorts in Asia. The main CSR of de la Paix is the running of a sewing school in Siem Reap, that trains young Khmer women not only sewing skills, but also reading and writing of the Khmer script and English. This is done through a collaboration with MasterCard and the monks at Life & Hope Association in 2007.

– Seah Kai and Yash Bhanage