Accommodation in Siem Reap
 

Hi fellow travelers ,
I will be in Siem Reap for the Christmas Holidays.
Already booked for a few days at the Sofitel as a holiday treat for 4 days . Looking for a mid range, safe, clean centrally located accommodation for the remaining five days -any suggestions? Too many to chose from.
Need ac, Internet, restaurant and onsite gym would be nice . A boutique hotel would be great.

Thank you

I'm not sure what your concern is in terms of safety... all of the places will be safe. If you want a nice place for a splurge, I wouldn't choose the Sofitel. How about a lovely boutique property like the Shina Mani or La Residence or the Park Hyatt (used to be the Hotel de la Paix) or the Victoria Angkor?

What do you want to pay per night?

We've stayed at http://www.siddharta-hotel.com/, which is closer to the temples and an easy 20 min walk into town. Restaurant on site is quite nice and the staff is incredibly friendly. Have a great trip!

This last post reminds me to tell you that you want to be in town and not out on the road to the temples. Why? You want to be able to walk to restaurants and bars and not feel captive to your hotel, "an easy 20 minute walk to town" - think about it - probably 90 degrees and equal humidity, and at night? with no lights? - seems like a really bad idea. When you go to the temples, you'll have a car or a tuk-tuk, so a few minutes one way or the other won't matter.

Two of my favorite places to stay in Siem Reap are:
-Hotel Be, which is located right beside the Old Market on pub street. There are only 3 unique rooms with rooftop balconies for an added bonus. I stayed in the bamboo room which was quite large for the price. http://hotelbeangkor.com/home.php
-Viroth's Hotel, it's right across the river from the Old Market (6 minute walk or $2 tuktuk ride). It's a hidden oasis with the friendliest staff. The rooms are moderate in size but all you need.
http://www.viroth-hotel.com/

I've also stayed in the Victoria Angkor, La Residence, & FCC Angkor. They all had their pros and cons but would probably rank them in the above order for most recommended to least recommended. Granted you wouldn't go wrong with any of the 5 I've mentioned.

Not sure of your budget but hope this helps

Unfortunately, most of the recommended hotels are booked during this period .

Does anyone have any feedback on the Golden Banana Boutique Hotel and the Angkor Heritage Boutique Hotel?

Thanks again!

We stayed at the Golden Banana Boutique Hotel in February, 2013. It was across the river from the noisy Pub Street scene, had a nice pool, lovely staff, great breakfasts, and the little restaurant was so nice that we ate lunch there more than once.

Our room was at the top of the building up a steep stairway. Be sure to let them know if you have mobility issues. There seemed to be a water shortage when we were there, with no water from about 10 p.m. until morning. Our only problem with this was a lack of notice for the first day. I would inquire as to whether this is still a problem.

The guide and tuk tuk drivers the hotel arranged for us were top notch.

One final note: there seem to be several Golden Bananas in this group - boutique hotel, resort, inn, bed and breakfast. I could never figure out the difference. We were in the <b>Golden Banana Boutique Resort Hotel</b>.

The Kiri Boutique Hotel has a very nice property with a beautiful pool area. The rooms are very comfortable with a nice bathroom and separate shower area. Most rooms have a small area with a table and chairs just outside the room. Each night the beds are turned down and a small plate of cookies is left in the room. The staff is very kind and helpful and the owner is quite friendly and can provide some good travel suggestions. The food in the restaurant is good and reasonably priced. When we contacted the hotel about our arrival, they provided a free airport tuk tuk pickup to the hotel. The hotel is about 10 minute walk to local restaurants and about a 15 minute walk to Pub Street, but the hotel also offers a free tuk tuk ride. Be sure to know the location of the hotel your first time out, because some of the tuk tuk drivers are not familiar with the hotel, since it is only a few months old. Just know that the hotel is located on Angkor High School Road opposite Cambodian Mekong University. I would recommend the Kiri Boutique Hotel to friends and I would stay there again if I am in Siem Reap. Pl contact www.kiriboutiquehotel.com

We stayed at Navutu Dreams for eight nights this year and loved it! http://www.navutudreams.com/ The hotel has everything you seek (ac, Internet, restaurant, onsite gym (but small), and is a boutique hotel. It is just outside of town but the room includes a private tuk tuk driver.

<i>This last post reminds me to tell you that you want to be in town and not out on the road to the temples. Why? You want to be able to walk to restaurants and bars and not feel captive to your hotel</i>

Just to offer a differing viewpoint on this... some places that are further away from the downtown area will assign you a tuk-tuk driver who will take you anywhere you want, whenever.

We stayed off the beaten path a bit, at the Pavillon d'Orient, and found it very relaxing, friendly and enjoyable. And going downtown was always just an easy tuk-tuk ride away.

http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com/

I am booked at the Hanumanlaya Boutiques Residences in January and chose a larger room there. It might meet your criteria.