Most of our Friends seem to stay at the Raffles in Siem Reap. It does not seem to get good reviews on this post.
Does anyone have any other suggustions?

Not that I've been yet, but I tend to need to know about every possible option beforehand.

If you are looking for a top end place, try Hotel de la Paix. Shinta Mani, same owners apparently, is a bit cheaper. FCC Angkor seems to be slick. Sofitel has nice pools. A Japanese friend of mine stayed at Le Meridien last month and thought it was very nice...it's also very close to the temples.

There are many less expensive options that look fantastic, and as they have fewer rooms, it may be easier to
interact with other guests and staff...that's important to us.

My bookmarks for further consideration...
http://www.bopha-angkor.com/gallery.html
http://www.peaceofangkor.com/ToursMini.htm
http://www.angkor-lanoria.com/uk/contactuk.htm
http://www.mysteres-angkor.com/english/default.htm
http://www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com/poolside.php
http://www.shintamani.com/index.php
http://www.palmvillage.com.kh/gallery.php
http://www.lavillaloti.com/
http://www.travel-cambodia.com/marin...ouse/index.htm

Marina Guesthouse is run by Ponheary Ly's family, and we will spend a few days there when we go. Then we will move to a place with a pool...our daughter loves pools.

You might want to consider having a guide, and as guides go, Ponheary comes highly recommended. www.theplf.org
might be of interest to you as well...started by Fodorites!

And about Raffles...I've heard both that it's very nice and that it's grossly overpriced and unfriendly.

Raffles is obscenely overpriced!

Kim has given you lots of good options.

hotel de la paix is excellent according to those who have stayed there recently...the sofitel is also very nice...

i believe there is a new meredien hotel as well..

Thanks all for the input. Kim, I really appreciate all the websites. The Peace of Ankor offers some great excursions. I emailed them about the Ko Ker one night 2 day excursion. I like that it includes Beng Mealea and the Linga river. It looks like a great way to spend some time off the main tourist circut.
But now I am really confused about hotels. Hotel de La Paix looks beautiful but from the Web site it looks like it lacks some of the charm of the others.It looks to have more of the Aman Feel to it. The grounds of the Sofitel look stunning, but it may have a tour group feel. I thought the Bopha looked charming as well as the Shinta Mani. I will email them all and availabilty may make my decision. As long as it is clean, good bed, updated bathroom, a nice pool and good service it is probably hard to go with any of them.
We are going with La Residence in Luang Prabang.
I am still waiting for my daughters professor to give me the final details on the Mekong Delta trip.
The beginning and end I am happy with. The middle is still a little uncertain, but it is coming together.

Hotel de la Paix is a lot more than a "clean, good bed, updated bathroom, a nice pool and good service". It is a great place though. In LP, you might consider the Maison Souvanaphoum as it meets the above requirements and is more centrally located than the Pansea.

I stayed at the Sofitel about 4 months after it opened and it was great.

It was definitely more ritzy that needed to tour Ankgor

Craig or anyone. I really like my creature comforts. I am very picky about beds, linens and very high end bathrooms.
Space is avaiable at all hotels. De la paix looks very beautiful but very contempory for Siem Reap. Does it have any local charm? The Sofietel look to have a beautiful pool, but being in town may be an advantage.
Maison Souvanaphoun looks to have a good in town location. Now I am torn. I liked La Residence, since I loved both of the former Panseas in Bali and Rangoon, for a couple of nights. They were both botique had so much local charm. I do have to say, however that on the 2nd night in Rangoon I felt a little isolated. But that was 6 years ago for bali and 5 for Burma. Things change fast.

Any imput would be appreciated.
Sally

I also wanted to everyone for sharing all your knowledge. I may have to do a couple of trip reports.

I thought I was set, but TOO MANY hotel choices!!!

With how you describe your expectations and wants, I might say go with the de la Paix.

For local charm - if there even is any to be found, you'd have to take a big step down in hotel grade I'm afraid. Also, though I haven't been to Siem Reap yet, I'm under the distinct impression that it lacks local charm in the way you might expect from being in Bali. Outside of your hotel, there is in your face poverty everywhere you turn. You have to remember that the only reason people are going to Siem Reap is the temples, a huge number of them on "fly in, stay 2 nights in a luxe hotel, tour temples with a guide, meals in hotel, fly out" kind of package.

I don't expect to be charmed in the same way that I was in Bali by the town or any accommodations. Most hotels and guesthouses are actually owned by foreigner individuals or foreign corporations. One goal of the top end hotels is to insulate their guests from the reality that is today's Cambodia.

I can tell you that the big Japanese tour comopanies use Le Meridien and Sofitel for their luxury level properties. Shinta Mani, FCC, de la Paix and the others on my list are not listed in any Japanese tour guide right now...if that's any indicator of how many tour group tourists would be in your hotel.

Sally, in Luang Prabang, we stayed at the Pansea (now La Residence) and it was really lovely. The rooms were huge, with big bathrooms and a lovely shaded balcony. I would stay there again.

We spent 4 nights in Shinta Mani in April. We chose it after reading the options on this board and essentially because of the fact that it trains local young people in jobs. If you look at the website it explains how the money they make is also helping support the families of their trainees. There is a small hospitality school on the premises which welcomes visitors
I had also read that some of the hotels which are otherwise highly rated, have hard beds.
When we arrived at Shinta Mani after a journey of about 24 hours,we had met up at Siem Reap airport with my daughter who was in Cambodia volunteering.
We had two rooms right by the pool and I thought that the four of us had jumped straight in. However I noticed my youngest daughter was missing and found her curled up in bed fast asleep! She told me that the bed was SO comfortable when she sat on it and that it had a quilt which she hadn't seen for two months and that the airconditioning made the whole prospect so attractive,she decided to abandon the family reunion in favour of her room!
The rooms are very comfortable, well appointed, clean and peaceful. The location is good. The staff are THE most charming ever I think.
The food is top-notch.I unhesitatingly recommend the Shinta Mani ( in case that wasn't clear!)

I have emailed the Shinta Mana twice and I get an auto responce that they will confirm in 48 hours and I still have not heard back. Has anyone had that problem?
I also have tried Bopha twice.
I am confirmed at Hotel DP. But the price is over $2,500. for 5 nights, since we need two rooms, Our 2 kids 25 and 21 from will now both be joining us
We would like to be in town, To walk to restaurents, etc, but Sofietel is offering good prices. Is that location inconvientent?

The Sofitel is a ways outside of the town...you won't be walking anywhere...but you could easilly get transportation.

When are you going and what type of rooms are you booking? I'm seeing very good rates for the Hotel de la Paix for summer and fall directly and on mittaheap travel's site. Also, Ponheary told me she could get rooms for $145.00 night there, which is more the rates I'm seeing, but $1000.00 less than you have reserved for.

I've e-mailed Shinta Mani in the past and had quick response. Have you tried their on-line booking form?

http://www.mittapheap.com/ Try these folks and see if your rates are better.

Thanks Kim,
I am traveling on Dec. 5th. I have been using the online booking. I will try the site you gave me.

Also my son came home yesterday from Thailand for a month vacation. He has been teaching in Thailand for a year and a half. He has traveled extensivily throughout Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,Burma, Boreno ETC.... We were looking at his pictures tonight and some of the places in NE Thailand, Laos, and cambodia are are absolutely beautiful and still very pristine. Southern Laos is a real gem. After We have time to really go through all of them I will post places that may be worth looking into, that are not on the main tourist circut.
I know how much you like to hear about different places.
Sally

Thank you...those sound like just the sorts of places we'd love.