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Siem Riep Hotel de la Paix - garden courtyard suite or deluxe suite

Siem Riep Hotel de la Paix - garden courtyard suite or deluxe suite

Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 01:22 AM
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Siem Riep Hotel de la Paix - garden courtyard suite or deluxe suite

Hi all, am headed to Angkor Wat for 4 days, 3 nights and am booked to stay at Hotel de la Paix in a Garden Courtyard room. Was wondering whether this is a better option than the deluxe suite - the website doesn't really explain the difference well or help you understand which is a better room. If anyone has stayed at the hotel, would appreciate any input regarding the rooms, food, service etc.

Also, what is the best itinerary for 3 days in Siem Riep - should we do Angkor Wat on day 1 or day 3? Is it worth seeing it at sunrise? We did Macchu Picchu a few years ago and it was definitely well worth the 4am wake up call to see the clouds lifting and seeing the ruins at sunrise.

Any good restaurant recs outside the hotel? Is there another hotel worth visiting for a meal?

Thanks so much for your help, this forum has helped me plan and have some of the best vacations due to invaluable advice I've recd!
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Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 02:02 AM
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We stayed in a deluxe suite - very spacious and comfortable. The view was not so great but then Siem Reap is not much to look at. We saw Angkor Wat on day 1 before heading on to the smaller, quieter temples - I feel that that was the right order. We also visited Tonle Sap, which for us was worthwhile. As you probably know, Meric, the restaurant in the HDLP is excellent. If they still offer the 7 course Khmer set menu, go for it. Outside the hotel, we had a good alfresco meal at Abacus, which has received mixed reviews from others.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 02:20 AM
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Thanks so much for your prompt response Craig. Sounds like we'll stick to the walled courtyard garden suite as there doesn't seem to be much of a difference to the deluxe suite besides the view. Did you enjoy the hotel? Does it have a good pool? Thanks for the advice on temple visits, we will also schedule in Tonle Sap. How did you get around - tuk tuk or by car? Was thinking of just getting tuk tuks to take us around as it sounds more adventurous than riding in a car.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 03:49 AM
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The HDLP is a fantastic hotel. The difference in the deluxe suites is that they are bigger. We enjoyed the extra space as we would come back to the room at mid-day to avoid the heat. It may be possible to get a deluxe suite with a better view than we had -it wasn't an issue for us. The pool is great - lots of shade and very refreshing. We toured by car - the a/c provided much needed relief from the heat in between stops.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 07:00 AM
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I second everything Craig has said. We stayed at in a deluxe suite shortly after the hotel opened and if I returned I would stay in exactly the same room. Even though we had a view of the gas station across the street, it didn't matter at all. Garden suite might be less private if it is on the ground floor -I can't remember the layout. We enjoyed the restaurant so much we went twice: once for the Khmer dinner and once for the French menu. We found the meals there far superior to the recommendations we had outside the hotel.

You can do tuk-tuks for going around Siem Reap itself. Because of the heat it is better than walking the longer distances. But for the temples, you should do a car, much more comfortable and protected from the dust and safer. Drivers are not expensive and if you can afford HDLP, you can certainly spring for the car. Tonle Sap is a really fascinating excursion.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 08:23 AM
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We visited Angkor Wat on day 1, then revisited it at sunrise on Day 5, I believe. The second visit was wonderful... we had the place to ourselves and did an hour of walking meditation before people starting arriving.

Dawn Rooney makes suggestions for itineraries in her book, Angkor: A guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples. I highly recommend the book to help you plan your time at the temples.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2010, 08:50 PM
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The spa suite is lovely

If you're coming over in the near future, then rain is probably more of an issue than heat - and car travel is preferable if you do get unlucky.

If you're looking to dine at other hotels, then I'd go Japanese at the Sokha, Italian at the Meridien, French at the Victoria. I don't personally rate the food at La Residence d'Angkor or Raffles, but may have been unlucky on the night. Sugar Palm is quite close to you for Khmer, and is very good. Or if you fancy a much lower key dining experience, then Barrios next door to HDLP is a very acceptable "local" French restaurant. Abacus has always been good in my experience.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2010, 12:55 AM
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Thanks so much everyone! Hoping it won't rain all day long though have heard there are def downpours in the afternoons this time of year.

Has anyone dined at Irrawadi or Touich? They seem to have gotten good reviews on tripadvisor and other forums.

Can't wait, will post a trip review + pics when back.
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