I'm just in the preliminary planning stage for a Siem Reap trip at Christmas. (I know, kinda late...) At the moment, Bangkok air site is down, the Bangkok Oriental site is down, so I thought I'd move on to Siem Reap.

Lots of you have recommended the Sofitel, others the Ankor Village (is it the Resort or Hotel?),the Hotel de la Paix, and one friend says we should only stay in a guesthouse in the center of town.....

These are very different choices, and I was wondering if anyone could help me sort them out - location, service, food, do we need such pampering as th HDLP, etc.

I love over the top luxury (the Oberoi Hotels in India!!), but also love small traditional places (Old Bankgkok Inn), so am open to whatever. Our daughters will be with us, so I think a pool is a must.

Thanks

Lcuy, here's my take on it. I, personally, prefer a smaller place. So I wouldn't chose the Sofitel, which caters to large groups. I stayed at the Angkor Village Resort 5 years ago. I loved the atmosphere, the staff were very helpful, and the food was good. The beds, however, were hard. Also, if you stay there, ask for rooms upstairs (much nicer).

I'd opt for something smaller like the FCC or if I wanted luxury, the Hotel de la Paix. Those are just my leanings.

I can only comment on the Hotel DLP. It is not particularly large - 107 rooms, well situated - across from the Central Market and within a short distance of the major areas of Siem Reap. The pool is fantastic - lots of shade, interesting shape and not crowded. I'm not thrilled with the infinity feature as it drops off on the town of Siem Reap. The restaurant is great - do have a meal sitting on the swings (reserve ahead) but also make sure you get out and eat elsewhere. I would definitely put the hotel in the same class as the Oberois in India - maybe even more "over-the-top" though.

Kathie; What is FCC?

sorry - Foreign Correspondent's Club. There have been several reviews of it here - do a search.

we stayed at angkor village and really did not like it although it is very attractive....do a fodors search as someone wrote about it recently i believe...we thought another time we would stay at the sofitel...someone recently wrote very nice things about it...kathie liked the food we hated it---even karen was critical of it and you know her she never complains...

there are new hotels all the time... prices are as crazy as in india...way over priced...

FCC gets good and bad reviews...

as far as i am concerned it really does not matter where you stay location wise...it is all quite a small area....

i will say again....the town is a dump...no redeeming value imo...

la noria is a good restaurant...

lots of info avail on oct 7 for you..

do some res that can be cancelled and then change things after oct 7

lcuy,

I have been a big promoter of the Sofitel.
One of the best hotels I have ever been too

lcuy:

I would go with the de la Paix.....great location and a real nice hotel.

Linda and I had dinner at the FCC one evening and right at sunset and for the next half hour thereafter was a HORRENDOUS, I mean really loud, buzzing noise. The waiters said that it was the bees in the trees. If you have been to the Big Island and heard the couqui frogs, magnify that by 1000.

It was so loud that we really couldn't enjoy our meal. Just something to consider when staying at the FCC. That was this year in late Feb if that makes a difference.

Aloha!

We stayed at the HDLP in May. It was a very beautifully designed hotel, if a bit "over the top" for Siem Reap. The breakfast, included in rate, was the best of our entire trip (better than Oriental, Pen, etc). And you can assuage any guilt you might have at staying in such a place by remembering that the hotel staff are poor kids who have been trained in a program to work in the hotel industry....very good karma feeling, etc, etc.

Oh, and the pool was beautiful and fun...a great way to cool off after a morning of templing.

my wife and i stayed at the fcc for 5 nights last winter and loved it. very stylish. beautiful restaurant physically. good, reliable food. excellent smoothies. cool room. huge bathroom. we would stay there again in a heartbeat.

After many hours surfing, reading posts on forums such as this (AND tripadvisor AND virtual tourist) and reading guide books (Fodors AND Frommers AND Nat'l Geopgraphic AND Lonely Planet) we finally decided on the HDLP for our upcoming trip in late Oct and here's why: it may be "over the top" and expensive for Cambodia but as my husband put it, it is cheaper per night than the mortage on our house in California!! After long days of touring temples in the heat with a not-quite 8 year old, we NEED a pool! And, my husband loves to walk around towns, cities, villages, the African savannah and this location is tops for that.

I joined Small Luxury Hotels "Club" and got a good rate at the HDLP -- and at the other properties in Bangkok, Phuket, Chaing Mai and Chaing Rai!

JUST TO CONFUSE THINGS...we loved the Raffles hotel...great pool, not too many rooms, good food, good service...nice ambience. My family will be staying there right before New Years. We are not going back...to hot..once is enough.