9 Best Hotels in Cambodia

Ideally set on the banks of Kampong Bay river in a restored colonial building, this centrally located boutique-style hotel offers a handful of clean, spacious, and affordable rooms. Tasteful interiors, lovely river views—and sounds; you can hear fishing boats come and go from some rooms—and a good restaurant add to the charm, as does the very helpful, friendly, and accommodating management and staff. Makaori, the restaurant, serves Asian and international fusion cuisine of great quality at decent prices.

Guests enjoy a surprisingly high level of service and care at this hotel school, which trains underprivileged young adults for the hospitality industry. Rooms are spacious and spotless, with all the customary amenities. The restaurant offers delicious Cambodian and international dishes, from a Cambodian curry to chicken Milanese. The main drawback is the location—2 km (1 mile) from the beach—but it's easy to grab a tuk-tuk.

This little heaven for nature lovers offers a choice of budget, eco-friendly accommodations that are clean, spacious, and in a rustic local style. Rooms are spread among the main house, tribal huts on stilts, firefly yurt, and a tower (for up to four people) with a glorious 360-degree view of the river, the elephant mountain range, and rice fields. The restaurant provides a great selection of light meals, healthy juices and smoothies, local dishes and several vegan/vegetarian options. Arrange a sunset boat trip on the river.

Located in the embassy district, this quiet, airy, and affordable hotel offers spacious rooms with balconies, upcycled wooden furniture, and refillable water bottles for guests. There's a small swimming pool and vertical gardens. There are plenty of great restaurants on your doorstep.

It doesn't have the rustic country vibes of the simpler homestays that dot the area, but this modern hotel in the center of Banlung provides a comfortable stay while you plan your forays around the area.

Rana offers a one-of-a-kind, well-organized experiential homestay for adults or families in the Cambodian countryside. Run by an American and his Cambodian wife, Rana aims to colorfully inform visitors about the local culture, history, lifestyle, and cuisine through a two-night stay in a clean but basic rattan hut on stilts. In authentic Khmer village style, the hut has no running water (but fresh water is supplied for bathing using a bowl) and no electricity. Houseguests are fed delicious organic home-cooked meals, and escorted on guided walks, bicycle rides, and other tours of the area, where they get to meet locals and Khmer Rouge regime survivors, learning how rural Cambodians actually live.

If you're looking for a clean budget hotel in Sihanoukville town that doesn't cater to bar girls and their clientele, this is it. Good food (Khmer and European) is rustled up at the restaurant, and the bar serves cool sounds and even colder beers. Not only is the Small Hotel clean, it's also close to the bus station. A portion of your payment goes toward the nonprofit children's organization sponsored by the hotel's Swedish owner. They have a Small beach bar on Independence Beach and with advanced notice they provide free tuk-tuk rides there and back.

One of the original riverside resorts in Kampot, Villa Vedici sprawls over its picturesque four hectares, with two swimming pools and a mix of accommodation options, including rooms upstairs in the main house as well as private villas. There's even a whole Khmer house if you're traveling with a few people. You can explore the river and farther afield on their kayaks and paddleboards.

This popular lodge has an eco-friendly philosophy and offers clean, well-maintained wooden cottages and a traditional hill tribe house in a jungle setting at Yeak Laom Lake about 5 km (3 miles) outside the city. The lodge has its own "kitchen in the jungle" serving mainly Khmer dishes, and staffers are more than happy to suggest nearby activities and help you arrange tours of the area. You can enjoy nature right on the property—there are several points with outstanding sunrise and sunset views, and a few short nature trails for when you feel more energetic. Tuk-tuks to and from town cost around $3.