Luxury hotels in Siem Reap

At a glance

The short version

Where they are: The Old French Quarter, the road towards Angkor, and quieter grounds across the river
What you pay for: Space, gardens, a real spa, and staff who handle the 4.30am temple start without complaint
Distance to Angkor: Fifteen minutes or less from almost anywhere in town
Best months: November to February - dry, cooler, and the busiest. Book well ahead
Green season: June to October brings lower rates, greener moats and shorter queues at the temples
What to check: Whether breakfast is served early enough for a sunrise start

Siem Reap has more genuine five-star capacity than the rest of Cambodia combined, for the obvious reason: Angkor. The result is a small town with a hotel stock that would suit a city several times its size, which is good news for anyone booking.

Where they sit

Three broad clusters. The Old French Quarter and riverside, where the historic grand hotels are and where you can walk to dinner. The Charles de Gaulle road running north towards Angkor, where the larger resorts have room for real grounds. And across the river around Wat Bo, quieter and greener, where several smaller luxury properties hide behind walls.

What the money buys

Space, mostly, and service. The ratio of staff to guests here is high, and it shows in small things – a car waiting when you come back sunburnt from the temples, laundry back the same day, someone who actually knows which temple is quiet at eleven in the morning.

The sunrise problem

Every luxury hotel in Siem Reap will arrange the Angkor sunrise run. Not all of them will feed you first. If that matters to you, ask before booking – the good ones have a breakfast box ready at four in the morning without being asked twice.

Questions travellers ask

Is luxury in Siem Reap good value?

Unusually so. A five-star room here typically costs well under the equivalent in Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City, and the grounds tend to be larger.

How far are the luxury hotels from Angkor Wat?

Most are within fifteen minutes by tuk-tuk or car. Siem Reap is small, and the temples begin just north of town.

When is the best time to book?

For November to February, months ahead. Those are the peak dry-season weeks and the best rooms go first.

Do hotels arrange the sunrise trip?

Nearly all of them will, but check that breakfast or a packed box is available before you leave, because you will be out before the kitchen normally opens.