Siem Reap luxury hotels
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: DL SkyMiles PM/2MM, AA Plat, IC Diam. Amb., Peninsula regular, amanjunkie
Posts: 5,848
Siem Reap luxury hotels
What's the current lay of the land on luxury hotels in Siem Reap?
I know about Amansara. I love amans, but I just can't bring myself to spend $1000 a night in Cambodia.
Raffles? Sofitel? Refurbished Hotel de la Paix? Others?
I know about Amansara. I love amans, but I just can't bring myself to spend $1000 a night in Cambodia.
Raffles? Sofitel? Refurbished Hotel de la Paix? Others?
#2
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
I am considering the Park Hyatt Hotel de la Paix and Anantara. I realize neither will be comparable to Amansara, but I would rather spend that money at Amantaka instead.
#3
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,667
I've stayed at Amansara. The room rate is rather more than $1000 a night. But it isn't just a room rate. It's all-inclusive - pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and they even give you a carafe of whatever you fancy in your room. You also get two private tours every day out to the ruins of Angkor - the tours are tailor-made and are usually well away from the hordes of tourists. If you factor in all that, plus the airport pick-ups and drop-offs, and compare that to other hotels I think Amansara represents fair value. We loved it, stayed four nights, and I'd happily go back for a week.
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,456
Raffles
Service was Incredible and the Champagne Breakfast Buffet outstanding. The pool area is great and is a great place to relax after a day of touring. The rooms are very comfortable. I had a lovely garden view. Their Kobe beef cheeseburger is to die for.
#6
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,147
We stayed at the Amansara last october and did not experience ant crowds like this. Often we were alone at the sights. For example for sunrise at Angkor wat, we were inside the temple while everyone else were waiting outside. That is what Aman does so extremely well.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,667
The Raffles is across the road from Amansara. While clearly a smart hotel, it is very big, noisy and full of package tours.
I echo the views of Musken - the Aman people organise their trips to avoid the crowds wherever possible. We often had temples to ourselves and were alone for the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
I echo the views of Musken - the Aman people organise their trips to avoid the crowds wherever possible. We often had temples to ourselves and were alone for the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
Last edited by Pausanias; Oct 19, 2014 at 7:25 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
This is making me reconsider. It seems like private tours and exclusive access to the sights are reasons to choose Amansara. Plus, the pool suites look quite nice.
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,147
Quote:
Originally Posted by Musken
We stayed at the Amansara last october and did not experience ant crowds like this. Often we were alone at the sights. For example for sunrise at Angkor wat, we were inside the temple while everyone else were waiting outside. That is what Aman does so extremely well.
This is making me reconsider. It seems like private tours and exclusive access to the sights are reasons to choose Amansara. Plus, the pool suites look quite nice.
Originally Posted by Musken
We stayed at the Amansara last october and did not experience ant crowds like this. Often we were alone at the sights. For example for sunrise at Angkor wat, we were inside the temple while everyone else were waiting outside. That is what Aman does so extremely well.
This is making me reconsider. It seems like private tours and exclusive access to the sights are reasons to choose Amansara. Plus, the pool suites look quite nice.
Last edited by Musken; Oct 19, 2014 at 8:23 am
#10
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
this is quite funny.
You do NOT need aman to wake up early and drive to a remote temple.
You just simply need a driver. I did it myself, spend 6 days in Angkor
and visited and photographed all the remote temples, most of the time
with nobody else around. It's not the point and aman doesn't bring you
any additional value unless you are not able to plan it yourself.
Second - the crowds are doubling every year, that's actually the point.
It's not about how to do it, it's about NOW being simply too late...
Very similar to many used-to-be-great places overrun by tourists.
Even places like Bhutan or Birma are being destroyed, how do those
much less known destinations compare to Angkor?
You do NOT need aman to wake up early and drive to a remote temple.
You just simply need a driver. I did it myself, spend 6 days in Angkor
and visited and photographed all the remote temples, most of the time
with nobody else around. It's not the point and aman doesn't bring you
any additional value unless you are not able to plan it yourself.
Second - the crowds are doubling every year, that's actually the point.
It's not about how to do it, it's about NOW being simply too late...
Very similar to many used-to-be-great places overrun by tourists.
Even places like Bhutan or Birma are being destroyed, how do those
much less known destinations compare to Angkor?
#11
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: QF CL
Posts: 689
For those who have done the Amansara/Amantaka journey, how easy/convenient were the international connections i(e Cambodia-Laos)? Did Aman arrange this as part of the package or did you organise it independently?
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,815
especially towards end of this thread > http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...ctivities.html
whenever i end up doing amansara, i will probably pay for higher level guides
vietnam airlines has a nonstop >
http://info.flightmapper.net/route/YY_REP_LPQ
whenever i end up doing amansara, i will probably pay for higher level guides
vietnam airlines has a nonstop >
http://info.flightmapper.net/route/YY_REP_LPQ
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Oct 19, 2014 at 3:38 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,147
this is quite funny.
You do NOT need aman to wake up early and drive to a remote temple.
You just simply need a driver. I did it myself, spend 6 days in Angkor
and visited and photographed all the remote temples, most of the time
with nobody else around. It's not the point and aman doesn't bring you
any additional value unless you are not able to plan it yourself.
Second - the crowds are doubling every year, that's actually the point.
It's not about how to do it, it's about NOW being simply too late...
Very similar to many used-to-be-great places overrun by tourists.
Even places like Bhutan or Birma are being destroyed, how do those
much less known destinations compare to Angkor?
You do NOT need aman to wake up early and drive to a remote temple.
You just simply need a driver. I did it myself, spend 6 days in Angkor
and visited and photographed all the remote temples, most of the time
with nobody else around. It's not the point and aman doesn't bring you
any additional value unless you are not able to plan it yourself.
Second - the crowds are doubling every year, that's actually the point.
It's not about how to do it, it's about NOW being simply too late...
Very similar to many used-to-be-great places overrun by tourists.
Even places like Bhutan or Birma are being destroyed, how do those
much less known destinations compare to Angkor?
Angkor wat private sunrise is private. Everyone else were outside. Amman used a back entrance and we were allowed in alone.
For other temples: when do you know which time is best to avoid hordes? Aman and their guides know.
Last edited by Musken; Oct 19, 2014 at 5:27 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,667
I do understand Big Foot's point of view which applies to just about everywhere in the world. Personally, I regard the three top archaeological sites I've seen are Angkor in Cambodia, Leptis Magna in Libya and Petra in Jordan. I first went to Cambodia in 1992, stayed for 4 days and I reckon there were less than 50 tourists on the entire site. I went to Leptis in 1982 and there were five of us. In Petra, 1981, we walked down the Siq at night and saw the Treasury Building lit up by a full moon. The next two days were spent exploring the site and I reckon there might have been 100 people there.
It's true that Angkor is busy these days, especially for that sunrise shot, and it's great if you can do it on your own. In 1992 you couldn't because of landmines, so we had a guide. Four our most recent visit, If I'm totally honest, I'd have preferred just to have a driver and not the Aman guide who talked and talked and talked until we decided to tell him to shut up. We like to absorb the atmosphere of a place, take some photos, just be there. The guides tend to think you want a Smithsonian-style lecture while standing in the sweltering heat.
It's true that Angkor is busy these days, especially for that sunrise shot, and it's great if you can do it on your own. In 1992 you couldn't because of landmines, so we had a guide. Four our most recent visit, If I'm totally honest, I'd have preferred just to have a driver and not the Aman guide who talked and talked and talked until we decided to tell him to shut up. We like to absorb the atmosphere of a place, take some photos, just be there. The guides tend to think you want a Smithsonian-style lecture while standing in the sweltering heat.
Last edited by Pausanias; Oct 20, 2014 at 12:36 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: QF CL
Posts: 689
I do understand Big Foot's point of view which applies to just about everywhere in the world. Personally, I regard the three top archaeological sites I've seen are Angkor in Cambodia, Leptis Magna in Libya and Petra in Jordan. I first went to Cambodia in 1992, stayed for 4 days and I reckon there were less than 50 tourists on the entire site. I went to Leptis in 1982 and there were five of us. In Petra, 1981, we walked down the Siq at night and saw the Treasury Building lit up by a full moon. The next two days were spent exploring the site and I reckon there might have been 100 people there.
It's true that Angkor is busy these days, especially for that sunrise shot, and it's great if you can do it on your own. In 1992 you couldn't because of landmines, so we had a guide. Four our most recent visit, If I'm totally honest, I'd have preferred just to have a driver and not the Aman guide who talked and talked and talked until we decided to tell him to shut up. We like to absorb the atmosphere of a place, take some photos, just be there. The guides tend to think you want a Smithsonian-style lecture while standing in the sweltering heat.
It's true that Angkor is busy these days, especially for that sunrise shot, and it's great if you can do it on your own. In 1992 you couldn't because of landmines, so we had a guide. Four our most recent visit, If I'm totally honest, I'd have preferred just to have a driver and not the Aman guide who talked and talked and talked until we decided to tell him to shut up. We like to absorb the atmosphere of a place, take some photos, just be there. The guides tend to think you want a Smithsonian-style lecture while standing in the sweltering heat.
But on the other hand, if I hadn't had the Aman guides in Bhutan, I probably would never have been able to watch the nuns making intricate altar decorations from dough in a convent outside Thimphu.
In my brash student days I used to think "independent travel" was per se a sign of sophistication. But now, within reason, I don't much mind either way. I still wouldn't get on a tour bus, but the reality is there's a limit to how authentic my experience can be, however I travel. If it makes me think, however it does that, then it has delivered on the promise, as far as I am concerned.