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Guest Reviews
What recent guests liked:
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“What's not to like about the hotel? Brilliant design, … ”
Hotel Be Angkor
On The Passage, Old Market Area
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Style: Contemporary Classic
Atmosphere: Quiet
3 Rooms
Say what you will about their politics, but the monarchists sure knew how to pick a location. Rising up from the foliage around Siem Reap is Angkor Wat, twelfth-century Khmer king Suryavarman II’s huge homage to Vishnu. At its apogee, the temple complex housed around a million people; today, twice that visit each year. Which is where Hotel Be comes in.
With just three rooms, this property combines the friendly intimacy of the traditional Southeast Asian guesthouse experience with boutique touches, such as a lobby that doubles as an art gallery and the easy availability of in-room spa treatments. Each room has a different vibe, reflected in its name, as well as a private balcony or terrace. Book the loftlike Sepia Room, for example, and enjoy photographs of the surrounding landscape and people. (You might even get to meet the artist, who lives nearby.) Or spend most of your time hanging out on the room’s roof deck. Guests can arrange to use a nearby pool too, perfect after a long day of roaming around religious ruins or exploring the rapidly expanding city.
Hotelier Martin Dishman also carefully selected his location, a pedestrian strip known as The Passage, in the center of the vivacious Old Market District. It’s possible that the quiet street’s cafés and galleries reminded Dishman of his beloved San Francisco. At any rate, his mini-empire currently includes a spa, a nicely appointed restaurant serving Cambodian takes on small plates, and another small hotel, with a single room. All emphasize sustainability and community; he’ll put guests in touch with organizations that directly aid locals, if desired, for volunteering or direct donations.
