Hôtel de la Paix
Author: Anothertravelguide.com0 COMMENTS
A gem of the Asian luxury design and one of the best hotels in the city. It is a building with a story of its own: built in the 1950s, during the years of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge empire it served as a rice warehouse. Later it was converted into a government "guest house" but in 1993 the place was bought by the owner of BedSupperClub, the most stylish nightclub in Bangkok which resulted in the opening of Hôtel de la Paix in 2005. The first impression: the way Hôtel de la Paix with its majestic whiteness stands out against the backdrop of the nearby old marketplace and the rest of the considerably dusty surroundings is almost indecent. The entrance is slightly reminiscent of a temple: the first thing you notice is the frozen figure of a dancing nymph or apsara. Arts Lounge, the first floor lobby, serves as an art gallery regularly holding exhibitions and promoting local artists and an ultramodern bar in one. The greatest pride of the building and the most recognisable element of the architect Bill Bensley's style is the interior garden with live fire in huge stone basins at night, with its water, green plants and a 50-year old fig tree in the centre of the courtyard: you are left with the distinct impression of the whole hotel having been built around the garden.
The hotel offers 107 rooms and suites; the smallest detail of the decor is a source of true aesthetic pleasure, from the garden deckchairs to the winding river-like pool lined with lounge-style alcoves. The room colour scheme is dominated by black, white, silver and dusty pink. Wood floors, "rain" shower, black-and-white Angkor photographs on the walls, all the latest technologies, including a DVD player, wireless internet and iPod music. anothertravelguide.com would suggest booking one of the two two-storey Duplex Spa Suites, if possible: they come with a private massage room, private outdoor terrace the size of a small flat, complete with green plants and a small pool perfect for a heavenly swim after an exhausting tour of Angkor temples or just for sitting by the water and gazing into the stars or watching the tails of geckos scurrying across the walls of the building. The dusty and noisy Siem Reap is somewhere far below...
The hotel also boasts an excellent spa, Spa Indochine, listed by the Asia Spa magazine among the best and included into the Conde Nast Traveller magazine's Hot List. The Meric restaurant serves the classiest food in the whole of the city; a sibling restaurant is scheduled to open soon next door to The One Hotel. With the 18-room Shinta Mani hotel which is owned by the same people Hôtel de la Paix is also one of the most active supporters of socially responsible tourism in Cambodia. One of the joint projects is the Institute of Hospitality supported by both hotels; it trains underprivileged young people from provincial areas for work in the hotel industry. Hôtel de la Paix also has its own sewing training centre. Detailed info on ways of not just spending your money but also repaying the hospitality of your host country by supporting the most vulnerable groups of its society is provided in each room. The rest is up to you.
Hôtel de la Paix is located 7 kilometres from Angkor and a stone's throw from the old market; it is also listed in the Small Luxury Hotels collection.
Rates from USD 165
Sivutha Boulevard
www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com
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Anothertravelguide.com is an internet resource for independent travellers. All addresses listed on anothertravelguide.com - hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. have been tested and evaluated by our authors. All opinions are subjective and anothertravelguide.com takes no responsibility if any of these locations don't live up to your personal expectations, taste or mood, or has undergone serious changes since visited by authors and experts of anothertravelguide.com.