Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor

An absolutely sublime 5-day stay in August. This was my second time in Siem Reap, and unlike the usual quick tourist hop, my goal was truly to relax and take my time—and the Raffles delivered perfectly. * Steeped in history: The building is magnificent, a true historical monument. It is incredibly rare to find a property of this standing that has always been a hotel from day one, rather than a converted building, giving it a rich, authentic history. A special thank you to the General Manager who gave us the privilege of a private guided tour; it was a wonderful and incredibly kind gesture. * Exceptional service: I loved the service across the board—from the reception and valets/concierge to the restaurant and pool staff. It is their protocol to know every guest's name, and they execute this with such genuine warmth and professionalism. * Palace-level breakfast: The quality of the food offered at breakfast is outstanding. It is worth noting that they serve real champagne, and the dairy products and fruits are of exceptional quality. There are plenty of à la carte options, which makes perfect sense for an ultra-exclusive boutique hotel feel with palace standards, rather than a massive 400-room resort. * An oasis: The swimming pool is absolutely immense. A true favorite. I will return with great pleasure!

I arrived in the evening to a lovely warm welcome from the staff. Check-in was smooth, and I was shown to my room. There’s no doubt that the hotel itself is beautiful, but unfortunately, I noticed a few areas that could be improved. The bathtub wasn’t as clean as I would have expected, with hairs left behind, so I ended up cleaning it again myself before using it. At a hotel of Raffles’ standard, I really don’t feel this should be necessary. The carpet underneath the bed was also noticeably dirty, tired and worn, and the large sofa cushion had definitely seen better days and could do with being replaced. Another issue I had was with the shower gel and shampoo dispensers. They kept getting jammed, making it extremely difficult to get any product out, and in the end I actually had to remove the dispenser mechanism altogether just to be able to use them. It’s a small detail, but not something I would expect to have to deal with at a hotel of this standard. I also found the food options at the hotel quite limited and ended up eating the same things throughout my stay. I think the dining experience would really benefit from a refreshed menu with a wider and more varied selection. On a positive note, the pool area is absolutely stunning, and the staff throughout my stay were attentive and welcoming. Overall, it’s a beautiful property with wonderful employees, but a few improvements to the room maintenance, cleanliness and dining options would make the experience much more in line with what I would expect from Raffles.

I have no words to describe my high level of satisfaction with this hotel. Everything was perfect, from beginning to end. A warm and personalized welcome, customer recognition, thoughtful touches on numerous occasions, and smiles down every corridor. Beyond that, the level of service is very high-end. The spaces, the bars, the rooms—everything is perfect. The cocktails and breakfast are perfect. Certainly one of my best, if not the best experience I have ever had in luxury hospitality. We will not forget it. Thank you to the entire team for making our two days exceptional.