Heritage Suites, Siem Reap: Review
PUBLISHED May 31st, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED June 17th, 2020 06:38 pm
A city with a population of 300,000 people, somehow, has the capacity for 700 hotels and guesthouses.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the pull of the temples of Angkor – probably the most prominent UNESCO heritage site in Southeast Asia. And on my virgin trip to Siem Reap last month, I had the pleasure of staying at a lovely hotel called Heritage Suites.
Our Heritage Suites experience began at the airport, where we were picked up in a white vintage (1972) Mercedes Benz. It was blazing hot – dry season is December to May – so we were glad that they had towels and beverages chilling in an icebox in the car. We also heard that one of the cars used to be the royal property of former King Norodom Sihanouk, enhancing the colonial-era vibe that Heritage Suites is channeling.
The minute you step into the threshold, service is impeccable from the bottom to the top (but they don’t overstep the boundaries or appear overeager, so bonus points for that). Magnus, the property’s friendly and personable General Manger, told us he makes it a point to talk to all guests. And true enough; Magnus is interacting with people every time we spy him.
The 26 rooms are divided into four categories at Heritage Suites, the Classic Rooms and three types of suites. Our Bungalow Suite was a spacious 75m2 – some apartments are not even that big in Singapore – and came equipped with a private garden, bathtub, steam room, and outdoor shower. The soothing colours and floor-to-ceiling windows are also part of what makes the room welcoming; it’s the type of space that I’ll willingly hole up in without the risk of cabin fever.
Wifi was strong and free, though the likelihood of power outages happening is quite high (we had dinner in the dark once when dining in town). Also, do note that there is no television in the room; we agree with this, all that white noise disturbs the tranquility of it all.
You’ll almost definitely while an afternoon away by the pool. It’s by no means large, but it’s one of the most idyllic pools to chill out next to. Plus, you can actually swim laps if you want to. The proffered sun hats were very much appreciated too.
We’re so used to hotel breakfasts in the form of buffets that we were slightly taken aback when we were presented with the menu (we’re pretty sure you can go for seconds or thirds if round one doesn’t fuel you up). My scrambled eggs came fried, so I’d suggest you go local with soup noodles or Continental.
Tip: we’ll recommend using their tour services if you want to visit the major historical sites in Siem Reap. This way, you’ll be sure that your tour guide is accredited and endorsed by the tourism authority of Cambodia. Our tour guide knew where the good photo-ops were too!
Classic Rooms start at US$145 per night and Suites start at US$255 per night. For more information, please see website.
On this occasion, our stay was compliments of Heritage Suites Hotel.
