Pavillon d'Orient
Siem Reap, Cambodia
First things first, it is located in a pretty out of the way place which is why I think I had never noticed it in my wanderings. It is off road number six, but well past Psah Lure and on the back road to the temple. The bad news is that it is a longer drive to get into town. The good news is that the hotel knows this and to make it a little easier they offer complimentary tuk tuk's from their hotel to town from 6 to 10pm. So really, how can you complain when you can get a free ride?
The distance to town is really the only drawback to this hotel, otherwise it is just fantastic! With beautiful gardens that evoke the same oasis quality we are often getting recognized for, the Pavillon feels like a lovely escape as soon as you walk through the front gate. The lobby is open air, and while I do wonder how they handle the rainy season, this time of year it feels cool and serene. The staff were lovely and polite and seemed genuinely happy to be working there. When asked about her boss, the front desk woman went on and on about how hard he works and what a good job he does. I think staff loyalty says a lot about a place and they were obviously fans of the manager.
The rooms are big with a French feel. The bathrooms have showers and bathtubs and all the rooms have a balcony. The pool is nestled in the gardens and has a lovely waterfall you can hear from the balconies. When I first arrived there was a rather rowdy volleyball game happening across the wall and while I'm all for local ambience it proved to be a bit much for even me, but with the doors closed the noise was shut out and peace and quiet ranged.
We had dinner in the restaurant that night and the food was very good, another plus when you're a little ways from town…just stay in! I had the spaghetti and friends had fried rice, curry and ginger chicken, all enjoyed. Breakfast the next morning was also good, though a touch French for me :-). I did get some bacon though so I was happy!
The final touch was when we checked out we got small necklaces with our Chinese symbol on it. All in all it was a great escape and I am looking forward to having our guests stay.
The big airy rooms and the huge bathrooms as well as the personalized service.
On the other side of town and no restaurants or shopping nearby.
Tuk tuk's are free from 6 to 10pm so go in for a night on the town on them. Café Indochine is under the same owner, so you get a 10% discount if you eat there!
This is a great hotel and whenever I meet the staff they are very happy and appreciative of their work environment, so the management does get credit for creating a great team. Though Pavilion doesn't support many community projects they are getting guests involved by recommending ConCert, a local organization that helps match donors and volunteers with local projects that need their help. Visit ConCert to find out what they're doing. While the hotel doesn't help on any projects, we do applaud them for partnering with an organization that allows their guests to get involved.
Reviewed by: Andrea Ross