There’s no shortage of hotels in Siem Reap, Cambodia, thanks to the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat. Just a short drive outside of town, this archaeological site attracts millions of visitors from all over the world every year. With so many hotels in Siem Reap, it can be hard to decide where to stay. We spent two nights at the Grand Bayon Siem Reap hotel, a Cambodian 4 star hotel in the centre of town.
Here is our full review of this hotel:
The location
The Grand Bayon Siem Reap hotel is located on a quiet road, just a few minutes walk from the popular Sok San Area, the Night Market and Pub Street. It’s really close to all the action but somehow we found the area to be very quiet and peaceful.
The hotel is just a twenty-minute tuk-tuk ride from the famous Angkor Wat and seven kilometres from Siem Reap International Airport. Pick up is included in your stay and if you let the hotel know your arrival details they will have someone waiting for you at the airport or bus station. It’s great not to have to deal with pushy tuk-tuk or taxi drivers after a long day of travelling.
The rooms
The hotel offers a selection of double, twins, triples, family suites and junior suites. You have the choice between a pool view or city view. The rooms are comfortable, very spacious and clean. Some rooms offer a lovely furnished balcony overlooking the pool.
All rooms come equipped with coffee/tea facilities, fridge, air-conditioner and fan, cable TV, hairdryer and a large, easy to use in-room safe. There is ample hanging space and shelves where you can unpack your bags. The en-suite bathroom comes with a bath and a hot water shower. The bathroom contains all the usual toiletries such as shampoo, soaps etc.
The Wi-Fi is free and accessible from both the rooms and the common areas. It was actually really good and was probably one of the fastest we’ve had in Cambodia.
The rooms are serviced daily and the coffee, tea and free bottled water are replenished.
The pool
The hotel features an outdoor swimming pool and a sun terrace with lounge chairs to relax on. The pool is the best place to finish the day after exploring the temples. It was such a welcome relief from the afternoon heat! The temperature was refreshing without being too cold. It didn’t take me long to get in! It isn’t a huge pool but it’s big enough for a few laps if you want to do some exercise. We didn’t have much energy left after the temple hopping, so we just chilled out in it.
The staff
From the moment we checked in to the moment we checked out, the staff were all extremely welcoming. All of the staff were Cambodians and they always had the smiling faces that we’ve grown to love in Cambodia.
The staff were always happy to assist with information, tour reservations and transport arrangements. They even organised a very good tuk-tuk driver for our day at Angkor Wat. Not only was the driver both professional and friendly but he organised our temple itinerary to avoid the crowds. That made our day even easier than we expected and our pictures were so much better!
Dining
Breakfast is included in the room price. The small restaurant next to the pool area offers a choice of Asian and Western dishes. If you are heading off for sunrise over Angkor Wat, the hotel will pack a takeaway breakfast to bring with you to enjoy afterwards. This consists of some bread, boiled eggs, water and bananas.
Just be careful with your bananas. We were robbed by a monkey who spotted my bananas, ran over and grabbed the bag out of my hand, scoffed all four bananas down and casually wandered off again!
The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner. You can choose from a small menu containing both Khmer, Asian and Western dishes. If you are exhausted and prefer to stay in, they also provide room service.
Conclusion
We found the Grand Bayon to be a relaxing oasis to retreat to after a long day spent exploring the Angkor Temples. A dip in the pool was an added bonus. The hotel was quiet and although so close to everything in town, we felt far away enough from all of the bustle of Siem Reap. We enjoyed how friendly the staff were, from the manager through to the reception and the housekeeping staff. It’s a lovely place to stay in Siem Reap.
If you’d like to book a stay at the Grand Bayon, you can book a room here.
You can also contact them on +855 (0) 63 766 338 or [email protected]
Disclosure: We were guests of the Grand Bayon Siem Reap Hotel, however, this is our true opinion of the hotel.
Thanks to William at Orsus Digital for arranging this collaboration.
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