Steeped in French colonial history besides the Siem Reap River, the FCC Angkor by Avani provides a unique setting and convenient base to explore the ruins of Angkor Wat. With a good balance of resort-esque amenities, sizeable rooms and good location to explore, FCC Angkor should be on your list when visiting the city.
Avani, sister hotel to Anantara and part of the Minor Hotel Group, provided this two-night stay for the purpose of reviewing the property. They do not receive editing privileges or advance sight of the review – they’re reading it for the first time as it goes to publication.
In this post:
Getting to FCC Angkor
Providing your hotel is within the town/city of Siem Reap, nothing is particularly far thanks to the small population of the area. Angkor Wat is around 20 minutes on a scooter, while the infamous, bass-heavy Pub Street is 10 minute’s walk – far enough away that you can’t hear it, thankfully.
As an aside, the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) opened in October, with all flights moving across. While the facility is impressive and likely a white elephant for the amount of flights they receive, it is almost one hour by drive compared to fifteen minutes at the previous airport (REP).
For travellers in the UK, the most likely connection points to Siem Reap are either Bangkok or Singapore. We flew from Bangkok-Don Mueang (DMK) on Thai Air Asia and connected to Phuket on Singapore Airlines. If you’re travelling from Bangkok, try to opt for services from Suvarnabhumi on Thai Airways or Bangkok Airways as the airport is far nicer and has 22 lounge options with Priority Pass!
First impressions…and a bit of history on the side
The first thought that came to mind on arrival was cosy and understated. FCC Angkor have done an excellent job of making the property blend in with the surroundings as much as possible – through the architecture or extensive use of local greenery.
While the FCC Angkor did not directly play host to a Foreign Correspondents Club, as it’s sister property in Phnom Penh did, it is situated on the site that formerly hosted the residence of the Colonial Governor during the French Indochina period. With extensive references throughout the property to journalists storytellers pertinent to the location melded with Khmer decor, it creates an interesting place to spend time looking around – or just to relax.
Check-in was swift, along with a welcome ice lolly (a bit more unique than the usual drink) and cold towel to refresh after the recent downpour. We were warned that there may be higher-than-usual noise in the area due to Water Festival celebrations marking the end of the wet season in Cambodia. If anything, we were quite happy to experience Siem Reap at this time when there were far more Cambodians visiting than foreigners, making the streets feel much more alive.
The property is split across two lots – the original property on the site of the Governor’s house and a second across the road. Nominally, both offer a variety of room types while the latter has a slightly larger pool alongside spa, while the former has a gym, restaurant and bar. It goes without saying that those in the respective wings of the property can access the facilities in the other.
The room
Our room was located in the original wing of the property on the ground floor. Finding the room involves a walk through a jungle-esque environment alongside atmospheric lighting and water features – I really liked the vibe they went for. We were the last room on this row.
We stayed in a regular Deluxe Room for our stay. The rooms feature floor to ceiling windows which can be covered with blackout curtains or nets for a degree of privacy. Outside the room there is a small seating area to relax the room, although for most room options there will be some foot traffic here.
Inside, the room is split between the sleeping area and bathroom. Starting with the former, we have a comfortably firm bed surrounded with warm colours from the lights, wood and floor tiles. Even with the on-going festival with crowds and music into the wee hours, I slept undisturbed during this stay.
On the opposing wall is an ecclectic, elongated desk set-up. Featuring elements of both the Khmer and property’s French colonial histories respectively, the small touches such as the typewriter with welcome letter made for a nice touch. Although, while the chair does look lovely, I found it uncomfortable to sit on. The seating was the only real issue I took with this room, particularly as inside there is no sofa to sit on- although that is rectified in the next available room type.
Free glass bottled water is provided by the hotel, as is common in this part of the world, as well as a selection of locally procured ground Robusta coffee (rather than the more common Arabica elsewhere) and floral teas. For the hot drinks, it would be better if the hotel provided a couple of extra paper filters to use more than one of the ‘test tubes’ of coffee or tea per day.
The bathroom can be sectioned off with slatted wood sliding door which revealed a Khmer-language proverb behind it.
On the right of the bathroom is a the wardrobe area which is open and features an in-built safe. Next to this, but clearly sectioned off is the toilet. I’m not usually a huge fan of open wardrobes but as you can shut it off from the main bedroom with the sliding door, this is mitigated a bit.
Onwards and we have the brass sink which matches the rest of the room colours pretty well. FCC Angkor work with local producers to create the shower gel, moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner at the property – with a beautiful scent to match showcasing quality Cambodian products.
Finally, we have the relevant overhead and handheld shower. Spacious and with great pressure and temperature, it’s what you need after a day in humid conditions. Here’ the only minor aspect that could do with improving is placing the shampoo dispensers closer to the shower itself – but that is nitpicking.
While this may not be FCC Angkor’s highest room type, the cosy and historical-inspired design creates a welcoming space to spend time in.
Amenities, food and beverages
Reflective of the size of the property, a small fitness studio can be found on the original wing of FCC Angkor. Quite limited in what is offered, but enough to get a quick workout in daily. From what I could see, it was rarely frequented by other guests of the hotel. The gym is located in front of the main swimming pool of the property, surrounded by a number of sun beds as well as a poolside bar.
As noted by the team at the hotel, the pool at the other wing of the property is larger and less used by guests – making it better for those seeking to complete some laps.
Breakfast takes place at The Mansion restaurant on-site, which is the original property that housed successive Governors in the colonial era. FCC have renovated this property well, keeping the French interior design that makes it reflective of its history. It certainly reminded me of the Long Bar at Raffles in Singapore – just with fewer nuts on the floor!
The breakfast is served buffet style with Khmer and international cuisine available, with options rotated on a daily basis. I found all the food to be well cooked, particularly the freshly prepared noodle options.
Completing the beverage options, there is also an on-site bar in the form of Scribe – the name’s inspiration taken from famous writers who frequented Foreign Correspondent Clubs. The bar offers a selection of tailored drink options with high-quality spirits from the region and abroad – we enjoyed a few cocktails here before heading out to embrace more of the festivities.
FCC Angkor provided a one hour massage at the Visaya Spa as part of our stay, on the new wing of the hotel, which can be visited by non-guests too. It continues much of the design ethos of the rest of the hotel making for a far more premium experience than many of the spas elsewhere in the city. The staff, as with all the hotel, took much effort and pride in their work by explaining all the options available for the massage as well as doing an excellent job!
Conclusion
With its history, great location and design ethos, FCC Angkor is a winner with this property. While there are a few improvements they could make to the room design noted in the review, these are never going to be a deal breaker. The property provided a reliable and enjoyable oasis of calm in a busy little town with easy accessibility to Angkor Wat, all while keeping true to the Khmer-French roots of the property.
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2 comments
Great review thanks.
We stayed at the FCC Angkor in October 2024 for 3 nights. Out of season and lovely and quiet. We were upgraded to a suite which was very spacious.
We had an enjoyable stay, hotel is right by the river and you can walk to several restaurants nearby as well as to Raffles for a cocktail in the Elephant Bar.
The Scribe bar is really excellent with specialist cocktails offered every day of the week.
The Mansion House Restaurant is very atmospheric and you can also sit outside on the terrace watching the Siem Reap world go by!
Seems nice enough with a lot of charm. Perhaps mentioning more specifics about the location and walking distances or times to different places might also be helpful in future reviews as well as some idea what rooms run.
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