Any TLFL reader who values the World of Hyatt scheme will have this hotel at the top of their list. Park Hyatt Siem Reap, formerly an independent hotel called Hotel De La Paix, it offers the signature Park Hyatt experience with a Khmer touch. Inspired by the original white building on the same site, with an spotted history as a rice depot in the Pol Pot regime, the current iteration of the hotel was built in the mid noughties before a full refurbishment a decade later to meet Park Hyatt requirements. With some improvements needed but an all-round great experience, here’s a detailed look at the Park Hyatt experience in Siem Reap.
Park Hyatt Siem Reap provided two-nights accommodation in return for this review. The property management did not receive copy approval or editing rights to this content and are reading it for the first time as it is published.
In this post:
How to get extra perks at Park Hyatt (and other Hyatts) with Hyatt Privé
If you are considering staying in a Park Hyatt or other Hyatt brands (see below) it is usually worth booking through a Hyatt Priv agent such as our partners GTC. That’s because you will pay the standard rate, still get your loyalty points and perks plus get a number of valuable perks:
- Early check-in priority, based on availability
- Room upgrade priority on availability (excludes non-suites to suites)
- Daily full breakfast credit for two
- Connecting room priority, based on availability
- Welcome amenity – $50 – $100 property credit
- Late check-out priority, subject to availability
The perks also apply to
- Park Hyatt
- Andaz
- Alila
- Thompson Hotels
- Miraval Resorts
- Selected Grand Hyatts
- Selected The Unbound Collection hotels
- Selected Hyatt Centric hotels
Getting to Park Hyatt Siem Reap
The town of Siem Reap, and the hotel, is located sixty minutes from the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport – a considerably longer commute than the old airport which took ten minutes. Thai Air Asia, Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines are your likely connecting options when visiting the home of Angkor Wat.
Grab, the ASEAN version of Uber, is available in the town for the private taxi hire of a car or Remorque – a rickshaw attached to a motorcycle. However, you’re probably best off booking a transfer to/from the airport to your hotel to save hassle.
First impressions
As described somewhat unfairly by the hotel’s architect, Bill Bensley, the white building with ‘plain-vanilla structure’ stands out against the other ‘dirty grey buildings’ in the area. With the clear blue skies during our stay, I can certainly agree with it standing out – and also being easily accessible from the rest of Siem Reap.
We were welcomed swiftly by the hotel staff into The Living Room – which part hosts reception and arrival format, as well as luxury high tea in the afternoon and drinks in the evening. Of course, we were offered an icy cold towel and a drink to introduce us to the property.
The staff took us through the features of the property, which I’ll cover later, as well as a selection of local cultural immersion tours and experiences available – including Khmer cooking courses.
The room
Our stay would take place in the King Bed Garden View room – a slight upgrade on the base room type owing to the nicer view over the street side. For those with World of Hyatt status and can attain upgrades, there are five suite types available.
The room is sizeable at 35 sqm with adequate space indoors, albeit with no outdoor balcony or terrace area. Our room was located on one of the higher floors of the building, albeit just the fourth floor as no building in Siem Reap can be taller than the highest point of Angkor Wat.
Featuring a very comfortable King Bed with soft duvet and pillow options, the bedroom is a delight to get a rest in. Perhaps showing the time passed since refurbishment, there are no USB or USB-C outlets installed at the bed side. However, there is a speaker with wireless charging installed as well as international power outlets – which are far more useful, and safer, than pre-installed USB ports.
Opposite is a television with international channels, which didn’t get touched throughout our stay, as well as a sofa that was comfortable for sitting with a coffee for short periods.
One of the main gripes I have with this hotel is the WiFi situation. It needs rectifying. There is a general WiFi network in circulation throughout the whole of the property which will connect but do not work in-room and then a separate WiFi network for every room. As a luxury property, it just isn’t very slick and doesn’t create a very easy connectivity method for the hotel’s guests.
This would be the one area, in my eyes, that needs investment. Speeds, however, are serviceable for work and play – but are generally reflective of the slower internet connections in Cambodia versus nearby Thailand. As with any country where you need data connectivity, I would always purchase a local SIM – either through aggregator Airalo or a local network such as Smart in Cambodia.
Those looking for in-room coffee tea and a minibar selection are very well attended to. With tea, Nespresso pods and a selection of alcoholic beverages, including local Samai rum as well as Seekers gin and vodka, available for purchase.
The hallway leading to the entrance and bathroom, there is an integrated wardrobe unit. Plenty of hangers are available to place your clothes for a city hotel as well as enough storage receptacle for different clothes types.
Onto the bathroom, which gave me major throwback vibes to my hotel in Montréal, features dual sinks, bath, toilet, rainfall and handheld shower. The design, clad in marble, makes the space feel open and bright, even with the privacy divider to the main bedroom closed. To be expected, the heat and pressure of the water on all outlets were excellent.
The final thing worth noting about the room is the use of the beautifully-scented Le Labo fragrances used at the property, as is standard at all Park Hyatt locations. Do note if you’re tempted to ‘accidentally’ drop these excellent products in your bag they will be charged at full price – a sign very visbily notes this in the room.
Hotel features and amenities
Hallways in the hotel have quite a standard design with carpeted floors throughout and liberal use of dark wood, reminiscent of the older Park Hyatt designs. Lighting is good though, with intermittent windows to let natural light in.
Towards the lifts on each floor there is an attempt to create meeting spaces for guests with sofas placed slightly awkwardly that mean I rarely saw them used. These spaces do feature some interesting artwork on display that are worth a gander.
Throughout the hotel there is constant reference to local Khmer culture through the use of artwork and statues, which makes the hotel feel more local than being in a chain of luxury hotel properties.
The hotel has two primary areas for pools. The first in the garden area features fresh water with chlorine and, thoughtfully, the ground floor features a second pool with seawater – suitable for those with chlorine allergies and with a design better suited to swimming lengths.
For those looking to keep fit while travelling, there is a Spa building in the garden area which features a fitness suite. While not the most extensive, there is an intermediate selection of equipment – including a cable machine and a selection of lighter weights as well as treadmills.
Breakfast at The Dining Room
Located on the ground floor next to The Living Room is The Dining Room which plays host to breakfast for guests at the property. With an interesting feature at the centre as well as indoor and outdoor tables, it’s a comfortable and unstuffy place to eat.
Breakfast is served as a mixed a-la-carte and buffet experience, allowing you to try a little bit of everything. The offering is quite extensive with local Khmer options including beef noodle salad in addition to international options including Salmon Eggs Benedict.
The Dining Room is also open for lunch and dinner. They offer Khmer set menus alongside live Apsara dancing performances on specified evenings – which I would recommend trying at least once during your stay at a restaurant in Siem Reap.
Final thoughts
Park Hyatt Siem Reap is a great all-round luxury property – although it does need improvements in some area. Connectivity, both in terms of better WiFi and USB outlets which are commonplace at cheaper properties, need to be improved.
Equally, I am somewhat split on the design of the property. The heavy use of dark wood is very much reflective of the design standard of Park Hyatt at the time, compared to a newer Park Hyatt such as Toronto, which sometimes can make it feel dated. It should be noted that the property has been very well maintained and looked after, though.
In reality, neither of these points would sway me in making a decision. If I were to return to Siem Reap, I would consider Park Hyatt for another visit for a comfortable stay that is close to all the action – both in-town activities and not far from Angkor Wat.
What did you think of Park Hyatt Siem Reap? Drop us a comment below.
4 comments
Great review thank you! Last time we were in SR we stayed at the Sofitel for 3 nights as it was near the temples. We wish to return to “do” Pub Street and its restaurants for 4 nights and have the PH in mind. Nothing you have described would change my mind in terms of ambience or location. However, us there actually any realistic alternative in the same area?
I stayed here on New Years’s Eve and had an amazing stay. I was upgraded to a suite with direct pool access, with a huge terrace – perfect for hosting drinks prior to heading out.
With so many hotels to choose from, this boutique hotel is fabulous, Borei Angkor Resort & Spa.
It retains individuality and beauty, without the high costs of a chain hotel. Another thought if you ever visit again.
Interesting that the two things you weren’t keen on are things I like.
I may be naive but I do prefer having a separate wifi sign-in for my room in the hope that it makes going online a little safer than using one that every guest and visitor to the hotel has access to.
Also, I’ve never been keen on cookie cutter hotel builds and styles, so somewhere that reflects the culture, echoes local architectural designs and captures traditional building materials – like the use of dark woods in Asia – really appeals to me.
Comments are closed.