Rooms

All rooms and suites are in a style known as Asian modern, with indirect fluorescent lighting and an almost-achieved tadelakt effect that pretty much washes over you. Bathrobes and slippers are provided, as are hairdryers, air-conditioning, lotions and potions.

Along the second-floor of a smart colonial building, the Heritage Rooms sit between the main house and the pool. They’re compact at best but make up for it with their wonderful location.

Given the choice we'd opt for a Bungalow Suite. All have green roofs, are named after local herbs and fruit, and sit either side of a winding path. Inside, one whole wall is glass and opens onto your private garden, where a largely decorative outdoor shower is safely walled from prying eyes. Inside, uniquely, is your own programmable steam bath as well as a power shower and an oval terrazzo bath opposite the bed. As for the rest of your micro-palace, super-comfortable beds come as standard, and colour-washed walls come in blues, greens, reds and yellows.

Equally luxurious are the Colonial Pool Suites, which each have their own private outdoor swimming pool as well as a private steam room. For an additional splurge, you can opt for a Colonial Jacuzzi Suite or The Residence, which each have added square footage and an outdoor sunken Jacuzzi. There are bowls of fruit, paper lanterns, clever espresso machines and a sound gewgaw. TVs are available on request, a nice touch.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The main building is a great barn-like structure with Eiffel-style steel struts supporting an upstairs gallery, with myriad French windows. You eat here by default, but all meals can be served in your room or, in good weather, poolside. Lunch and dinner share the same menu, but snacks can be arranged throughout the day from the pool bar (sandwiches, salads, a bowl of pasta). The menu mixes European and Khmer dishes, so try the kep crab and pomelo salad, sauteed sea bass in citrus sauce or mushroom risotto with truffle oil. The wine list is also excellent.

Breakfast is seriously good, with a choice of eggs including (delicious) Benedict and Florentine, good bread and pastries, good tea, and homemade jams. Staff are tear-inducingly lovely.

The grand open space also serves as a lobby bar with an impressive range of cocktails, and hosts a popular jazz night on Thursdays that brings in the posher expats. Tuesdays in high season see the Khmer BBQ which is accompanied by Apsara dancing - reports are excellent.

Head into town and find loads of restaurants to choose from, especially nearby Bo Street.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Book an à la carte adventure day trip with the hotel’s tour company. Try jungle-trekking, mountain biking, a Champagne sunset cruise, or even guided tours of temples by resident archaeologists
  
• Visit Angkor Wat, the principal temple of this ancient capital and the largest single religious building in the world. It is surrounded by an impressive 5km moat
  
• Equally striking is Ta Prohm, where the roots of giant banyan trees hold temple ruins in their mighty grip as they soar towards heaven
  
• Bayon, the state temple of Angkor Thom, is where 216 giant faces have been chiselled into the stone
  
• Drink in the Old Market/Pub Street, the bustling and deliciously horrid tourist ghetto. It has plenty of restaurants and bars, of which Miss Wong’s, down an atmospheric alley, is the best
  
• Hotel staff can arrange elephant rides near the temples, golf at a nearby course, even a ride in a balloon hovering over the Angkor temples

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Mountain biking
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets
• Traditional cultures
• Well being

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome, and the lush grounds are great for little ones to explore.

Best for:

Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Residence has 2 kingsize beds, and all of the suites can fit an extra bed or a baby cot.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Heritage Suites Hotel is located in Siem Reap, opposite Wat Polanka and about 1km north of the old market. It's 8km from the temples at Angkor Wat (a 10-minute drive or 30-minute cycle ride).

By Air:
Fly into Siem Reap International Airport (7km). If you're flying in from abroad, aim for Bangkok, then take a connecting flight.

From the Airport
The hotel provides a one-way transfer, and you may even be collected from the airport in a vintage Mercedes, which once belonged to an erstwhile prime minister - very cool.

By Boat:
It's possible to take a ferryboat or speedboat from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap via Tonle Sap lake (4-6 hours), but choose your vessel with care. The crossing can be extremely rough, the boats overcrowded, and the lifebelts non-existent. Some of slower cruises (2-3 days) are much more civilised.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Cambodia and getting around