Hotel Be Angkor

A truly unique experience: a 3-room hotel dedicated to local artists in the entertainment hub of Siem Reap

This is a different experience, even for the boutique traveller who prefers intimate service to cookie-cutter hotel rooms. There’s nothing mass produced at Be; every detail's a one off, with its 3 spacious rooms designed by Cambodia’s most cutting-edge artists. American businessman Martin Dishman is the brains behind it - he also created neighbouring The One Hotel, the residence with, you guessed it, 1 hotel room. This sits next door and shares the reception area with Be.

Set in The Passage in Siem Reap’s entertainment district, the hotel is in an enclave of good food and bustling bars filled to the brim with creative types. Its renovated 3-storey shopfront offers Cambodia with style - and without the mammoth room rates of the 5-star brands now infesting this city. On the ground floor there's a joint food venture with Siem Reap’s coolest big hotel, Hotel de la Paix. AHA is a Cambodian tapas experience that, when combined with the attached McDermott Gallery and Hotel Be’s bohemian Linga Spa, creates the perfect one-stop shop to lay hip heads.

Highs

• Intimate personalised service from hands-on owner and smiling hotel staff
• The commitment to local artists and designers in the rooms and retail shop
• Rooftop balconies for city viewing
• Spacious well-thought-out room configurations; Bose iPod docks and complimentary WiFi
• The proximity to the best bars of the area means a mere stumble home

Lows

• No on-site pool to cool down in when this city gets hot - and it gets hot, but complimentary access to one nearby is available for guests
• If you’re looking for quiet, this is not the location (although sound insulating panels completely seal the rooms from exterior noise) but if you want to feel like you’re staying at a far cooler friend's house, this is the ticket