Hotel Review: Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor

After two nights at the only Marriott property in town, the Courtyard Siem Reap Resort, I relocated to three nights at the iconic Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. Established in 1932 during the French Indochina period, this hotel originally catered to early explorers and tourists visiting the UNESCO world heritage site Angkor Wat. In 1997, Raffles acquired the property with an addition to the State Building.

This was my first stay at a Raffles property, and I booked three nights using the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program, as I don’t hold any Accor status. Although Amansara and Park Hyatt Siem Reap were also available through Amex FHR, Raffles stood out to me for its historical significance and the generous third-night-free campaign.

Checkin :

Courtyard Siem Reap organised a complimentary transfer to Raffles as a good gesture. After a short 10 minutes drive, we were warmly welcomed by the iconic Raffles doorman and a couple of other hotel staff. The check-in process took place in the elegant lobby, complemented by welcome beverages and Raffles scarves, symbolising a warm introduction to the Raffles family.

As an Amex FHR benefit, we were upgraded to a one category higher room, State Room Pool View King. Knowing it is a low season in Cambodia, I kindly asked if we would be eligible for any suite at the property, but it was only available with an extra charge.

We were upgraded to a State Room Pool View King as an Amex FHR benefit. As it was the low season in Cambodia, I inquired about the possibility of a suite upgrade, but unfortunately, a suite was only available for an additional charge. However, as a gesture of goodwill, the staff provided us with one more category upgrade to a Landmark Room Pool View King, providing us with a more luxurious experience. One of the highlights of the Landmark building is its classic lift, adding a touch of vintage charm to the stay.

Our Amex FHR booking included:

1. Daily breakfast for 2 people
2. Room upgrade
3. $100 hotel property credit
4. Early checkin at 12 pm
5. Late checkout at 4 pm

Room :

There are 9 category rooms:

1. State Room King / Twin (32 sq. m. / 344 sq. ft.)
2. State Room Pool View King / Twin (32 sq. m. / 344 sq. ft.)
3. Landmark Room King / Twin (36 sq. m. / 387 sq. ft.)
4. Landmark Room Pool View King / Twin (36 sq. m. / 387 sq. ft.)
5. Colonial Suite King / Twin (48 sq. m. / 516 sq. ft.)
6. Personality Junior Suite King Bed (48 sq. m. / 516 sq. ft.)
7. Landmark Suite King (72 sq. m. / 775 sq. ft.)
8. Raffles Suite King (72 sq. m. / 775 sq. ft.)
9. Two Bedrooms Royal Villa (318 sq. m. / 3422 sq. ft.)

The video below is State Room Pool View King:

And the video below is the Landmark Room Pool View King I was upgraded to as a Amex FHR benefit from State Room King.

I was truly impressed by the the selection of furniture and tasteful decoration across the room. The room certainly felt heritage but well maintained.

Property :

We used the $100 USD hotel credit for the Cambodian Apsara Dinner, a Saturday night event featuring a traditional Khmer dance performance by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, accompanied by a course menu at the restaurant 1932. The dinner itself was fine, but the performance left much to be desired. Some dancers appeared unprofessional, and the overall production lacked the finesse one might expect. At one point, the music stopped unexpectedly, and the performers even began taking pictures of the audience. It was a somewhat confusing experience that detracted from the evening.

Dining :

Breakfast each morning was a delightful mix of à la carte and buffet options, with a variety of Western and Asian dishes. The food was of high quality, and the attentive service made for a relaxing start to the day.

Conclusion :

In conclusion, I truly loved my stay at Raffles and will surely return to this property for my future stay in Siem Reap. However, one major question to be answered is "Does low season mean low service?".

White the hotel is about 20% occupancy and the room rates are much more reasonable during the low season, some signature Raffles service was not present. For example, there supposed to be a butler service based on Raffles website, but it was non existent. There There supposed to be a piano performance in the lobby from Monday to Friday, but the pianist was absent without any notice. The vintage Mercedes-Benz shown in the image was not present at the time of my stay and the manager explained it is broken. There is a complimentary wine tasting activity, but the sommelier was on a holiday. Restaurant manager who has little knowledge about wine handled the session on behalf of the absent sommelier.

Aside from my genuine question above, I think this hotel is one of the best, if not the best, luxury hotels in town. Considering its historical presence tracing back to 1932, whoever comes over to Siem Reap should squeeze at least one night in your itinerary.

Other luxury hotel in Siem Reap :

1. Amansara
2. La Résidence d'Angkor, A Belmond Hotel, Siem Reap (Closed for renovation)
3. Park Hyatt Siem Reap