Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel – An Oasis in Siem Reap, Cambodia

We came back to a surprise – a scroll tied with a shining red ribbon waited on our doorstep. On opening it, we found a Cambodian folktale about good vs. evil

If you’ve been reading Bruised Passports for a while, you might know we love decrepit buildings and street food but when it comes to hotels we love a bit of luxury. But a sprawling establishment often doesn’t do it for us – we have a soft spot for intimate boutique hotels. Unsurprisingly we booked one such hotel, with rave reviews on Trip Advisor for our trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

On reaching Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel, we were greeted with glasses of refreshing lemongrass tea and cold towels. Instead of having to make our way to the reception after a long day of travelling, the receptionist came to us. She explained everything to us and handed over the keys as we guzzled down our tea – perfect!

Next we went to our room. The sprawling room with a balcony facing the pool and an extremely spacious bathroom put a smile on our faces. The bed was adorned with a mosquito net that got Savi really excited 😉

But the best part about Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel was yet to come. Breakfast is included in the room rate like most hotels but unlike most hotels, breakfast at Pavillon D’orient lasts all day. Yep ALL DAY. That means you can sleep in and not worry about missing the complimentary breakfast. We might have had ‘breakfast’ at 3 p.m. one day 😉

Breakfast itself is a lavish affair – generous chunks of fresh fruit, fruit smoothies, fresh Cambodian yogurt, aromatic Cambodian fried rice and soup, Continental rolls, cold cuts, and cheeses. For me, the fresh mangoes alone were enough -so sweet, sooo good- yummy!

What do lazy bums do after breakfast at 3 p.m.? Hit the Spa of course! Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel’s Spa is small and intimate, just like the hotel. We opted for body massages that left us completely relaxed – highly recommended after a long day of visiting the Angkor Temples.

The best thing about being in a boutique hotel is always the attention lavished by the staff and Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel did not disappoint on that front. We were on first name terms with Sebastian (the manager), Claudia (the reception manager), Danny (staff), and Seth (our tuk-tuk driver) within a day of arriving at the hotel and they made sure we had an amazing time in Siem Reap. We were always greeted with a smile and that is priceless.

Within 5 days we had begun to look forward to receiving a different folk tale on our doorstep every night and when the time came to leave, we just didn’t want to leave. As a parting gesture, Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel gifted us colourful Cambodian scarves, a gift we will cherish forever. I think of Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel  and its smiling staff every time I wear that scarf here in London.

FACT FILE

• Rooms at Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel start at £60. We would class this as an affordable luxury hotel
• The cost includes a complimentary tuk-tuk and a driver from sunrise till late at night. We found this really convenient because haggling with tuk-tuk drivers every time one steps out of the hotel can get very tiring after a while. We are sure all their drivers are good but we are partial to Seth, our driver who helped us discover the little known parts of Siem Reap.
• Highlights include all-day breakfast, the welcoming staff, and a gorgeous hotel complex
• Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel is the perfect base to explore the Angkor Wat Temples.
• More information on their website www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com

Don’t leave without reading our Guide to Angkor : 10 Temples That You Must See 

Stuck on packing for South East Asia? Check out our Wears from Vietnam and Cambodia for some inspiration

We were guests of Pavillon D’orient Boutique Hotel. We are two extremely opinionated ninjas – so all views (good and bad) are entirely our own. Click on to read our full Disclosure Policy