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
This sounds like such a wonderful place to stay and relax. The nightly folktale scrolls are a special little surprise! I received something similar in Vietnam and each night I looked forward to reading the new story left for me.
Weren’t the stories so nice and fairy-tale like Karisa? It was as if we were transported back to our childhood days when stories were read to us at bedtime 🙂
Sounds amazing! 🙂 And the place looks just beautiful… I’ll definitely bookmark this little paradise should I ever be around.
It was amazing 🙂 Visiting the temples can be quite tiring and we used to look forward to coming back and relaxing in the hotel. The people here are so affectionate.
great pictures! looks amazing
http://www.mybubbaandme.com
Thanks Atosa 🙂
Oh wow, looks like they put a lot of attention and effort into every detail there.
Gemma, they sure do. We loved the fact that it was so cosy and personal 🙂
Awesome pics and a great place to relax. You look so cute in the pic with with mosquito net :*
I love savi’s playful moment! Your posts are always so fun to read. Will add this to my next trip to Asia for sure 🙂
Thanks a ton Natasha – your comment warmed the cockles of my heart 🙂
I love the photo where you are playing in the mosquito net. The room is very nice and what can I say about the food…heavenly.
Thank you so much, Shalu 🙂
hey 60 pounds per night including breakfast and tuk tuk rides at your disposal is quite a steal!!! this hidden gem looks very promising!
and Savi in the mosquito net pic , you are looking like a child lost in candy shop :):)
You are right ! It was quite a steal. The tuk-tuk was a god send 🙂 Thanks Priyadarshini !
The moskito net is sexy…however awesome journey you guys had.
Thanks Sheri 🙂
Looks like a beautiful hotel. Cute picture in the net. How long were you in Cambodia and did you stay at this hotel for the whole visit?
Hey Miriam,
We were in Siem Reap for 4 nights and we spent all of them at this hotel 🙂 We had an amazing time (as you can see from the pictures ;))
I read all your great posts on Cambodia. Did you do all that in 4nights based from this hotel?
Hey Miriam – we stayed at Pavillon D’orient for 4 nights. Hope you found our posts on Cambodia helpful. Just drop us a line if you need more information 🙂