On my recent 3.5 day trip to Siem Reap, I decided to check out a local boutique hotel instead of staying in better known international hotels. I combed through the offerings for 5 stars hotels on booking.com and other similar sites and decided to give Lotus Blanc Resort a try. I did not know what to expect from this hotel when I arrived in Siem Reap. There are some positives and negatives to staying at this resort. Even though the hotel is listed as a 5 stars establishment, it is really on par with 3.5 to 4 stars international rating. Overall, I rated this hotel 4 out of 5 stars as explained below.

Website: http://lotusblancresort.com/

Room (3.5/5)

The hotel was built approximately 10 years ago and recently changed owners.  All the rooms and public spaces were renovated two years ago.  I had the Landmark room that comes with a double bed and is very spacious. The room décor is a mix of modern with a lot of wood furniture that is typically seen at Asian resorts. Even though it was renovated recently, some wear and tear are obvious as seen in the bathroom.  One thing I wished each room had was a bath tub.  I have not been to a “5 stars” hotel that did not have a bathtub.  The room does have a large walk-in shower with a celling mounted rain showerhead.  However, the shower was missing an extra hand held hose.  The rain shower is nice but makes it hard if you just wanted to rinse your feet or have a quick shower before running out the door. There is also a nice balcony for each room, however mosquitoes would prevent anyone from sitting out there at night and the heat makes it hard to be outside during the day.

My room is right by the hallway and elevator bank so I heard a lot of hallway noise.  Additionally, the room doors are not soft close and make a loud slam noise every time someone goes in or out of their room. This became a nuisance as I was woken up by slamming doors and people talking very loudly in the hallway. The construction of the hotel is done in a way that amplifies sound, especially in the hallway.

Service (4.5/5)

Service is where this resort excelled.  I did not have time to plan out my itinerary for my solo trip to Siem Reap and instead relied on a guest service staff, Dany, to plan my trip for me. We have been in communication for two weeks prior to my arrival regarding possible itineraries. When I arrived at the resort, Dany greeted me and discussed my itinerary. We made changes to the schedule according to what I wanted to do and how I like to travel. She suggested some options in terms of costs such as recommending that I do not take a guide with me for Day 2 and 3 as it was not necessary, thus saving me some money. Dany had booked the tut tut for the first night and spoke with the driver so that he would walk around with me since I was traveling solo. She also booked my car and tour guide for my tour of Angkor Wat and had the driver walk with me for my two remaining days.  When I came back to the resort each night, Dany or another guest service staff would inquire how my day was and what I had wanted to do that evening so they could assist.  The resort staff was always very respectful and friendly. Additionally, there is also an option for private airport transfer which makes getting to and from the airport relatively painless.

Amenities (4/5)

The breakfast buffet, included with the room rate, had a large selection of Asian and western dishes that were delicious. They had congee, noodle soups, continental breakfast, an egg station as well as a crepe station. The staff again was very good, discrete but attentive. For example, I was in a rush and wanted to take my coffee to go. The staff went somewhere to find a plastic cup to make me a large ice coffee.

The hotel also has a small and nicely appointed pool area with lounge chairs for guests. The Jacuzzi has very weak jets and is not worth checking out. The pool area is slippery at some parts as I fell near the Jacuzzi area. The staff was very responsive when I ask for a first aid kit. I have not had four people trying to clean a bloody elbow ever before. Again, the staff really made a big difference.

There is a spa in the hotel which I did not have the chance to check out. There is also a small bar/lounge area near the lobby which looked empty most of the time. There doesn’t seem to be much going on at the hotel besides the tourists heading to Angkor Wat. Another thing I noted was the lack of tour groups at the resort. Management said that they made a concerted effort not to book large tours so that it would be peaceful for the guests.

Location (4/5)

The resort is centrally located and minutes away from the airport. It is a short tut tut ride away from city center and Angkor Wat which makes the hotel a convenient base for all the activities.

Recommend (Yes)

Siem Reap has a lot of hotels, large and small, catered to an ever growing number of tourists visiting the temples. I would recommend this particular resort for its service, relatively affordable price and a boutique quality. After a long day trekking around in the heat, it is nice to come back to a place where it can feel like home away from home for a few days.

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Author: Chau Hoang