Located within what used to be the French Governor’s mansion in Siem Reap, the FCC Angkor is a beautiful hotel and a perfect base for exploring the nearby temples.
The hotel provided a driver to collect us from the airport. The air-conditioned car was very comfortable and the driver gave us water and chocolates. The journey is about 45 minutes.
We later found that both chocolate bars contained a ‘Golden Ticket’ that could be exchanged for a cocktail at the bar – make sure you open yours before you leave! On our return, we used the Grab app and had an equally comfortable journey, minus chocolates, for less than half the price.
The staff were really friendly and helpful. Check in was relaxed, with cooling towels and a welcome drink. We were soon in the Governor’s Suite, a lovely space with living room and separate bedroom.
The decor is themed to reflect the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, so old radios, old telephones and an old typewriter. The original FCC in Phnom Penh closed for renovations in 2018 and is yet to re-open. Please watch the video above to see the entire suite.
There’s plenty of coffee and tea-making facilities, a minibar, plus lots of nuts and other treats. Everything in the minibar, except beer, is included for suite guests. Plenty of bottles of water were replenished each day.
The room safe was at the bottom of the wardrobe – be prepared to crawl around on the floor when accessing your valuables.
The swimming pool was a peaceful haven, with drinks and lunch brought to your sunbed. The pool temperature was refreshing, but warm enough that you could spend plenty of time there.
Breakfast is held in the Mansion Restaurant. We had a lovely breakfast on the terrace every morning, with eggs cooked to order. I would have liked some complimentary sparkling wine, but the juices were of good quality. We watched the street in front of the hotel as tuk-tuks zoomed past.
There is a Khmer-themed dinner held twice weekly in the Mansion Restaurant. The food was good, the drink prices expensive. We would have enjoyed it had the show been inside the restaurant, but due to a large booking, it was held on the lawn in front of the mansion. We elected to eat on the terrace, mostly for fear of mosquitoes. As a result, it was too dark to see what was happening and less intimate – I’d recommend only booking when the show is inside.
The bar is more expensive than the bars in Pub Street, but then it’s a much better bar. The staff are really friendly. They have live music on there sometimes. They have a cigar humidor on the corner of the bar.
Here’s a nighttime picture of the pool.
My travelling companion visited the beautiful spa twice, each for a one-hour traditional Khmer massage and she declared it be excellent and very professional.
Bring plenty of mosquito repellent. Mosquitoes love me and I had many bites on my legs, mostly from sitting around the bar in the early evening,
We really enjoyed our stay at the FCC Angkor and would highly recommend this hotel.
FCC Angkor by Avani
Next to the Royal Residence,
Pokambor Ave,
Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia
+855 63 760 280
https://www.avanihotels.com/en/angkor-siem-reap
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