Reaping Benefits: 4 Of The Best Hotels In Cambodia

From civil unrest to tourism honeypot, Cambodia’s hotels have seriously upped their game, says Mary Lussiana

Alila Villas Koh Russey

In the Koh Rong archipelago, just minutes from the Cambodian mainland, Alila Villas Koh Russey, sits on a magnificent 1.2km stretch of golden beach, from which you can safely swim. Its design is inspired by the traditional checked Khmer Krama garment, with cubic villas built in gunmetal grey with flat roofs and slick vertical lines. Hardwood floors, dark volcanic stone and steel are softened by the woven silk fabrics and the ikat cushions which decorate the rooms. The beachfront villas have their own pools, while a huge swimming pool, which from above mimics the outline of Angkor Wat, serves the pavilions. Food fuses French dining with local ingredients in poolside Horizon, while the thatched Beach Shack offers authentic Khmer dishes and Asian favourites, from satay to spring rolls. alilahotels.com

Six Senses Krabey Island

This magical, magical place is found just off Cambodia’s mainland in the Koh Rong archipelago. There are 40 villas, each with their own pool, and spacious interiors with huge bathrooms with freestanding tubs and generous rain showers and bedrooms with Six Senses trademark billowing, muslin- clad beds and views out to that unique Cambodian sunset. The food is worth the journey alone. Tree serves Khmer dishes with a modern twist such as the traditional Amok re-fashioned with local mud crab and a scattering of Khmer spices and Aha with its delicious sashimi of cobia with spicy koh kong sauce, ginger and lime leaves, perched above the 27m-long swimming pool. Wellness, a pillar of the Six Senses group, is well represented here in the spa – in fact, you may never want to leave this island. sixsenses.com

Shinta Mani Wild

Marking a new departure for Cambodia, Shinta Mani Wild opens up the country’s interior with its Bill Bensley designed –
and owned – tented camp nestled in the Cardamom Mountains. Fifteen vast tents are dotted along the edge of the thundering Tmor Rung River, some within sight of the ‘Raging Sisters’ waterfalls. They are so far apart from each other that a bath tub sits on the edge of the open deck. Bold and brilliant fabrics jostle with antique treasures that Bensley has collected over the years supporting the theme of colonial-style glamour referencing Jackie Kennedy’s visit to Cambodia in 1967 as a guest of King Sihanouk. The adventurous can zip-line in to the camp, fly-fish or hop on a motorbike with the Wildlife Alliance to patrol for poachers. This is an authentic Cambodia that delves deep in a way that other resorts don’t reach. bensleycollection.com

Rosewood Phnom Penh

Immediately a landmark on the Phnom Penh skyline, the Rosewood is housed on the top 14 floors of the Vattanac Capital Tower, with its Sky Bar, Sora, overlooking the Mekong River the go-to place for sundowners. With rooms designed by Melbourne’s BAR Studio and restaurants courtesy of Tokyo-based Bond Design Studio, art proliferates here brought together by SV Design, blending contemporary aesthetics with aspects of Cambodian culture, in pieces such as woven baskets, ceramic sculptures, metal artefacts and lacquer. Among the five restaurants French-influenced Cambodian cuisine is represented alongside the Japanese izakaya-style in Iza Restaurant. The spa, fitness centre, cigar and whisky lounge and 175 guestrooms furnished with dark wood, brass, mosaics and ikat- patterned carpets complete the picture as custom-made tuk-tuks do the experience. rosewoodhotels.com

BOOK IT: Wix Squared offers three nights at Shinta Mani Wild (all inclusive), three nights at Alila Koh Russey, two nights at Six Senses Krabey Island and two nights at the Rosewood Phnom Penh, from £4,550pp, including transfers, a private morning street food tour and private afternoon architectural tour in Phnom Penh. Flights not included. 020 3808 6383. wixsquared.com

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