Im so sad to have had a semi-negative experience at this lovely hotel. I booked my entire trip to SE Asia through a tour company and they originally were hesitant to book me in a hotel that they hadn't yet stayed in. After seeing trip advisor reviews, I insisted I wanted to stay at Samar Villages so they set me up there. I would expect INCREDIBLE service since this tour company books a lot of rooms in Siem Reap and is rated #1 by Conde Naste Travel. It was a chance for them to get a good "in"... Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out like that. The hotel is gorgeous and feels very secluded. However, it is farther from town than I'd like and definitely was hard getting the tuk-tuk drivers to figure out where it is. The welcome drink and staff are incredible and very friendly. Upon arrival (after hours of flying), we were told our room wasn't ready and we would be put in a different room for 1 night. Then, since we'd be gone all day, they would, "Move our stuff down to the new room the following day for us." Now, after 2 weeks of traveling, I don't WANT to have to unpack and re-pack my stuff after 1 night to switch rooms because YOU over booked the hotel. And I certainly don't want someone entering my room and moving all my belongings for me. I know situations arise with bookings, but they should have contacted our tour company to tell them that we would be in a different room before we arrived.
We decided to go with the flow and not make a big deal out of it. We spent the first night in the upstairs room they put us in and hoped for the best. However, the next morning, i was surprised when the french hotel owner (I knew he was the owner because tripadvisor reviews saying the french owner is so nice) saw us seated at breakfast and gave a curt "hi" as he walked over to the other french speaking guests seated next to us. I said, "good morning!..." and smiled but he seemed uninterested. Then, since me and 1 other guest had internet connection problems, I brought it up to him. He was very insistent that it worked fine and made me feel really uncomfortable for expecting him to...care? All in all, my husband and I didn't feel welcomed by him and most certainly didn't want to give him 4 nights worth of our money. We asked our tour company to try to handle it... Not even going to say how rude he was to them. Anyway, we escaped to Hotel de la Paix for only $100 more/night. It was 1000 times better, closer to town, seemed to LOVE having us as guests, and made our trip perfect. Im sorry Samar Villas, I really tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you blew it.

We stayed for one night in Villa Samar, at the end of December 2011. Overall, we can concur with other reviews stating that it's a quiet and charming small hotel in Siem Reap.

What we liked :

- The hotel's size (8 rooms or so) plus the fact that it's tastefully and very elegantly decorated.

- The food : We had the plate of khmer and "innovative" tapas and we enjoyed them very much. Price-wise it wasn't cheap but not outrageously expensive either. The breakfast (included in the price for one night) was also quite good (save that they had not - may be then only - fresh juices !)

We disliked :

- We decided to go for a bike tour (quite nice at least to see Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom which are not very far, provided you avoid the hottest hours of the day if you come in the dry season) and asked the reception to arrange the bike rental. We were provided in the afternoon with very nice and new mountain bikes (Giant) but we were told they'd be charged 14 $ each a day : As we questionned this price the manager stepped in and said that it was not his bikes and that this was the price asked by the company (Quality bike rental or something like this). He added quite undiplomatically that it was unavoidable that such a company would rip off tourists in the high season and to it only amounted to 10 euros a day ! As we returned the bikes the next morning, the receptionist initially charged us for two days (on a 12 $ basis instead of the 14 $ basis/bike/day). The manager who had guaranteed us that we could use them for 24 hours (day to day) corrected her mistake. But when we moved to the next hotel in Siem Reap, we got the same bikes for 6 $ each a day !

- The rooms are indeed very nice. We stayed in one of the suites in the main house, overlooking at the pool. A couple of things yet could be fixed ; the water pressure in the shower was very low ; there was also a fake flower next to the sink, which I found was a "fausse note". The rooms were also quite dark : of course you can open the shutters but this is at the expense of your privacy as the personnel often passes before them.

- The hotel is off downtown Siem Reap quite close to the southern entrance of the Angkor Site. Location wise it's OK but you'll have to use the tuk-tuk or to have your personal mean of transportation. When we asked a tuk-tuk to leave the hotel to go to another one (not because we were dissatisfied but because the Villa was only available for one night) standing very close, we'd to wait for 15 to 20 mns. The receptionist wanted us to pay directly the hotel which we refused and asked for 12 $ (a joke because it'd should be 3 dollars max).

- The service could be improved. I wanted to get pick a snack in the meny to eat by the pool around 3 pm (there was a snack menu) but I was told that the chef had left and wasn't offered anything to eat.

Overall, our rating does not reflect the intrinsic quality of the hotel but our experience with the management and the fact that we got the impression that we got ripped off for the extras and for the tuk tuk. This last point is key as the hotel is far from downtown Siem Reap (it has it bonuses).

The Samar Villas & Spa was one of the highlight of our first trip to Angkor-Siem Reap. We booked their le Apart room (for 4 pax, 2 bedrooms & 2 bathroom) and it was exquisite.

Samar is charming and quiet boutique hotel with less than 10 rooms. Very well decorated - classy combination of Khmer and colonial style and decoration. Both bathrooms in our room were very spacious and clean. For those who can't do without their TVs & internet during their holiday, could request for TV sets (with most cable channels) in their rooms. WiFi connection was also consistent and strong.

Location is away from town so it is quiet and serene, only 10mins from Angkor Wat by car. Staff were professional, helpful and accommodating. Pool and spa were just perfect for a relaxing time in Angkor. Breakfast was prepared fresh when requested. A restaurant opposite the hotel serves lunch and dinner and they could also arrange to stage Apsara performance with advanced notice.

Will come back if we are in Angkor in the future.

We stayed at the Samar Villa & Spa Resort in August 2011, and it certainly exceeded our high expectations! The suites are wonderful, decorated with beautiful furniture and accessories, with beautiful and spacious bathrooms. The swimming pool is perfect for relaxation after a long day of touring the temples at Angkor, and so are the spa services offered. Breakfast is excellent and filling, with freshly baked croissants and delicious tropical fruit. We also had dinner twice at the hotel during our stay, and the modern Asian fusion cuisine as well as the cocktails were outstanding. Most importantly, we enjoyed meeting the managers and the staff of the resort. They do everything to help you enjoy your time at Angkor and Siem Reap, from arranging tours to the temples, to arranging transport with the resort's tuk tuks, to making recommendations for dinner in town. Everyone is very professional, and the service is tailored to each traveller's needs. We would highly recommend this property to anyone travelling to Siem Reap. Hopefully, we will have the chance to stay there again sometime!