We chose Khmer Mansion for our 3-night stay in Siem Reap based on its glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, where nearly every review is 5-star. While there were indeed some highlights during our visit, our experience was a mix of both positives and areas for improvement. Here's our balanced review:
Premises
The hotel has a charming and welcoming ambiance. The large rooms, beautiful lobby, and inviting pool create a delightful first impression. Its central location is another plus, making it easy to explore the nearby attractions of Siem Reap. However, some of the amenities left us underwhelmed. The gym, for instance, felt neglected—lacking air-conditioning and looking quite unappealing. Additionally, the spa appeared to be just empty treatment rooms, seemingly used by freelance masseurs, which detracted from the sense of a cohesive hotel service. There wasn’t a proper bar to relax in; guests are limited to the pool area or the restaurant. Furthermore, the Happy Hour runs from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM—a time slot when most guests are likely out visiting Angkor, making it difficult to enjoy this offering.
Location
From a location perspective, Khmer Mansion is about a 15-minute walk to the main tourist hub, Pub Street. While the proximity is reasonable during the day, the walk at night feels less convenient and perhaps not entirely safe. Guests might need to rely on tuk-tuks or Grab, for a more secure and comfortable option in the evenings.
Service
The service at Khmer Mansion is both a highlight and a challenge. The staff’s attentiveness is exceptional—they greeted us by name, remembered our flight details and departure date, and ensured that airport transfers were punctual. These touches reflect their genuine intention to make us feel special. However, we found the level of attentiveness a bit overwhelming, bordering on intrusive. It sometimes felt as though we were being observed constantly, which made us uncomfortable and detracted from the relaxed atmosphere we were hoping for.
Food & Beverage
The breakfast experience was disappointing. While the spread looked inviting, many items were left uncovered, attracting flies. This was particularly concerning given our sensitive stomachs, and we ultimately limited ourselves to the egg station and coffee, where we felt assured of freshly prepared food. On a positive note, dinner was a better experience—the staff took care to accommodate our dietary requirements, tailoring dishes as instructed.
Room
Our room was one of the stronger points of our stay. It was spacious, thoughtfully prepared, and welcoming, with personalized messages, a welcome drink, and snacks awaiting us. However, despite the hotel’s occupancy rate being only about 50%, we were assigned a room located in a far corner. This felt like a missed opportunity to enhance our overall comfort and convenience.
Another point to note is the toiletries provided. While most hotels today have transitioned to using larger, refillable containers for toiletries, Khmer Mansion still offers small, individual tubes of shampoo, shower gel, and conditioner. Not only were these insufficient for our stay, but they also feel less sustainable compared to the refillable alternatives that are becoming standard in the industry.
Value-Added
While we appreciated the discount vouchers provided—covering drinks from the mini bar, laundry, tuk-tuks, and different menus—they were rather confusing to keep track of and apply. A simpler approach, such as lowering the prices directly or consolidating the promotions, would have been more effective and user-friendly.
Final Thoughts
Khmer Mansion has many commendable qualities, such as its spacious rooms and attentive staff, but there are notable areas for improvement. The lack of attention to detail in amenities and F&B detracts from the overall experience. While some guests might appreciate the level of attentiveness from the staff, others might find it overbearing. For us, the experience was mixed, and while there were memorable moments, we felt some aspects fell short of the 5-star reputation that initially drew us to the hotel.