Staying in interesting Siem Reap in northern Cambodia at Blanc Smith Residence was really a treat and such a relaxing few days. Away from the busy pub street, yet just a few minutes of walking across the river will get you to where the action is. Opposite the King’s Road Artisan Market and Hard Rock Café, there is always something to see and do, eat or drink. Simply the perfect spot for a hotel in Siem Reap.
And would you just like to relax at the hotel there is always the pool! A decent size, but just a tiny bit too cold, you find it on the first floor facing the street. The pool area has six sun loungers and a few umbrellas. After 1pm the sun disappears behind the building, so be sure to be there before lunch to catch some sun.
Make also sure to try the breakfast. We didn’t have it included, but got a 15% discount and the choices on the à la carte menu was really tasty. Quite priceworthy too in comparison with breakfast at the nearby cafés.
We really like our room. The bed is super comfy and it has a cute balcony overlooking the roofs of adjacent buildings but also the Makara Street and the monastery of Wat Damnak. The room comes with hairdryer, a laptop safety box, slippers, bathrobes, an iron and ironing board, scales (!), a minibar, a kettle and coffee/tea bags and free bottled drinking water. All you could ask for really.
What you don’t need however is to be given another room than the one you have booked. Why is this becoming a problem all of a sudden? It has happened to us a few times now and is really starting to annoy us. So, we booked a Classic Room with city view and a balcony. Upon check in, we are given a room with no balcony and, surprise, no windows! What is up with that? Strangely enough, the room we are given seems to be more expensive than the room we originally booked, but why would we want a room with no window when we booked a room with balcony? Oh well, I naturally complain and we’re given the room we want and paid for, but still, it is frustrating, time consuming and just unnecessary.
Apart from that litte mishap, we really like Blanc Smith Residence and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone visting Siem Reap. They can also help you with booking your tours of Angkor Wat and all other temple areas.
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