GUIDE – Eating and drinking in Bangkok
June 6, 2017
GUIDE – Touring the Temples of Siem Reap
June 10, 2017
Park Hyatt Siem Reap
- Rate: 176USD (with Hyatt Privé benefits)
- Room Type: Park Executive Suite
- upgrade from Park King using Diamond Suite Upgrade certificate
- Status during stay: Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond
Booking
I initially booked this stay as a cash and points reservation. Given that the PH Siem Reap is a Category 4 Hotel, this set me back 7,500 Hyatt points + $100 per night. At the time cash rates were over $300 so it seemed like a very good deal.
The great thing about booking hotels and flights using points is that not only are the prices usually much cheaper, the reservations are also totally flexible. I always make sure to check on my reservations over time to see if it makes sense switching to a better rate. Trends in availability can often mean that you’ll find a cheaper rate as your stay date approaches.
Luckily, about 2 months before our travel date the standard flexible rate at the hotel dropped to $175.
I booked using Hyatt Privé, since Hyatt Privé bookings always match the Hyatt.com rate and provide all the same points and stay credit, since they’re viewed as direct bookings by Hyatt.
However my Privé booking also added:
• Priority room upgrade subject to availability
• Full breakfast for up to two in room guests
• $100 Hotel Credit
• Welcome amenity
• Early check-in/late check-out subject to availability
Having Hyatt status meant that I got most of those benefits already but getting $100 of credit to spend at the hotel was a real bonus as was the improved upgrade priority.
Arrival
The Park Hyatt Siem Reap is located on a busy intersection right in the middle of town, our drive there took around 20 minutes from the airport and traffic was not an issue whatsoever. I prefer this location to the resorts outside of town, I’d rather have all of the local shops and restaurants within a couple of minutes walk and miss out on being ten minutes closer to the temples by car.
The hotel has no parking space but has enough room to accommodate a couple of drop offs at a time, under the gazebo style entrance.
Park Hyatt Siem Reap
We were warmly welcomed at our car by two members of staff… and this little guy. Our bags were taken and tagged and we were introduced to a host who walked us to The Living Room for check-in
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Lobby
Beautiful geometry in the lobby ceiling
We walked out of the lobby and into a central outer corridor, containing a display of Cambodian artwork. Opening the door on the right our host welcomed us into The Living Room.
The Living Room has the feel of an old colonial manor mixed with the brightly coloured and unusually shaped furniture that you’d expect to find in a W hotel.
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – The Living Room
We were asked to take a seat at one of the tables and were offered cold towels and delicious iced lemongrass drinks as we completed the check-in formalities. We were thanked for our loyalty as Diamond members and informed that, as per my email request, we had been upgraded from a normal Park Suite to a Park Executive Suite with private plunge pool. (given how few of these plunge pool suites there are, I’m certain that having a Hyatt Privé booking really helped to swing the odds in our favour)
Gentlemanly camouflage.
Once we had filled out our paperwork our host asked if we would mind hanging on for a minute, as the GM wanted to personally welcome us to the property. Whilst he went to fetch the GM, one of the staff came over to chat with us. He was very friendly and made great conversation in perfect English. He made a number of suggestions for our short visit to the area and made sure to enquire whether or not we required any help making further arrangements. He was one of the most polished members of staff I’ve ever encountered at a chain property.
As we chatted I found out that despite being Cambodian he had only just started working in Cambodia for the first time after many years in hotels around the world, when he told me he had worked in Turks and Caicos for the last few years I chanced a guess as to his previous employer.
“Amanyara?”, I asked.
“How did you know?”, he said.
Aman alumni tend to be easy to spot…
At this point the GM came over to introduce himself and welcomed us to the property. This is the first and only time in many stays as a top tier Hyatt elite, that I have ever been welcomed by a GM. It was a nice touch and definitely started off our stay on a very positive note.
At this point our host came back to escort us through the striking courtyard to our suite.
Very cool design, I love the mixture of elements here: water, stone, foliage and flame all blended beautifully.
On the walk to our suite we passed the hotel’s saltwater pool. This pool is a hidden sanctuary away from the madness of the chlorinated main pool and the spa, located above us in the main building. I love a good saltwater pool, it just seems so much healthier than chlorine and the atmosphere here was always very tranquil.
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Saltwater Pool
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Saltwater Pool
Our suite was located on the ground floor directly adjacent to the saltwater pool. The remainder of the rooms at the property are located within the main building, above the lobby with the statue of the lady.
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Pool Suites
Park Executive Suite
Immediately upon stepping through the door of our suite, we found ourselves in our private pool area. I like how we were given both the option of sun loungers and a cooler shaded area with a table and overhead fan.
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Park Executive Suite
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Park Executive Suite
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Park Executive Suite
Given that our pool suite was on the end of the block, we enjoyed a greater degree of privacy, as we only had one neighbour. There were building works next to the hotel though, so depending on the height and layout of the neighbouring building, some of this privacy may now be lost.
We also had the odd intruder…
The temperatures hit 40 degrees most days. I cannot describe to you how good it was to have this pool to jump into during the midday heat. When touring the temples in dry season, I’d definitely recommend taking a break in the middle of the day to cool down… especially if you find yourself staying here
The living area of our suite was very impressive, the columns and art deco chandelier really added a touch of grandeur.
I loved the design of the TV cabinet, very clean and minimal, with all of the wires hidden away. The interface panel at the front made it very convenient to get power or connect an HDMI cable.
Definitely not cookie cutter decor. The wooden floors, sliding wall and giant painting of the Bayon set the scene perfectly for the wooden framed sofa and leather ottomans.
The GoPro shot shows how large the space really is. The sliding doors allow light to reach the bedroom, although honestly, the suite does not benefit from an abundance of light.
Nespresso capsules and bottled water were filled regularly. The two small bowls of dried snacks seemed like an extremely stingy Diamond amenity though.
Tea and coffee
The bedroom was the same size as the living area and felt very cosy once the wall panels were slid shut.
The decor in the bedroom of the Park Executive Suite is very elegant. The marble topped TV console and beautifully framed prints make the room feel very luxurious, whilst the brightly coloured chaise longue and stacks of books add a warm, residential feel.
One of the things I hate the most in hotels is when there are no power sockets near the bed. Thankfully the PH Siem Reap has an abundance of available sockets and switches above the bedside tables.
Reading material and complimentary postcards
There was a walk-in wardrobe located on either side of the entrance to the bathroom.
Plenty of space for a couple of weeks worth of clothes, per person.
The bathroom was everything you’d expect from a luxury property. Acres of white marble, dual vanities, a deep soaking tub with integrated TV and an ultra powerful walk-in shower.
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Park Executive Suite Bathroom
How awesome are the little details? A hook next to the bath for the robe. A cloth underneath the TV remote. A tray for the bath amenities.
Bathtub TV
Artwork in the bath
There was no natural light in the bathroom but the artificial lighting worked really well in combination with the marble.
It really annoys me when you stay at a luxury hotel but have to call housekeeping for a forgotten bathroom amenity. Not a problem we had to endure here.
The majority of Park Hyatts use Le Labo toiletries, it’s always nice to have a change. I actually prefered these Cochine toiletries, the Le Labo lotion is super thin and runny whereas this stuff was the real deal (and smelled awesome).
Not only was there an ultra powerful rainfall shower, there was even recessed lighting to make it feel like you were looking at a warm, glowing sun through a skylight above.
Leisure Facilities
We already saw the saltwater pool earlier on but there is also another larger, chlorinated pool located within the main building. The pool area tended to be very chaotic, with towels strewn around everyone and lots of loud family groups. The design is actually quite stylish and I like how there are plenty of seating options including covered daybeds – a real necessity in the searing Cambodian heat. The pool is also a very decent size with cool features like the bridge you can swim under and a lagoon area filled with trees.
Upstairs inside the main building of the Park Hyatt Siem Reap
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Pool
Park Hyatt Siem Reap – Pool
Maybe we were unlucky and perhaps at other times the pool is kept tidier, with more available loungers out in the sun. However, during our visit both the saltwater pool and naturally our own private pool, seemed like better options.
Food and Drink
Breakfast
Every morning of our three night stay, I started my day in the same way. I sprung out of bed, made a coffee and then spent a few minutes in the terrace soaking up the sun. Once I’d heated up I jumped straight into our plunge pool, splashed around for a bit and then headed back indoors for an amazingly invigorating rainfall shower. At this point, the best part of my morning ritual was still to come… Breakfast!
As Hyatt Diamond members our breakfast was included free of charge. As tends to be the case in Asia though, this breakfast would have been well worth paying for. There was a very extensive buffet indoors, featuring a variety of very high quality cold items.
Freshly squeezed juice as well as mango, papaya, melon, dragon fruit, lychees, bananas and passion fruit.
Cereal, noodle soup condiments, yoghurt and muesli toppings and yoghurt parfaits.
Salad, cheese, smoked salmon and cold cuts.
Whilst there was plenty of seating indoors and out on the terrace in front of the restaurant, we immediately gravitated towards these amazing suspended table swings, out in the courtyard. Our favourite was the one on the end, it was not only the most private place to sit during breakfast but also the most geographically proximate to our suite… hey, we were on holiday 😉
The service was very attentive, with drinks brought out in an expeditious manner. We ordered our hot dishes (included as part of the breakfast) alongside our drinks and generally they were delivered just as soon as we finished our first plate of cold food from the buffet. Drink refills were proactively offered and the staff always made sure to enquire whether the food was to our liking (it was!).
I ordered the very serviceable eggs benedict each day whilst Kamara stuck to her favourite breakfast: noodle soup.
Breakfast at the Park Hyatt Siem Reap
Other
Although our stay was great overall, particularly given the value we derived from our Diamond status – there was one minor oddity. We ordered room service on the first afternoon but upon returning to our room later in the day, we found the plates stacked on the wall by the pool. This is where they stayed until our last day. I’m not sure what happened here but it was a bit jarring just seeing this stack sitting outside our room each morning.
The hotel puts on Cambodian dance performances a few times per week, for free in the courtyard. Personally I prefer to spend my evenings engaging with the local culture by checking out the local bars and restaurants. In fact I probably can’t think of many things worse than sitting through a ‘traditional’ dance. Still, if you’re into this kind of thing, you can come and watch this whilst eating dinner…
…although not many people seemed to be going down the dinner and a show route, when we went to take a look at the restaurant.
The Living Room bar, where our check-in was performed, has a happy hour from 5-7pm. Given the quality of the drinks, service and surroundings the value is astonishing. Two cocktails for $6.50! I’ll take this over the club lounge at a Grand Hyatt any day 🙂
If you can handle the heat and humidity, the outdoor terrace area is a great place to sip your Negroni
Conclusion
Even at $170 a night, the Park Hyatt Siem Reap is not cheap for this town. There are some giant, opulent resorts on the outskirts which can be had for $120 or less. The location is a real plus though and given how much time we spent outside of the hotel, we valued a nice bar and relaxing breakfast over access to sprawling lawns and giant pools.
I loved our leisurely breakfasts and being able to jump in our pool during our midday break from the temples each day. After cocktails in the evening, we had a ton of amazing restaurants at our disposal, at most five minutes drive away. The service here was better than expected and the hardware in the room was excellent, even if our suite was a little lacking in daylight.
Overall I would definitely recommend the Park Hyatt Siem Reap and would gladly stay here again.
Book the Park Hyatt Siem Reap with Hyatt Privé benefits
Hyatt Privé Partner Booking
Click the image to get the best available, flexible rate and also receive:
• Priority room upgrades subject to availability
• Full breakfast for up to two in room guests
• $100 Hotel Credit
• Welcome amenity
• Early check-in/late check-out subject to availability
Note: You will still earn stay credit and ALL elite benefits, exactly like a direct booking with Hyatt.com.
- Part 1:
- Radisson Blu Arlandia (Stockholm Airport)
- Part 2:
- Qatar Airways : Business Class – B787 – Stockholm to Doha
- Part 3:
- Qatar Airways : First Class – A380 – Doha to Bangkok
- Part 4:
- Conrad Bangkok
- Part 5:
- Eating and Drinking in Bangkok
- Part 6:
- Park Hyatt Siem Reap (Park Executive Suite)
- Part 7:
- Touring the Temples of Siem Reap
- Part 8:
- Eating and Drinking in Siem Reap
- Part 9:
- Conrad Koh Samui (Second visit)
- Part 10:
- Bangkok Airways : Blue Ribbon Business Class Lounge – Koh Samui (domestic)
- Part 11:
- Doha Airport Transit Hotel
- Part 12:
- Qatar Airways : Business Class – B787 – Doha to Stockholm
