There’s no shortage of fancy hotels in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Park Hyatt, Aman, Raffles, Belmond, and Anantara all have properties near the Angkor temple complex. With so much competition, the Sofitel has a high bar to keep up with the other luxury resorts.
Based on our stay, they’re doing a great job. The Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort is stunningly beautiful. I’ve written about our room but we didn’t spend much time in the room. It’s the public areas that make this hotel stand out from the crowd.
Arriving at the hotel, you enter the lobby. The check-in desks are off to the side
Dining
At the back of the lobby is Explorer’s Tales Champagne Bar.
Photo courtesy of Sofitel
We arrived at the hotel late in the day and this is where we stopped for dinner and drinks. The restaurant was also open but both locations share a menu.
The Citadel is the main restaurant on the property and it’s where they serve the daily buffet breakfast. This was one of the largest spreads we saw for the entire trip. You have the option of sitting inside or outside. We ate outside the first day but the second morning we sat inside.
There were several stations for freshly prepared dishes. This was the station where they’d make anything from omelets to scrambled or fried eggs.
There was also a crepe/pancake/waffle station.
The buffet was divided into sections for fresh fruit, cheese and meats and other hot dishes.
And finally, there was a pastry station with a donut wall.
If you’re staying in a club-level room, you’re able to have breakfast at the club lounge, which is located over the lake which sits in the middle of the resort.
Resort Property
To get to the pool, spa or rooms, you need to walk along a series of walkways.
Along the way, you’ll pass sculptures that are spread throughout the resort. Look for nearby plaques which tell the significance of each one.
Pool
The pool area is large, with several sections for swimming or lounging.
This is the area with the swim-up bar. It’s even more striking at night, with the reflections on the pool.
Fitness Center
We did take a look at the gym which is in two buildings on the far end of the property. It looks like they fit as much equipment as they could into a limited space.
Other Amenities
There is an onsite spa that we didn’t have time to visit.
Hotel guests can visit the Phokeethra Country Club if they want to try the 18-hole, 7,145-yard course. Arrangements are made with a concierge at the hotel and there are golf packages available for guests.
Final Thought
We only stayed at the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort for two nights, which wasn’t long enough. The resort is a relaxing oasis but it’s located off of a main road and isn’t far from the main tourist sites in Siem Reap. Since it’s not a part of Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton or IHG, many guests will pass it over for somewhere they have status. However, it is part of the Accor ALL program and you can use points to stay here.
Sometimes it pays off to stay somewhere outside of your brand loyalty bubble. You never know what you’ll find.
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