This was published 1 year ago
Hotel review: FCC Angkor by Avani, Siem Reap, Cambodia - A perfect base for Angkor Wat
By Mark Daffey
Contemporary comfort blends with Khmer design among lushly landscaped gardens at FCC Angkor by Avani.
CHECK-IN
Serving as the French governor's mansion during colonial times, a police station, and then as the Foreign Correspondents Club, where journalists gathered to swap stories and unwind at the end of a day, the property is now managed by Avani Hotels & Resorts. It was given a design makeover in 2019, reopening as an 80-room bolthole in one of the most desirable locations in Siem Reap – gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Angkor Wat temples.
Situated right in the heart of Siem Reap, one can easily walk to the Royal Palace, the Night Market, Kandal Village and Pub Street. Just across the road from the front gate, a continuous flow of joggers and walkers pound the pedestrian walkways winding through the leafy parklands lining the banks of the Siem Reap River.
xxFCCAngkor Review of FCC Angkor by Avani, Siem Reap, Cambodia by Mark Daffey. credit: FCC Angkor(handout photo supplied via PR Lucy Gallagher <lucy@hchq.com.au>for use in Traveller, no syndication)Credit: FCC Angkor
THE LOOK
Contemporary comfort blends with Khmer design among lushly landscaped gardens. The original mansion remains intact and now functions as the main restaurant. Double-storey accommodation wings wrap around a courtyard swimming pool with its own bar at the rear. The modern street-front bar, called Scribe, is a groovy, alfresco addition with a Cafe del Mar-type vibe. A newer accommodation wing stretches back from the river on the opposite corner; it's here you'll find the River View Suite, the hotel's largest guest room.
THE ROOM
We stay in the Governor Suite, which is tucked away in a rear corner on the upper floor. Our balcony overlooks the Garden Suite courtyard below, where guests can enjoy their own private plunge pool. Entry is via a spacious living room, where a fold-out bed has been added for our teenage son. It's a minimalist design that enhances the sense of space. In a nod to the property's provenance, decorative flourishes include a working, rotary dial phone and a vintage typewriter that contains an introductory letter from the hotel's general manager. My son is fascinated; he's never seen a typewriter before and starts tapping the keys like he's playing a piano. The generously proportioned bedroom/bathroom area is in an adjoining room, the highlight of which is a standalone stone bathtub.
FOOD + DRINK
Guests can choose from two restaurants – The Mansion and Scribe. The Mansion is the more upmarket of the two, and the sort of place where you could imagine scandals erupting among expat residents after one too many G&Ts in days gone by. It features French cantilevered windows and doors, mood lighting and rattan furnishings. Passers-by are more likely to drop in for a quick snack or drink at the open-air Scribe. It's the rainy, or 'green', season during our visit, and occupancy levels are at their lowest, so whenever we eat in it's on the terrace in The Mansion. The menu samples bits and pieces from here and there – Asian and Western set menus, Italian pastas, Mongolian Beef, Spicy Eel and Aussie steaks. The lunch menu includes burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and poke bowls. Wines hail from France, Italy, South Africa and Australia. As you'd expect at an ex-Foreign Correspondents Club, there's a healthy (unhealthy?) selection of spirits, cocktails and beers – local and foreign.
OUT + ABOUT
Roads in and around Siem Reap were sealed during the COVID-19 lockdowns of recent years, making commutes around town much easier than it was just a few years ago. Bars and restaurants continually pop up in unexpected places, though Pub Street remains Siem Reap's nightlife hub. The hotel can arrange half or full-day guided tuk-tuk tours to the Angkor temples. They can also organise quad bike tours through the countryside, zipline tours among the jungle canopy or visits to floating villages on Tonle Sap lake. Be sure to keep a spare evening for Phare, a downsized Cambodian circus version of Cirque du Soleil.
THE VERDICT
Intimate, central, convenient, peaceful. A tranquil base from which to explore the Angkor Archaeological Park or crawl through the town's evolving portfolio of funky bars and restaurants.
ESSENTIALS
Rates for a night in a Deluxe Room for two adults start from $170. All rooms include a private balcony or terrace,; river, garden or swimming pool views; tea and coffee-making facilities; air conditioning and ceiling fans; and free Wi-Fi. Rates for the Governor Suite starts at $323 a night. See avanihotels.com/en/angkor-siem-reap
RATING
★★★★½
HIGHLIGHT
Dining outside beneath subdued lighting on the terrace at The Mansion while water trickled from a garden fountain.
LOWLIGHT
I'm unable to find an iron in our room… you only notice when you need one.
Mark Daffey was a guest of the Minor Hotels group that includes the Anantara and Avani brands.
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