Pacific Hotel & Spa

From the road, the main building of the Pacific Hotel & Spa is hard to see, as it's fronted by a traditional triangular red tiled-roof house, as well as a large pond presided over by Naga serpent statues. At the front door, giant tusked elephant statues guard the entrance. Through the large glass doors, the lobby makes a strong initial impression: Giant wooden pillars rise from a white checkered floor and teak wood furniture and carvings are set throughout the area. A large, ornate Brahma statue in Koh Ker temple style presides over all, and behind it, a young woman plays a traditional Khmer xylophone -- called a roneat ek -- to set the mood. While everything looks grand and elegant, there's a bit of a fun-park look to the whole endeavor, an atmosphere that isn't helped by this hotel's popularity with tour groups -- crowds are common, especially in high season. 

Pacific Hotel is located on National Road 6, the main road that runs from Phnom Penh through this part of Cambodia to the Thai border. A busy, trafficked road, it is home to most of the larger hotels in the area, all of which (unsurprisingly) cater to tour groups. The Pacific is located closer to Siem Reap International Airport than to downtown, so it's not convenient for hitting Pub Street or the Old Market, as one needs transport to get there. However, the hotel does provide a free shuttle service to Pub Street three times per day -- it's a 10-minute drive. The hotel is in a good position to get to Angkor Wat, which is around 10 minutes away by car or tuk-tuk. While the surrounding area is pretty noisy, it doesn’t filter into the hotel, as its rooms and facilities are away from the road. There aren’t many shops or other outside facilities around the hotel, although there are several Korean restaurants within a 10-minute walk, as is Cambodian Cultural Village. It takes 10 minutes to reach the airport by road as well.

There are 236 rooms at the Pacific Hotel & Spa, all of which have contemporary Khmer decor and wood floors. Rooms are quite spacious, have two-poster beds, sitting areas in the corner, paintings, and bedside light controls. Modern amenities include flat-screen televisions with 90 satellite channels, minibars, electric hot water kettles with free tea and coffee, electronic safes, plus free Wi-Fi. The bathrooms have both soaking bathtubs and walk-in showers. There isn't a huge difference in the main room categories. Neither the standard Superior or Deluxe have great views either overlooking the pool or the city, and only a few of the corner rooms in the hotel have small balconies. The Deluxe Rooms come with silk duvets and bedspreads rather than cotton, and they have larger televisions than the Superior Rooms, but that's about it. For something closer to luxury, the Colonial Deluxe Rooms are quite elegant, with dark teak wood floors and furniture, plus four-poster beds. They also have DVD players and finer toiletries, but these rooms cost almost twice as much. Keep in mind that rooms overlooking the pool can be noisy until late at night due to the pool bar and entertainment.

The Pacific Hotel is a large property with plenty of facilities. The swimming pool is semi-circular, with lots of surrounding space and sun loungers set on the deck. Cabanas are placed back in the shade, where guests can receive poolside massages or be served private dinners. There's a children's section to one side and a hot tub in the middle of the pool. One side of the pool is decorated with dragon statues that spout water. Near here, one can find the large spa, which has a salon, as well as both oil and regular massage treatment rooms. It's in a pleasant building that has ponds and plants, and there's a treatment room with a private hot tub. A large fitness center with dated cardio equipment and weights is located at the front of the spa. In the lobby, one can find a small business area with free computers, along with a souvenir shop. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Also located off of the lobby are the dining and drinking outlets. D'Pacific restaurant serves a large free breakfast buffet, and then has all day a la carte dining featuring both a Khmer and Western menu. There is also a stylish VIP room in the back of the restaurant that can be booked for private parties or functions. The Lobby Lounge has everything from cakes and pastries with tea and coffee to cocktails and fine wines, and has a piano for evening entertainment. Additionally, there is the Areca bar out by the pool, where a live Filipino band performs every night. Finally, the hotel excels in terms of business and function events, with a ballroom and several meeting rooms available to handle large groups.