Shinta Mani Shack

The Shinta Mani Resort is certainly unique and cutting edge. The resort was designed by renowned architect/designer Bill Bensley, and his chic and novel signature look is all over the hotel. Walking into the maze-like narrow entrance, made of palatial white columned walls with black marble in-between, one is greeted by a giant hanging art creation of a slow loris, made by children at a local orphanage that the resort is involved with. The sculpture appears to float from the ceiling, which is painted sky blue with clouds. Also here are plush black sofas, elephant sculptures, and a dripping candle with wax art as one enters into the resort interior. Black-and-white design dominates the inside of the resort as well, with black urns with lotus blossoms set on white blocks sitting in repeated rows through the corridors, which surround the lovely garden and central large pool courtyard.

The Shinta Mani Resort has a perfect central location, set down a quiet street just off of the center of Siem Reap. One can walk to the tourist-popular Pub Street and Old Market area in 10 minutes from here, and the temples of Angkor Wat and the international airport are just a 15-minute drive away. The sister Shinta Mani Club is right across the street, and there is also a weekend Cambodian handicrafts market held here. It's a block away from the Siem Reap River, where upscale dining spots like the Foreign Correspondents' Club and Cheaney Tree can be found. There are hundreds of restaurants, bars, and shops within 10 minutes on foot from the hotel.

The 62 rooms at the Shinta Mani Resort divide between Poolside Garden View and Poolview Rooms, and there's also a Junior Suite. The first two room types are exactly the same, except that the downstairs Poolside Garden Rooms open directly to the garden and pool (making them slightly more expensive), while the upstairs Poolview Rooms have balconies with nice pool views (the downstairs rooms just have terraces that aren't private). All rooms have unique minimalist design, with features like custom-made iron beds and handcrafted lamps, as well as mirrored walls. There are modern amenities in all rooms: flat-screen TVs with 80 satellite channels, safes, minibars, electric hot water kettles, soundbars with bluetooth, and bathrooms with rainfall showers. All rooms come with free breakfast and Wi-Fi.

The Shinta Mani Resort boasts a large swimming pool that sits in a sunny garden with a few coconut trees. There are sun loungers surrounding the pool, and attentive staff serve up free water, coconuts, and ice cream to guests. The resort has one restaurant, the Bai Tong, which serves Khmer and western food for lunch and dinner, plus free breakfast buffets for guests, and there is the Royal Lounge behind the pool area for drinks, although many prefer to go across the street to the sister property's Bensley Bar, which is far more cutting-edge and happening. The service here is a feature in and of itself, with an incredible staff-to-guest ratio, and guests are greeted with cold towels every time they step foot back on the premises, with a "welcome home," greeting as well.