The Moon Boutique Hotel

The Moon Boutique Hotel is quiet and tranquil -- a welcome escape from Siem Reap's hectic downtown. The grounds are filled with tropical greenery and plants, along with plenty of orchids and other flowers. The hotel's low-rise white building with a red tiled roof looks more like a home than a resort, and hides behind a low wall. Indeed, staying here is a similarly relaxed experience to a home-stay, and there are plenty of artful touches throughout the common spaces. Stone Angkorian statues guard the gate, and once inside, the small open-air lobby features stone horses, teak chairs, several paintings, a bookshelf, and a standing Buddha. The main focus of the resort is on its green outdoor space, and guests -- who are mostly couples, plus a few families and groups of friends -- can be found there when they aren't out touring the Angkor sites.

The Moon Boutique Hotel is located outside of the Siem Reap center, east of the Siem Reap River. While it's only a five-minute ride to Pub Street and the main market area, the immediate area feels like the middle of nowhere as the property sits alone on a quiet street with no restaurants or entertainment nearby. The hotel is fine for those who want a guaranteed quiet stay -- after all, Siem Reap can be a noisy little city -- and the hotel tries to alleviate its out-of-the-way location by providing free tuk-tuk rides throughout one's stay. For the ambitious, walks into town take about 20 minutes, though there are some more laid-back cafes on the east side of the river that can be reached in 15 minutes on foot. Angkor Wat is a 20-minute drive by car or taxi, though the farther-flung temples will obviously take more time to reach. The international airport is 20 minutes away by car as well.

There isn't much difference between any of the rooms here aside from the type of beds that are available. The style is simple and straightforward, with dark maroon tile floors, white walls, dark wood furniture that's slightly worn, and a piece of Angkor-inspired art on the wall. There is plenty of space and colorful throw pillows on the beds add a little bit of personality, but otherwise they aren't exactly on the style level one associates with the "boutique" name. Modern amenities include electric hot water kettles, minibars, safes, and flat-screen TVs, along with free Wi-Fi. There are pleasant patios with a pair of chairs in each room that look out onto plenty of plants and greenery. Bathrooms are enormous, with separate showers and tubs, but guests should be prepared for a wet room experience. In some bathrooms, the toilet is in a separate room, while in the wet room a rainfall showerhead pour directly onto the glazed concrete floor with a stone tub off to the side. In others, the toilet is in the same room and the shower has a a separate area to the side, but is still not closed off. The biggest drawback of the rooms are their dark tinted windows, which keep the outside light to a real minimum, making the rooms feel a bit like a cave.

The Moon Boutique Hotel is very small and doesn't offer too much in the way of facilities, but there still are some worthwhile features. The main draw is the swimming pool, which sits in a tropical garden courtyard. It's a tranquil place to chill out, with beach umbrellas and sun loungers, and usually plenty of room. The open-air restaurant is set right next to the pool, looking out at the garden, and is filled with beautiful art pieces -- including busts, carvings, and old musical instruments -- and its dark teak wood tables provide a striking contrast to the verdant surroundings. The restaurant and bar serves up free breakfasts, along with both Khmer and international dishes for lunch and dinner, plus cocktails and wine throughout the afternoon and evening. The resort also has a tiny one room spa for massage treatments, as the hotel is all about relaxing after long days at Angkor Wat. Free tuk-tuk service is available to and from the center of Siem Reap and guests are given a mobile phone upon arrival so that they can call the hotel to be picked up. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.