A former diplomatic residence turned boutique hotel in Siem Reap has reopened under the Avani flag following a major overhaul, breathing new life into the colonial era hideaway. Once home to the French Governor, the original building was converted into a hotel as an extension of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Phnom Penh in 2004, with a handful of guestrooms designed to accommodate journalists and travellers heading to this north-western corner of Cambodia.
The original villa is now home to The Mansion restaurant, serving up Khymer cuisine and Asian fusion, while international fare is available at newly built Scribe restaurant and bar. The 80 rooms and suites model a modern, tropical style, with local materials, artisanal textiles and hand-woven rattan baskets giving an authentic local flavour, and period touches like vintage typewriters and framed newspaper covers paying tribute to the property’s journalistic heritage.
Steps from the Royal Residence and the Siem Reap River, shaded by a tropical canopy, FCC Angkor is an upscale escape that provides a charismatic base from which to explore the temples of Angkor Wat and the surrounding countryside. The hotel’s sister property, the original FCC in Phnom Penh, will reopen in May next year with 35 new guestrooms, paving the way for a new era in the legendary address.