Kiri Residence — Hotel in Siem Reap

After a full day of travel from Chau Doc, we arrived in Siem Reap about 8:30 on New Year's Eve. Our tuktuk driver told us it would cost a little more for the trip from our bus stop to Kiri, due to the additional partygoing traffic. At first, we thought this was a scam, but in fact he was completely honest, and took us down several back roads to get to the hotel. While the hotel is a bit off the beaten path, it's not really that far away from the main attractions in town. I believe the trip cost 5USD, instead of the usual 3.||||On arrival, we immediately relaxed as we walked past the orchid-lined ornamental fish ponds, to the reception area, where we were greeted warmly by a very charming and pleasant young woman whose name I swore I took down, but cannot find. She spoke excellent English and was extremely welcoming and understanding of how exhausted we were at the end of our journey. We agreed the smartest course of action was to order room service at once, as the kitchen was about to close, then deal with the check-in details. After we placed our order, we were given a little talk around all the hotel facilities and inclusions. I've never experienced a briefing like that before, and although I found it a bit unusual, it was great to have all the info straightaway.||||We got to our (beautiful) room, showered & changed into the guest bathrobes, and settled onto the exceedingly comfy 4 poster bed. Our delicious room service meals of Amok Fish and Pad Thai arrived, and washed down with a beer and a G&T, it was just what we needed. By the time we'd finished & acquainted ourselves with the many lovely features of our room, the New Year's fireworks began, and we were pleased to catch some glimpses through the mango trees surrounding our spacious and private corner balcony (with outdoor bathtub & shower!)||||Our "Double Room Deluxe" was very spacious, with a generous bathroom & rainfall shower. All the expected mod cons were there, the aircon & TV were good (our telly was a little bit static-y, but not bad at all, & our friend at reception had already apologised and said it was going to be fixed). Wifi was a bit intermittent, but accessible in our room. The lovely louvred double doors leading to the balcony afford lots of nice, fresh air and were lockable. There is also a room safe. There are some hooks to hang up clothes and a little basket, but a bit of a cupboard to unpack into would have been nice. The pool is beautiful and well-maintained, with several loungers, umbrellas and little cushioned alcoves to relax in.||||Every hotel staff member we met was extremely friendly and happy to help. The aforementioned young woman (hope management work out who she is, so she gets the credit she deserves!) and Mr Chou Phalla (whose name I did keep) were both standouts. They have a couple of local tuktuk drivers on call or waiting by the hotel to take you on little trips to the centre of town or out to Angkor Wat and surrounds. There is one, one-way free shuttle per day, but it only costs about 3USD to get to most places. Saurun is one of the drivers who took us around a few times, including on a day trip to Angkor Wat - he is a nice guy, not pushy, & speaks great English.||||Breakfast consisted of either Western or Asian choices - I have to say the Eggs Benedict were not like what I'm used to - not the same without English muffins, but every other dish was good. I especially enjoyed the fried noodles. There was lots of good, brewed coffee on hand, but no fresh milk. It would be nice if this was available, but we just bought a small milk at the shops & took it with us.||||I have mentioned a few teensy ways Kiri could improve, but that's just me being fussy. We were overall extremely impressed with the hotel amenity, staff and service and would love to...

This was the second out of the four hotels we stayed at, during our two week holiday in Cambodia. Though first impressions were pleasant, the hotel staff ensured that we had a bitter experience.

We rented a motorbike for two days and the bike had trouble with the engine. Though we informed the hotel staff about it, they held our passport till we paid the full amount to the renting company despite the bike failing to start on the final day and we got no support from the hotel staff on sorting this issue. 2. Our booking included free two way transport to the airport and free daily transport to the city center. Though we didn't not avail this service when we checked in and during the first two days of our stay, we were asked to pay money for the transport to the city centre on the third and final day. Though we agreed to pay half the room rent so that we could check out six hours late, the management blatantly informed us just as we were about to enter the tuktuk that we have to pay for the ride that evening since we checked out. 3.The hot water in our room was not working since day one and no action was taken to fix till we checked out. Thanks to that, I got a cold taking bath in cold water. 4. The telephone line in our room was also not working from day one.

Kiri Residence is a prefect example of how hotel staff can provide a bitter experience in a hotel with good facilities. To top it up they hide their unprofessionalism behind a...

The hotel, pool and grounds are quite nice as are the staff. Staff were very helpful and accommodating. We arranged Tuk Tuk tours and laundry through them as well as shuttles to Town. Although it’s only about 2 km when it’s 32+ you like to save your energy for Town. Shuttle in is only $2 but coming back is always a negotiation from $3-$5. Owner should remove ambiguity of statement on the web about free shuttle to Town. So although inexpensive, going there and back 2 times = an extra $10/day. Breakfast was included in our rate - nothing to rave about but nice that they packed it for a sunrise tour and early ride to the airport. Lots of barking dogs in the area but otherwise very quiet. Only stayed at one other location in Siem Reap but have to think you could do as well or better for the same price, and within or in walking distance of Town. We did see a Huntsman spider in the room, but when I got up to catch and release it disappeared when I took my eyes off it for about 4 seconds. If you’re used to Daddy Long Legs, it’s alarming to see this guy - but if you research they eat bugs so probably harmless even though as big as your hand. Just mentioning I don’t think that has any bearing on the review. Last plus - large rooms and indeed a bath/shower...