Hotels & Resorts: Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort

Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort: An Embodiment of Siem Reap’s Innovativeness

Text by JUHAN KAMARUDDIN Images by COURT YARD BY MARRIOTT SIEM REAP RESORT

Marriott International debuts its first Courtyard by Marriott in Cambodia by opening Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort in January 2018, marking Marriott International’s first hotel and brand flagship in the country. The resort is 20 minutes’ drive from Siem Reap International Airport and a mere five-minute walk to the lively bars, cocktail lounges, international restaurants and vibrant clubs of Pub Street.

Showcasing modern Khmer architectural design, the resort is perfect for exploring Siem Reap, a bustling cultural haven of markets, artisans and museums. It even serves as the gateway to the UNESCO world heritage site of Angkor, 15 minutes’ drive away. The site spans over 400 kilometres and contains hundreds of temples and structures dating back to the era of Khmer Empire. The most popular attractions are the majestic Angkor Wat, root-riddled Ta Prohm, and graceful multiple-faced Bayon.

Tip: For long-lasting memory, it is wise for guests to visit Angkor Wat during sunrise, then explore Ta Prohm and Bayon after breakfast. Taking the early morning tour of the temples allows guests to beat the crowd, which increases significantly as the day progresses.

Ambience

As an exuberant and sharp property, Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort outlays a refreshing environment for guests to remain connected, productive and balanced. Attentive, welcoming staff greets guests as they enter the resort’s spacious lobby. Contemporary Khmer accents grace the resort’s interiors to remind guests where they are currently located. Once checked in, guests can easily connect to the resort’s strong Wi-Fi.

Further inspection of the resort reveals its quintessential elegance and almost zen-like quality, inviting guests to focus on the actual things that matter. Soothing colour scheme is deployed throughout the resort. Low-slung and uncomplicated furniture reminiscent of Scandinavian designs intelligently complements the resort’s understated look. Everything about the hotel is practical and relevant to this day and age sans unnecessary frills. The resort is also one of the few hotels in Siem Reap offering children’s pool and Kid’s club, attesting to its family-friendliness.

“Through our décor and innovative amenities, we are able to provide our guests with tranquillity and comfort whilst visiting Siem Reap on a meaningful journey of exploration,” explains Ashley Lai, General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort.

Rooms

The resort houses 233 thoughtfullydesigned, cosy and functional guestrooms and suites. Accommodation starts from the 40-metre squared Deluxe room, exceedingly large for its standard, giving more space to avoid clutter and easy to settle in.

Besides integrated sound system with Bluetooth connection, each room has a private balcony. In place of heavy carpeting, the rooms sport laminated and tiled flooring for fuss-free maintenance. Each room has at least up to six multi-standard sockets positioned at various corners for charging several devices at once and removing the need for foreign guests to bring international adaptors when coming to Siem Reap.

Daylight easily floods into the room all the way to the marble-cladded bathroom via large glass panels. Bathroom amenities like toothbrush and hairdryer are stashed away in boxes, while tea- and coffee-making facilities are tucked away inside the cupboard opposite the wardrobe, hidden away to keep the space neat. Other than handheld and rain shower heads, each room under the Deluxe Double category and onwards is equipped with inviting bathtub for guests to unwind after a whole day of exploring or working. The toilet has dual flushing system, helping to conserve water.

The resort’s ultra-comfortable beds and pillows guarantee guests’ soporific overnight slumber. “All beds at Courtyard by Marriott properties are of the same high quality so guests can expect the same kind of standards wherever they go in the world, Siem Reap included,” reveals Lenen Mar A. Porras, the resort’s Marketing and Communications Manager. In the evenings, turndown service is provided, accompanied by indulgent confections like Kampot pepper chocolate mousse or Khmer cookies with pandan kaya or mango and banana cake, little things that make staying at the resort feels extra special.

Food & beverage

For a wholesome introduction to Cambodian gastronomy, guests should head to Lok Lak, the resort’s lightfilled all-day restaurant. Its scrumptious breakfast buffet spread includes the uplifting fish amok omelette containing noni (Indian mulberry) leaf. The restaurant features ala-carte fusion menu during lunch or dinner based on authentic Khmer palate crafted using locally sourced produce as well. One of the recommended dishes here is the pan-seared catfish, a tribute to one of Cambodia’s staple: the river fish.

Some of the dishes put together at Lok Lak are sprinkled with Kampot pepper, deemed the best pepper in the world. Other dishes use prahok (spicy, salty and pungent fermented fish paste, used in the Cambodian day-to-day cooking to boost the dishes’ flavour), similar to the Malaysian belacan (fermented shrimp paste). Though some are sceptical at first, after several spoonfuls of the prahok-laced dishes, diners are bound to fall for its appetising aroma and satiating aftertaste.

Other must-savour dishes are the inventive hummus from jackfruit seed, a savoury dish with hint of the fruit’s sweetness that serves as a wonderful as dip or spread, and the surprisingly tangy and nutty seared red ant beef salad as appetiser. Be sure to end your dinner by relishing the resort’s smooth homemade ice cream.

Facilities

Quan Spa is Marriott’s own brand of spa and opens in various Marriott flagship properties throughout the world. The Quan Spa at Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort is the sole Quan Spa in the destination, inviting weary travellers into a haven of relaxation. Quan means ‘source of pure water’, in line with its intention to rejuvenate and reinvigorate all of its patrons.

Interestingly, each Quan Spa throughout the world formulates its own spa menu comprising ingredients and techniques indigenous to the host destination. In the case of Quan Spa in Siem Reap, ingredients such as organic oil from Kampot province are prepared in-house. Guests are recommended to try out this spa for its reasonably priced menu and efficacious treatments, besides using the sauna and steam room for free.

Guests are advised to arrive at the spa 15 minutes before treatment begins. Foot ritual is dispensed at the start of the session. Those who opt for massages are brought to any of the spa’s seven rooms; five of the rooms have single beds while the other two have two beds each, suitable for couples. Memory foam headrests are attached to those beds, enhancing guests’ comfort. Similar to the resort’s guestrooms, the spa’s rooms have Bluetooth-connected sound system for guests to play their own playlist while enjoying treatment.

In the evenings, guests are welcome to check out the stunning rooftop bar called Upper Deck on the seventh floor to admire the view of brilliant sunset and Angkor Wat in the distant horizon. Upper Deck concocts a wide range of exotic cocktails and exquisite smallplate menu. Guests could even zoom in on Angkor Wat from the Upper Deck using stationary binoculars. Due to building height restriction in Siem Reap, buildings should never be taller than Angkor Wat, therefore the highest they can go is seven storeys.

Organisers of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) will find Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort ideal for staging events. Always looking ahead, the resort’s spaces and state-of-the-art facilities are in accordance to the needs of next-generation travellers. The light and elegant 410-metre squared Grand Room can sit up to 200 persons in sitdown dinner configuration, while five function rooms are ready to host guests’ inspiring meetings and celebrations.

Eye-opening experience

Guests are recommended to follow the trip to nearby Phsar Leu (Leu Market) – around five minutes’ drive from Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort – led by the resort’s Head Chef Chanrith Van, to witness the destination’s grass roots’ way of life. Apparently, Chef Chanrith is the best person to guide guests around the market because of his passion towards reviving Cambodian culinary heritage. With strong support from the resort, he is currently putting together a book containing authentic Cambodian recipes passed down from generation to generation.

“Hygiene is imperative and quality of the ingredients used for cooking at the resort is never compromised. All types of meat supplied to the resort pass the stringent Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HAACP) standards,” Chef Chanrith assures.

When exploring the market, guests will understand why river fish is the staple for the Cambodian communities situated along or close to the Mekong River and Tonle Sap lake, like those in Siem Reap: freshwater fish is more abundant along Mekong river, thus more affordable than meat. Phsar Leu is the place where you can see prahok being sold in buckets too. According to Chef Chanrith, prahok is fermented up to two years – the longer it is fermented, the stronger the flavour.

Besides fish and meat, Cambodians feed on fresh local greens, salads and herbs, including edible flowers like jasmine, needle flower, pumpkin flower, and the cheerful yellowcoloured Sesbania bispinosa. Insects like grasshoppers, crickets, black spiders and silkworm are also sold at the market, which are part of the Cambodian diet.

Conclusion

Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort is an innovative worldclass property poignantly fulfilling the demands of today’s travellers, simultaneously offering huge doses of pragmatism, cultural immersion and elevated experience. Not having to shout loudly on its existence, business and leisure guests are expected to repeat their stay at this resort whenever they are in Siem Reap because it is a remarkably efficient accommodation that never fails to deliver on what matters the most…