Hotel Review: Templation Siem Reap – Luxury Resort Near Angkor Wat With Private Swimming Pools

Opened in 2017, Templation Angkor Resort is a concept hotel located in the outskirts of Siem Reap. The property is located in a quiet side street, away from the main road connecting the center of town with the temples of Angkor.

With just 49 rooms, the property looks lush and inviting with lots of greenery, being located in a relatively large compound and with most rooms and villas being well spaced out. Public spaces, such as the lobby and restaurant, are partially open-air, further reinforcing a cool tropical vibe. Well-marked pathways shaded by trees and ornamental plants and accented by fountains and cascading waterfall features highlight the hotel as a relaxing oasis. 

Guests checking in are served a welcome drink – a most refreshing glass of roselle tea – as well as jelly and fruits for a snack. Guest registrations are done at the restaurant while seated at the comfy lounge chairs and sofas. 

One Bedroom Villa

My room for this particular stay was the One Bedroom Villa. Templation Siem Reap has a number of room categories including the Jungaloo, Junior Suite and One/Two/Three Bedroom Villas. The One Bedroom Villa measures approximately 70 square meters and comes with separate living and bed enclosures, 2 bathrooms and a pool.

The living area is separate from the bedroom – accessible via the courtyard. It features a spacious sofa and day bed, lounge chairs as well as TV. There is also a bathroom here with shower and toilet. Toiletries come from NaturaBisse, a Barcelona-based brand under La Bottega. I personally liked their citrus-tinged range which felt refreshing when applied – just nice for a hot day.

The bedroom, which is located in another enclosure, comes with another TV, a work desk and chair, day bed as well as king-sized bed. The amenities are what one would expect from upscale hotels, including free coffee and tea in the minibar as well as a generous fruit basket filled with exotic tropical fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, etc. 

Turndown service is provided in the evenings and this includes changing of towels, light clean-up of the room, drawing of curtains as well as the setting up of the mosquito net. Mosquitos are prevalent in Siem Reap, and in Cambodia in general, so I thought the netting was a good feature. The hotel also provides insect repellant for guests.

The bathroom is another stunning affair and features a mixture of industrial design coupled with modern Khmer touches. It is fringed by the tub on one side and a his and hers sink on the other. 

My favorite feature about the bathroom though, has got to be the open-concept rain showers surrounded by fruit trees. While I have encountered open-concept showers in other hotels before, this is my first time to see it actually surrounded by natural vegetation which I thought adds an exotic touch to an otherwise mundane activity.

Jungaloo

Templation offers a glamping experience through their Jungaloo rooms located in another lot adjacent to the main resort. The rooms are actually set in large tents made of a special material that allows for the coolness from the airconditioning to stay in the room. These rooms have more of a jungle/safari vibe and this shows in the set-up of the tent as well as choice of furniture in the room.

These rooms are smaller in the sense that the bathroom is located in the same space and merely separated thru small enclosures. 

The Jungaloo also comes with a private plunge pool. Although it isn’t big enough for swimming laps, it is just the right size to cool off from the punishing heat.

Two and Three Bedroom Villas

The two and three-bedroom villas at Templation feature a similar layout as the one-bedroom villa except that there are also added features such as a private sauna in some suites. The second and third bedroom in these villas are configured with twin beds with families and children in mind. There’s ample space for kids (and adults) to run about as the courtyard for the 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom villas are markedly larger than the 1-bedroom villa I was staying in.

Facilities

Despite having just 49 rooms, one can find a number of facilities in Templation. It was in fact quite relaxing just roaming around the resort grounds during my free time. The resort is just big enough to walk around without requiring any buggy service to get between points. For rooms without a pool or for villa guests who simply wish to swim in a larger space, the landscaped swimming pool here won’t disappoint with its sheer size.

At a far corner of the resort is the hotel gym. I wouldn’t imagine many visitors coming to Templation to actually use the gym that much given the number of activities to keep one busy here but the fitness center is actually well-equipped with both cardio and strength training equipment.

Just beside the gym is the library/business center. This is the place to go for folks to pick up resources about Angkor Wat and Siem Reap with several books about Cambodia available for guests to borrow. Those looking for a more detailed travel guide about the temples for instance, can benefit from the collection here. Those just looking for a book to read by the poolside can also browse from a number of fiction titles.

Those with weary legs after a long day out exploring Siem Reap can check out the inhouse spa. Templation’s own abode to wellness offers various treatments. Massages start from US$37 for 1 hour. Other options such as facials and scrubs are also available. 

I had the 1-hour Khmer massage during my stay. Before the treatment, I was allowed to choose between different oils, made inhouse using various a mixture of various herbs. I really wanted to unwind after a long day exploring the temples so I opted for the relaxing oils. The massage also came with a foot bath at the start. Instead of just using plain hot water, I noted that they mixed some lotus petals on the basin. It was also followed by a coffee foot scrub before going into the massage proper. 

Breakfast

Guests staying in Templation can have their morning meals served in two formats. The usual format is to have it in the inhouse restaurant overlooking the pool. The second is through a specially delivered “floating breakfast” available for guests staying in the villas. As I was staying in Templation for a few nights, I got to try both.

As Templation is a boutique resort, breakfast buffet spreads are impractical so guests get to order from a breakfast menu instead. The selection is typical for a hotel in Cambodia featuring a mix of western favorites such as bacon, eggs, pastries and pancakes. Those preferring Asian flavors can choose from dimsum, pork/chicken rice and noodle soup. Notably absent are Khmer breakfast staples such as Kuay Teav. You can check out the full Templation breakfast menu here.

The “floating breakfast” option is essentially the same menu except that the breakfast will be delivered to the room in a floating tray. The good thing is that Templation does this as a standard inclusion for guests staying in villas while in other places this is usually provided at a supplement. I have to admit that I’ve never had a floating breakfast before although I have seen it many times in social media. 

Verdict

A hotel such as Templation certainly breaks the stereotype that Siem Reap is a destination merely for seeing Angkor Wat. Although the word “temple” is very much a part of its name, Templation proves that visitors can combine Indiana Jones-type of archeological exploration with villa/resort living that other destinations such as Bali and Phuket are known for. While Siem Reap has plenty of boutique hotels providing great service, this property differentiates itself by providing what is really an almost complete resort experience (the only thing lacking is perhaps an actual seaside location). I had a really relaxing time here and I found Templation to be a sanctuary especially after a day out exploring the sights.

Templation
Rte du petit pont
Siem Reap 17251
Cambodia

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