Staying at cheap hotels taught me to be open-minded. Each has different personality like people.
Either you put up with it or walk away.
In our 5-day trip in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we stayed at Angkor Pearl Hotel.
It is a cheap hotel in Siem Reap near Angkor Wat, Night Market, and Pub Street (which we’ve all visited).
What can I say about it?
A lot. Pay attention to my experience at the hotel before you book.
Travelling on a budget can be fun with amenities available even in five-star hotel like Sofitel in Manila.
Booking on Agoda
This is the crucial part. I booked through Agoda app.
But before I do, I sleep on it. Looked for other affordable hotels in Siem Reap with amenities.
- Air conditioning
- Wifi (stay online all the time in Siem Reap)
- Free bottle water
- Refrigerator
- Hair dryer
- Telephone
I’m willing to spend a little bit more for accommodation if that meant having a breakfast before leaving the hotel.
What made me booked at Angkor Pearl Hotel?
Breakfast and photos on the Agoda website.
I’m suspicious of photos in travel sites or apps. A camera and Photoshop in the hands of talented photographers can do wonders like enticing travellers like me.
The thought of having a breakfast at the hotel is already a great deal for us. I wished though that the photos were as closed to the reality.
I booked a Standard Twin Room and paid CAD 134.05 for five days. It costs around $26.00/day; not bad for a hotel.
Arriving at Angkor Pearl Hotel
We arrived late at night from Siem Reap International Airport. For some reason, we weren’t pick up at the airport which is part of what we paid for. This was not a good sign. Did you have the same experience?
I didn’t paid much attention about the facade because all I can think of is getting a long night rest for our adventure the next day.
Inside we experienced the pros and cons that we endure and enjoyed throughout our stay.
Do We Have an Air Conditioner
This has to come first. I’ll never forget that May is a hot month especially for those who are used to 6-month winter.
We immediately turned on the air conditioner. Lo and behold it was still in fan mode after several minutes.
I called the reception and asked to be transferred to another room with a working air condition in a polite way (a Canadian value I’ll always take with me especially now that I’m a citizen. Long live the queen).
At last, we have a working air conditioner.
It’s old. Doesn’t cool the room that much that I don’t need my hoodie. But it will do.
Now it was time for a quick shower.
Something is Missing in the Bath Tub
This is going to be a fun story to tell. I still can’t believe it happened. See, be open-minded and patient . . . always.
How grand that our bathroom has a bath tub yet do not have a shower curtain.
I dealt with it in the morning.
I grabbed towels; put it on the floor and take a shower with warm water. It took me a while to get the water temperature right. After my sister and I were done, so is the bathroom floor. It took a shower with us.
Did we transferred to a new room with a bathroom with a shower curtain?
No. Nor did they install a shower curtain.
I informed the staff about my concerned before leaving the next day. By the time we were backed, we still have a bare bathtub.
Yet we always have generous supply of clean towels.
If we only knew, I could have brought the extra shower curtain at home.
Wait a minute. Is this the norm in Cambodia? Not having a shower curtain? I wonder if other guest were also complaining about it.
What’s to Like About the Old Theme
I’m laying low with negative feedback for a moment and focus on the hotel’s theme.
The lobby is noticeably old yet appealing. I like a structure with wood materials such as ceiling, floor, decor, and furniture.
This is what I signed up for that I’ve read in a few review on Agoda. Some hate it. I liked it but it’s true that the place needs maintenance.
The walls are adorned with photos of temples and gods.
What’s in a Room?
Our room has two twin beds, a TV with cable, closet, two chairs all made of wood. Also the floor underneath the beds is dusty. But the floor is also wood and the room is spacious for two backpackers.
We slept like a log each night on our bed.
Is it because we were tired and the mattresses are comfortable, not hard nor flimsy.
This is a thumbs up for me.
One afternoon, we slept from 4:00 pm ish to midnight after having pizza for lunch from The Heritage Walk. We didn’t ate supper. I guessed we were waiting for our favourite time of the day: breakfast.
Start the Day with Buffet Breakfast
This is what I looked forward to when I was looking for cheap hotel in Siem Reap.
It’s costly to book a hotel with breakfast in places in Canada like Vancouver.
I want my siblings to experience buffet overseas and glad I made the right choice. Did I mention that my siblings were forgiving about a few setbacks of Angkor Pearl Hotel.
We have one thing in common then.
The buffet breakfast is the best part in staying at the hotel next to comfy beds.
Some of the reviews said that the breakfast are common, plain, lacking variety.
All of which are true. The same reason that we like having breakfast.
- Meals were interchanged every other day. This addresses variety.
- Fruits are served every morning.
- Breakfast is served as early as 6am. We come down at 7am usually.
- It’s not crowded. We probably seen less than ten guests till our last day.
- Vegetables, meat, and fried rice were served. I am a vegetarian and loved the way they cooked vegetables. It’s still crunchy enough not to struggle biting. My siblings like the sausages and sunny side up eggs (which I also ate).
- Drink whatever you want. They have coffee, juice (too sweet for my taste), and water.
- Bread, butter, and spreads caught my palate and plate.
You have to try everything unless you are vegetarian or vegan.
What made the simple recipes more than good enough is that the food were not oily.
We can tell that some were cook with water yet the taste doesn’t disappoint also coming from my siblings.
The breakfast made our $26 per day well spent that sometimes we wished to have dinner as well.
Meeting the Staff
I could talk about food till the end of the post but let’s shift our attention now to the staff.
The Cambodian were kind including the staff at Angkor Pearl Hotel.
We had one issue though: communication barrier.
Sometimes we felt that our message wasn’t comprehended well like the time I requested for a shower curtain. My brother also had to ask help for cable; he was happy to watch all day in our last day.
One odd thing happened in our last day. We saw a staff who treated well a Caucasian man who is checking in with his wife. So accommodating. Too extra welcoming.
Not that they are not nice to us who are Asian and somewhat look like Cambodian. (Yet I’ve been told, I looked like Singaporean. Really?)
We can tell the difference of treatment. It’s just an observation that I should get used to wherever I go. Be open-minded, right!
On Point Location
Angkor Pearl Hotel is closed to top attractions in Siem Reap:
- Pub Street
- Night Market
- Angkor Wat
- Wat Preah Prom Rath
- Heritage Walk
At first I was debating whether to stay at the hub of the province. A hotel walking distance at the night market maybe.
The location of Angkor Pearl Hotel is just about perfect. The road is not too busy yet we can ride a rickshaw to get to places in a few minutes.
We even walked from Koulen II Restaurant to the hotel at night. It’s a great to see the lights coming to life at night.
In front, there’s a convenience store where we bought drinks, cookies, and seaweeds.
The road is lined with restaurants so you don’t have to go that far to enjoy a meal.
We ate at a restaurant beside the hotel. The food is cheap and good; be careful though with spices-filled food. It may overwhelmed your taste bud as what happened to my brother.
At the back is a costly hotel considering guest can take a plunge in the pool. In the morning you’ll hear bells of temples and the sound of motorcycles.
It’s easy to dose off to sleep in this part of the province after a sumptuous meal or browsing at photos I’m not in it.
Overall, Should You Book?
As a first-time traveller in Siem Reap I didn’t regret our stay in Angkor Pearl Hotel.
If I’ll ever go back, I would love to book in another hotel because I want to always try new things. But I love to have breakfast there again. I didn’t get to know all the fruits that were served.
Should you stay at the hotel?
By this time I hope the hotel has furnished the bathroom with shower curtains.
If you are on a budget and not travelling in summer then you wouldn’t mind the old air conditioner. The cheap rooms were comfortable to stay at.
It’s time for you to decide. Or sleep on it.
I’m done sharing our colourful experiences at the hotel. If you have a question, ask away in the comment and I may spill more beans.
Where do you want to stay in Siem Reap? What part of your expenses is a must that your willing to make changes to make up for a splurge.
Share Your Thoughts