A high-tech, luxurious base for exploring Cambodia

Siem Reap, the increasingly popular base for visitors to Angkor Wat, is beginning to feel a little like the Las Vegas of Cambodia, with one showy hotel after another being built.

THE LOCATION

Though you'll be tempted not to leave the grounds of the Hotel de la Paix, except for excursions to Angkor Wat and other temples, much of what Siem Reap has to offer -- the Old Market selling Cambodian handicrafts and the late-night hangouts on aptly named Bar Street -- is within easy walking distance.

THE HOTEL

Even the standard rooms are huge: a soaring loft space with a large seating area, a comfortable, spacious bed on a wooden frame, and a terrazzo bathtub big enough for two, as well as a walk-in shower. The floor-to-ceiling windows are perfect if you are overlooking the lushly landscaped, lagoonlike pool -- but a little unnerving if you are facing the street, and throw open the curtains in the morning to find yourself face to face with workmen on the construction site across the road. The high-tech rooms come with a TV, a DVD player and even a fully loaded iPod. No clocks, however.

The hotel has a small, but well-appointed gym, plus a superb spa. The excellent -- and addictive -- massages start with a foot scrubbing and end with a warm cup of herbal tea, sending you off to your room in a haze of woozy contentment. The hotel has Wi-Fi and a limited room service menu. Most guests will want to eat in the comfortable main restaurant.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Rooms start at about $190 a night, and a particularly good deal is the Experiences Connect package, starting at $639, which includes a three-night stay for two, guided tours of the market and the temples and dinner at the hotel restaurant, Meric.

Hotel de la Paix, Sivutha Bd., Siem Reap. (011-855-63) 966-000; www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com.