Anantara Angkor Resort & Spa

For connoisseurs of Asia’s villa hotels, the concept is the thing: small-scale luxury, physically up to international standards, yet painstakingly localized. That last bit is important when you’re talking about a destination like Siem Reap, a place where the city’s cultural inheritance is practically as palpable as the 400-thread linens or the deep soaking tubs. A 39-room villa resort in a contemporary Khmer style, Anantara Angkor Resort is set a few miles from Angkor Wat, one of the great cultural wonders of the world — a setting that, to say the least, sets a rather high standard.

Of course a little bit of restraint is in order, given the gravity of the location, and the Anantara is less a monument than an inward-looking compound. The rooms are all immersive privacy, laid out like studio apartments, and the suites, all with butler service, are self-contained — the Queen Suites feel sequestered, designed for romance, while the grander King Suites feel geared toward entertaining. Either way you’re in a world all your own; it’s a short drive into town or to the temples, but with a very fine spa and a stunning Khmer-French restaurant it’s easy to imagine days and nights spent in.

How to get there:
The resort is located 10 minutes from the Siem Reap International Airport. The hotel provides complimentary "tuktuk" transfers (drop-off and pick-up only) to the city center. Car transfers from the airport cost $15 each way.