The first thing you notice about the Amansara -- a boutique hotel with 12 suites located about 20 minutes from the ancient temple of Angkor Wat -- is just how retro it looks.
Okay, it's the kind of retro that happens to be very au courant. But there is no mistaking the fact that Twiggy and Marianne Faithfull would have felt right at home here during the Swinging '60s.
There is, for example, the paisley-shaped lunch deck that juts out into the black-tile swimming pool; and the low-slung roofs of the courtyard and reception pavilion.
And, of course, there are the rectangular columns -- the property's signature motif -- covered in the brown quartzite used to decorate North American ski chalets when Sonny and Cher were a hip duo.
Manager Toby Anderson, a 34-year-old native of Tumbridge Wells, England, is considering an Austin Powers-themed party for New Year's Eve. "It would be perfect," says Anderson, who has managed the Amansara with his Australian wife Ali since it opened last December.
He's absolutely right. But if the party happens, it will be a break from tradition for a hotel best known as an oasis of buttoned-down luxury in one of the world's most exotic and deeply spiritual destinations: the ancient Khmer capital of Angkor.
Clientele
The Amansara owes its retro look to the fact that it was built in 1962 by then Prince Sihanouk, currently King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, as a royal guesthouse. In its heyday as the Villa Princiere, foreign ministers, ambassadors and anyone unable to find a bed at the royal residence down the street checked into this private, walled compound.
Some of those early guests included President Tito of Yugoslavia and British actor Peter O'Toole, who stayed here while filming Lord Jim. These days, the clientele consists mainly of well-heeled North American and European couples.
Service
A staff of 60 caters to your needs, often even before you realize you have them. Indeed, one of the best things about the Amansara is the hotel's careful attention to detail.
For example, when your first enter your private chalet, you find New Age Buddhist chants playing on your CD player. On the writing desk behind the bed is a personalized itinerary for your first afternoon of exploration. And on your bed sits a small gift: a krama, or traditional Khmer scarf.
Perhaps the best detail, however, is the ice-cold towel that awaits you each time you return to the Amansara in your remorque-moto, or motorized rickshaw, after a morning or afternoon of exploring Angkor with Ly Sarith, the Amansara's expert guide.
Rooms
The guest chalets resemble stylish New York lofts, complete with polished concrete floors, floor-to-ceiling picture windows and huge beds. The open-concept bathroom is one step lower than the rest of the chalet. An oversized tub and glass-walled shower look out onto a private patio with a lotus-flower pool.
Ambiance
The Amansara's quietly opulent atmosphere is the perfect counterpoint to traipsing around the steamy jungle. Fresh lotus-flower and jasmine arrangements can be found at every turn. At night, soft lighting casts long shadows across the main lawn and interconnecting walkways. The constant murmur of cicadas fills the air, and dinner conversation is punctuated by the cry of gecko lizards.
Design
During the black years of the Khmer Rouge, the Villa Princiere began its long and painful slide into disrepair. By the time Singapore-based Amanresorts took over the property in 2002, the Villa Princiere was a shambles. Looters had helped themselves to anything of value, and the once stunning swimming pool was a wreck.
Amanresorts' biggest challenge was recreating French architect Laurent Mondet's original design. This proved to be a difficult task, in part because the Khmer Rouge had burned most of the country's archives, and few photos remained of the guesthouse from its early years.
Still, Australian architect Kerry Hill has done a superb job recapturing the boldness and simplicity of the Villa Princiere, as well as incorporating a healthy dose of modernity into the new design. His vision is all about understated chic, and more than a little bit of Zen Buddhist tranquillity.
Food and drink
The circular dining room is casual yet stylish. The menu is limited, but on the plus side the kitchen offers selections from both the Khmer and Western kitchen, including chicken curry with pineapple, scallops with vermicelli and a smoked salmon baguette with cucumber.
House wines (Mouton Cadet 1999 and Miguel Torres Chardonnay 2001) are complimentary, as are the local beers (Angkor and Tiger) and most mixed drinks. Ask one of the friendly staff to make you a caipirosca (Stoli vodka, lime juice and brown sugar) when you feel like chilling by the pool.
Things to do
For many people, Angkor is Angkor Wat, the 12th-century temple fortress with a monster-sized moat. The sheer size and genius of this sandstone and laterite masterpiece puts it in the same league as St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and the pyramids of Giza.
But to fully appreciate the scale on which this ancient metropolis was built, consider that Angkor Wat is just one of 292 temples and shrines covering an area roughly the size of Manhattan. (About 40 temples are open to the public.)
Exploring Angkor is hard work, so book a massage for later. The best option is probably the 60-minute Cambodian rub-down, which uses blended oils to relax muscles and improve circulation.
The Amansara organizes day trips to Koulen Mountain National Park, about 80 kilometres northeast of Angkor. Highlights include Phnom Kulen, birthplace of the Khmer empire; Chey Rethy, a sacred cave inhabited by hermits; Sras Damrei, giant stone carvings of lions and elephants in the jungle; and the River of 1,000 Lingas, fertility carvings in the Kulen River.
The cost of this all-day excursion is $100 (all amounts in U.S. dollars), including driver, guide and off-road vehicle.
Information
The Amansara: Road to Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia; phone: 855(63) 760-333, or visit the website at http://www.amanresorts.com.
Rates (Nov. 1-Oct. 31, 2004): A suite, single occupancy, is $650 a night; double occupancy is $725. Rates include breakfast, choice of lunch or dinner, non-alcoholic beverages and house wine, and driver, vehicle and a guide for outings to temples.