Last Updated on December 26, 2025 by Home in the World
Southeast Asia is a dream holiday destination for many, and Cambodia’s Siem Reap — home to the 8th Wonder of the World in the form of Angkor Wat — would have to be right up there as a must-visit spot.
It is a beautiful town abundantly rich in Khmer history, culture and art, and well worth a decent stay to experience the many treasures it has to offer. One place I can highly recommend as a base to do this is the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort.
Having recently returned from an incredible stay there, I felt compelled to write this review as quickly as possible – to recognise the great job the property is doing to make guests feel so comfortable and so at home and to hopefully encourage readers to consider it for their potential Siem Reap travel plans.
Read on to find out why exactly the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort ticked all the boxes and more. You might also like to download my free quick guide to Siem Reap, which concisely summarises everything you need to know before you go.
Arrival & first impressions
Before going any further, I should mention that the Courtyard properties in Asia are generally of a much higher, more modern standard than their US counterparts, so if you are only familiar with them from the USA, you can expect to be very pleasantly surprised by their offering in Asia.
Following good recommendations from friends who had previously stayed here, and the professional, friendly correspondence I had had with the reservations team in the lead-up, I had high expectations for my stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort, and was really looking forward to being there and experiencing it in person.
I had arranged a hotel minivan pick-up from Siem Reap’s shiny new airport (about a 45-minute drive out of town), and our driver was there waiting for us, greeting us with a smile, a comfortable hotel car and cold refresher towels.
It was late morning by the time we pulled into the leafy resort grounds and I immediately felt the Eastern oasis vibes, soaking in the sight of the palm trees, beautiful Hindu and Buddhist statues and water features. And upon stepping inside the airy, fragrant foyer, we were greeted by a number of staff members who were standing by to welcome us, greeting us with the traditional Cambodian som pas hand gesture and offering cold towels and refreshments.
Check-in was handled so smoothly, we didn’t even need to go to a desk! The front-of-house manager simply dealt with it all himself while chatting to us in the lobby. And what a lobby it was. Spacious with edgy, Khmer-inspired furnishings that provide pops of colour to the otherwise calming, subdued tones.
The showpiece is undoubtedly the exquisite chandelier that dangles above the centre of the lounge area. And instead of having generic hotel music, there was almost always a local musician in beautiful Cambodian dress playing music on a xylophone-like instrument instead. It was a really nice, unique touch.
With 233 guest rooms and suites, it was the first of Marriott’s Courtyard brands to open in Cambodia in 2018. But, having had to sadly close for several years during the pandemic, everything still feels extremely new and fresh. As Cambodia’s tourism slowly bounces back from that slow-down, it is great to see the hotel shining resplendent once more.
Rooms
The sense of space from the lobby continues as you head up to your room, with each of the seven floors having huge landings and ultra wide corridors with soft carpet and muted lighting. Definitely no cramped, creaky hallways here!
I mentioned that the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort has seven floors and 233 rooms; it is definitely not a skyscraping behemoth of a property, and that is largely because Siem Reap itself is a low-rise town, with no structure allowed to be taller than Angkor Wat. It’s a concept I definitely like and respect.
We had two interconnecting deluxe rooms on the sixth floor overlooking the pool. I must admit I was in two minds about whether to request a pool-view room (the other option being garden view), as I tend to associate hotel pools with lots of noise. Nevertheless, I thought a pool view would make for extra relaxing and holiday vibes, so I went with it – and I am pleased to say there were no issues at all.
There was one company event on the first night, which the staff informed us about. We were told there would be some noise and music until about 10pm, which there was, but we didn’t mind at all, because a) we had been told and we knew it wouldn’t go very late, b) it was visually spectacular and c) DJ was playing really cool music, so I was more than happy to have a little dance party of my own on my balcony! Every other night (and day, for that matter) was perfectly tranquil.
The rooms themselves were extremely spacious, spotlessly clean and exceptionally well equipped (it’s so nice to have numerous power outlets in practical locations, yet many hotels still get this wrong). We had an interconnecting king and twin, whose bedding and pillows were tremendously comfortable and made for a perfect night’s sleep every night.
Equally practical was the abundance of storage space, both inside cupboards and drawers, but also in the form of a ledge running along an entire wall under the flat-screen TV opposite the beds – so convenient for just putting ‘stuff’.
Other furnishings and amenities included a comfy sofa, glass-top work desk with chair and lamp, in-room safe, tea & coffee-making facilities, daily bottled water (in glass bottles), a bar fridge, a robe and slippers.
The overall decor and colour scheme was one of calming earthy tones with pops of muted blue, and I particularly liked the Angkor-inspired artworks on the wall.
And, of course, being a resort, our rooms had wonderfully large balconies with outdoor setting and a relaxing view of the pool and its lovely palm trees. I don’t often stay in hotels with balconies, and I forget how nice it is to have one!
Bathrooms
Both bathrooms were – as with everything else at the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort – very large and luxurious, with warm earthy tones and ample vanity space. There is a gorgeous rain-shower cubicle that has a glass pane looking into the bedroom.
Not going to lie; these sorts of designs usually freak me out a bit but, fear not: there is a button-activated privacy screen that comes all the way down to fully seal the bathroom off from the rest of the room. Phew!
There is also a basic amenity box with sandalwood body lotion, dental kit and bar soap by Nirvae Botanicals, a toiletries brand committed to sustainability and cruelty-free products, using natural ingredients. This was similarly the brand used for the shampoo, conditioner and body wash, which came in the form of wall-mounted refillable pump bottles inside the shower.
Dining
The Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort has three dining options: Lok Lak Restaurant, The Upper Deck rooftop bar & restaurant, and the Lobby Lounge. We tried all of them, as well as the in-room dining options, and are pleased to say every meal was wonderful.
Breakfast is served daily as a comprehensive buffet at the Lok Lak Restaurant, where you can choose to either sit inside or outside by the pool. The offering is huge, with a vast array of cereals, home-baked pastries and breads, fresh fruit, juices, milks (including non-dairy options), yoghurts and Western and Asian hot food (grilled vegetables, noodles, hash browns, sausages, bacon, eggs made to order etc.).
Cambodia is one of the world’s largest producers of cashews – indeed you can see rows and rows of cashew trees on the drive to and from Siem Reap airport – and I highly recommend trying the locally made Cambodian cashew butter (Aiden’s Cashew Butter) that is available at the breakfast buffet. It is DELICIOUS!
Lok Lak restaurant is named after the traditional Cambodian dish of the same name, and the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort sure does a mean one! We tried both the chicken and beef varieties (available at the restaurant, Lobby Lounge or as in-room dining) and absolutely loved them.
We also tried some of the Western options for dinner as room service after some long days of sightseeing, and can vouch for the Margherita pizza and spaghetti bolognaise, not to mention the decadent chocolate brownie and luscious lemon cheesecake. The in-room dining menu is not particularly extensive, but it definitely does the job.
If you want to enjoy a sundowner while overlooking the rooftops of Siem Reap (and spot the distant spires of Angkor Wat), then head to the Upper Deck on the seventh floor. We enjoyed some delicious mocktails up there and really loved the muted colourful lighting and cool lounge music. And if you’re there at happy hour (6-8pm), you’ll get two drinks for the price of one.
Needless to say, all food & beverage services we tried at the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort were of top hygiene standards and there were no issues at all with water, ice or similar (I mention this only because some travellers may have concerns about this aspect when travelling to a region like Southeast Asia, especially if they have not visited before). Rest assured, this is a five-star property and you can expect five-star quality in every respect.
Other facilities
In terms of other facilities at the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort, there is an on-site gym (which I did not use), as well as the swimming pool, which is open from 7am to 7pm daily. I also saw a number of large function rooms on the ground floor near the pool, and can vouch for the amazing events the hotel is capable of putting on, given the aforementioned corporate party I witnessed from my balcony on the first night. See pictures below.
There is similarly a small gift shop selling luxury Cambodian wares, and I also noticed a couple of unobtrusive anti-mosquito trays throughout the lobby, which had a lovely lemon eucalyptus fragrance.
Mosquitos were not an issue during my January visit, but I’m sure the trays would definitely come in handy during the rainy/mosquito season in the middle of the year. The Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort really does have every aspect of guest comfort covered!
Location
The Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort is located on a main thoroughfare in central Siem Reap, albeit set back from the immediate roadside by its driveway and gardens. It is about a 10 or 15-minute drive from most of the town’s attractions, including Angkor Wat.
Grab works very well in Cambodia, and there are also usually tuk tuks waiting outside the hotel’s front entrance. While these tuk tuk drivers are not directly employed by the hotel, they are known to the hotel and often work with it, making them a very convenient and safe option for getting around.
We used them on a number of occasions and really enjoyed our rides with our lovely driver. Siem Reap is the perfect place to ride a tuk tuk, as it is not too hectic and you get to see so much more.
As mentioned before, we had a hotel pick-up from Siem Reap airport, which worked very well. The airport is about a 45-minute to 1-hour drive away. In general, we found the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort to have a perfect location for everything we wanted to see and do.
Why choose the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort
It should be quite clear by now that we had a wonderful stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort and loved everything about it – for all of the reasons listed above.
But if there’s one thing that enhanced our time there even more, it has to be the staff. The people of Cambodia are some of the loveliest, warmest and most hospitable people I have ever encountered anywhere, and the local staff at this hotel were no exception.
Every single individual, from the transfer driver, to the front-of-house and reception staff, to the top management, to the food & beverage staff, to housekeeping, was a truly wonderful soul who genuinely went above and beyond to make our stay special.
Perhaps where we had the most dealings with them was every morning at breakfast. They got to know our preferred table and would religiously reserve it for us with a pretty flower arrangement – a totally unexpected but highly appreciated touch.
Seeing their smiling faces and chatting with them every morning was such a memorable start to each of our days at Siem Reap. It was a privilege to get to know them and I can honestly say we have made some lovely friendships out of it.
The Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort is already an exquisite property that gets everything right, but the people that work there really give it its soul. I am so grateful for their wonderful hospitality and would highly recommend this property to anyone planning to visit Siem Reap. You can also check out some video footage of my stay.
I also stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott in Phnom Penh after this, and have written a full review of it here on the blog. And for an additional Marriott-brand property in Phnom Penh, read my full review of the Fairfield by Marriott Phnom Penh.
| COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT SIEM REAP RESORT |
| No 0609 Road 6A, Phum Chongkoesou, Khum Slor Kram, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 171201 |
** This stay was not sponsored in any way; it is a genuine, non-biased review based on my own personal experience **
** This post, like everything else on this website, has been written entirely by me. No ChatGPT or any other AI tool has been used. It takes longer to create, but I value 100% human-generated content and I hope you do too! **
Before you go…
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Book your stay via the Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort’s official website or using your preferred booking platform:
- Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort on Booking.com
- Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort on TripAdvisor
- Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort on Expedia
- Courtyard by Marriott Siem Reap Resort on Hotels.com
Ready to book your flights to Siem Reap? I recommend using Skyscanner or Trip.com to find and compare the best fares.
If you need a private driver/guide in Siem Reap (or elsewhere in Cambodia), definitely check out my post on a highly recommended service provider I personally dealt with when there.
For more Cambodia travel content, have a read of my posts on underrated things to see in Siem Reap and cultural & art treasures of Phnom Penh, and check out my free Siem Reap guide and free Phnom Penh guide, which combine all the important information you need in an easy, one-page format.
Looking for other hotels in Asia? You may want to read my reviews of the following properties or visit my Hotels section:
- Ritz-Carlton Chengdu in China
- Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei in Taiwan
- Fraser Residence Nankai Osaka in Japan
- JW Marriott Seoul in South Korea
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Sounds like the perfect place to stay
It truly was perfect in every way!