The chic Frangipani Villa hotel on Wat Bo now has a sister hotel, Frangipani Green Garden Hotel and Spa, located on a side street by Angkor Market just off Sivutha. With a mere fifteen rooms to its predecessor’s 87, and set back from the road in a lush garden, the hotel promises a tranquil stay in a central location.   

Following the success of Frangipani Villa, Frangipani Green Garden opened as a kind of ‘overflow’ hotel in October 2012 and also to provide guests with a more centrally-based stay.

General manager Luon Anchamnan says the two hotels bear similarities, having been designed by the same Khmer architect, although Green Garden has a somewhat less urban feel and boasts a much more extravagant garden.

Delicate white stone Buddhas frame the entrance pathway and stone urns containing tropical, fuchsia-coloured flowers are dotted around among the trees.

A pretty, Japanese-style bridge leads to the salt-water swimming-pool which, though smaller than at Frangipani Villa, is no less appealing.

The room prices are slightly higher than at Wat Bo Frangipani to reflect the Sivutha location, Luon says.

“It is a different style to Wat Bo Frangipani, but similar quality,” he says. “It is in a very convenient area. That’s why it is a little bit more expensive.”

Rooms start at $70, although the hotel is promoting soft opening prices of $42 to $60.  

“There is a different feeling,” says Luon. “If you want something relaxing, comfortable and peaceful, with a big garden where you enjoy the pool with few people, you can stay here.”

Guests can pamper themselves at La Plumeria Spa (‘plumeria’ being another word for ‘frangipani’), which is also open to outsiders and specialises in massage.

“We have foot massage, body massage, pedicures, everything,” says Luon. “We do it very well. We don’t just do a massage – you must feel like you are relaxing. We train our staff to be flexible according to what the guest wants. You need to feel it, learn to feel the guest’s body, it’s very important.

“Guests will enjoy the experience of my therapists in the spa, from the moment they walk in till they finish their treatment. We would like to have this international spa standard in Cambodia.”