Jaya House River Park, Siem Reap
Superb boutique hotel in Siem Reap operated by passionate individuals on a mission
If you want to stay in luxury and believe that a hotel with a purpose adds to the experience, consider this lovely boutique hotel as our warmest recommendation. Although there are plenty of fine hotels in Siem Reap, none are operated with as much passion as Jaya House River Park.
Driven by passionate individuals with a purpose
Jaya House River Park is led by Cambodian Kol and Dutch Christian de Boer. These two energetic and super-friendly individuals have become an institution in the local hotel scene. They strive to make a difference for not only their guests but also their staff, the environment, and the local community. They have achieved this not only by operating a hotel but also by having a purpose that goes beyond just business. With this mission, they elevate the hotel experience to a level few others can match.
Kol, Christian, or both usually welcome guests at the door and assists with check-in and help carry your luggage. This personalized service is sincere and what is even better is the fact that they are fully invested in the well-being of their staff and the hotel's contribution to the local community. Together, it creates a hotel experience that surpasses all of Siem Reap's classic and far more expensive luxury hotels.
Chauffeurs are thrilled to be showing you around the city. Their English skills may be limited, but their smiles are huge and heartfelt
A stylish and lush oasis
Rooms, restaurants, and a spa surround one of the hotel's two swimming pools. It is luxurious and stylish yet completely down to earth. Abundant tropical plants add a lush and natural contrast to the clearly Art Deco-inspired style.
The walls are adorned with modern, local art made by students from the Small Art School - a small NGO offering free education to underprivileged children.
The best beds in Siem Reap
Jaya House River Park's soft values are followed by equally soft beds. Whether they are genuinely the best beds in the city, as they claim, is difficult to assess. But they are so good that will probably be your new standard.
In addition to the beds, the rooms are luxuriously decorated with, among other things, modern local art, a quality coffee machine, and home-grown tea.
As guests, we have a special responsibility not to contribute to the problem. And we have the resources to do something about it," Christian expresses
Private tuk-tuks available
Kol and Christian have improved the service experience in another intelligent way by hiring 10 tuk-tuk drivers. It is a hard job in Siem Reap with a very varied income. So being employed and not having to struggle daily to feed their family means a lot. And the drivers repay wholeheartedly when they drive you around the city. Their English skills are limited, but their smiles are big. And in the end, that is what matters most. Oh, and it also means there is always a tuk-tuk ready when needed. You can also call for one when you need to go back home.
Plastic-free
One of Kol and Christian's projects is to make Jaya House River Park utterly free of single-use plastic. This is evident upon arrival, where the welcome drink is served with a bamboo straw, and guests are provided with a refillable aluminum water bottle. In fact, the aluminum bottles are part of a much larger project called Refill Not Landfill, which aims to get as many of the city's hotels as possible to eliminate the massive water consumption in plastic bottles. Over 50 hotels and restaurants have joined the project, and there are stations with clean water throughout the city. As in many other countries, pollution from single-use plastic is a huge problem in Cambodia.
As Christian expressed upon our visit: "As guests, we have a special responsibility not to contribute to the problem. And we have the resources to do something about it."