As its’ name so aptly states, the Hotel De La Paix epitomizes peace & tranquility. The owners however were probably thinking more about the word peace in a diplomatic context since Cambodia emerged from very bloody conflicts with the Khmer Rouge & warring political factions less than a decade ago.The Architecture- If you’re the type of person into minimalist architecture, sleek lines & lots of clean surfaces, the Hotel De La Paix should be programmed into your GPS navigation system. This is a hotel where a chic Dior ensemble or a cool Varvatos outfit, would not be out of place, though shorts & t-shirts are perfectly acceptable & very much the norm.Driving up to the hotel via the dusty main road through Siem Reap it immediately hits you that this looks nothing like the dozens of hotels you passed on your way from the airport. Most of the hotels worth throwing $200-$400 per night are situated on acres of manicured lawns with pools, walkways & for the most part, a lush pallet of color.
The Hotel De La Paix on the other hand, is situated on small piece of land that was once a rice depot & before that housed the original “La Paix” hotel. It is well placed in the middle of town where hip bars & great restaurants abound & is only a short distance from the majestic Angkor Wat temple complex. The hotel also sits across the street from a large construction project that is supposed to bring a shopping mall of iconic luxury goods, to this little slice of Cambodia. One could say that the defining features of the hotel is that to the untrained eye, it wouldn’t stand out enough to draw curiosity seekers & tour buses like its neighbors down the road; the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor & the Le Meridien Resort. It’s cool leave me alone demeanor would play well in most of the world’s hot spots such as the Meat Packing district in downtown New York, Ocean Drive in South Beach, or Meguro-dori in Tokyo. That is not to say that the architecture of the hotel is not beautiful to look at, because it is.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/994467
