My first stay at a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel property occurred while I was at Viroth’s Villa in Siem Reap in Cambodia. The acquisition of the carefully curated and growing collection of greater than 1,500 boutique and luxury properties was officially announced by Hyatt Hotels Corporation on Friday, April 28, 2023 — which means that as a member of the World of Hyatt membership program, I can earn points for staying there.
Viroth’s Villa in Siem Reap in Cambodia: My First Stay at a Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Property — and The Verdict Is…
At its official Internet web site is the following paragraph: “Creating a bit of a buzz among aficionados of boutique digs, Viroth’s Villa is a chic, petite and intimate base for a romantic yet affordable stay in Siem Reap. Minimalist in style but big on design, this relaxed contemporary bolthole offers heavenly massages, outdoor dining and a tropical pool, perfect for plotting your Angkor adventures.”
Two buildings were part of Viroth’s Villa: one which was four stories tall; and the other which was three stories tall. The common open-air area of the boutique hotel property was between the two buildings.
The front desk is located in an open-air area of the boutique hotel property, which includes the restaurant and the swimming pool. The entrance to the property is behind the shrubbery on the left in the above photograph.
While checking in at the front desk, we were greeted with a refreshing cold wet towel…
…as well as a delicious cold refreshing beverage that did not contain alcohol.
The room to which we were assigned was located on the third floor of the smaller building, which was the top floor of that building of Viroth’s Villa — so be forewarned that because no elevator is on the property, one must climb three full flights of stairs in the heat and humidity of Cambodia.
The Room.
We were assigned to room 27, which would be our home for the next three nights. I rarely stay anyplace for greater than two nights.
The room consisted of a comfortable bed and a cozy alcove with a tall narrow window on each side, which we constantly used whenever we were awake in the room.
A small flat screen television hung on the wall between a chair with a small table and a desk.
On the desk was an old-style rotary telephone, a lamp, a desk blotter, a note pad, and a welcome amenity that was comprised of a whole dragonfruit, a bunch of miniature bananas, and some mandarin oranges.
Under the right side of the desk was a refrigerator which doubled as a minibar.
More minibar items were located under the left side of the desk — along with what is needed for a cup of coffee or tea.
The closet contained flip-flop sandals, two robes, an umbrella, a safe, a hair dryer, and a laundry bag.
The balcony had one chair and an ash tray on a small table…
…as well as a fan to try to keep cool in the muggy humid Cambodian heat.
The Bathroom.
In the bathroom was a round illuminated mirror over the vanity, which had a couple of hand towels. The container for refuse was inside a compartment of the vanity, which was rather unusual. Larger towels were available in the shower area.
Speaking of the shower, both a rain shower had and a hand-held sprayer were available in the shower.
The enclosure of the shower was that annoying partial partition that one typically finds in bathrooms in Europe — but at least the floor of the shower was set slightly below the level of the floor in the remainder of the bathroom; so wet messes were thankfully kept to a minimum.
Bottles with pumps of lotus and rice body lotion, lemongrass hand gel soap, and cucumber and aloe vera hair gel were arranged neatly in a wooden box on the vanity with a couple of hand towels.
Two bottles of complimentary drinking water in glass bottles were refilled twice per day, which was plenty of drinking water. If one needed more water than that and did not want to use the sink in the bathroom, one can get fresh drinking water near the restaurant.
Installed next to the toilet — which was in its own private space — was a water sprayer.
Jasmine shampoo and lemongrass shower gel were provided in the shower stall.
The View.
Because Viroth’s Villa is located near central Siem Reap and is only three stories tall, not much in terms of views is offered.
The Food: Dinner.
We were tired and hungry after traveling from Taiwan to Cambodia; so we decided to have dinner in the restaurant of Viroth’s Villa.
In addition to ceiling fans, a small fan was brought to the table to keep flying insects away from the food in the open-air restaurant. A small table was promptly and thoughtfully brought to the table for a place to store my camera bag.
The place settings and cutlery were brought to the table by the server and arranged — and included the requisite chopsticks and small bowl. The menu offered a choice of western food or Khmer food.
We chose items from the Khmer menu, of course. All costs were in United States dollars.
In addition to soda, I ordered fresh lime juice, which came with a small creamer of liquid sugar.
We started off with Miko La, which is comprised of rice noodles with a choice of beef or seafood, salad, basil, cabbage. cucumber, topped with boiled eggs, nuts, and khmer dressing. Seafood was chosen. $8.25
The River Garden Sour Soup was Tonle Sap fish with morning glories, lemon grass, lime, and rice paddy herbs. $8.00
We were running amok with the Amok Fish, whose ingredients were Tonle Sap fish with lemongrass, kaffir leaves, galangal, turmeric, and coconut cream. $10.00
The Steamed Fish Fillet had red snapper fish steamed in white wine sauce, onions, tomatoes, sweet basil. spring onions, peanuts, and local herbs. $11.00
We also ordered an extra bowl of steamed rice. $1.00
We enjoyed dinner so much that after researching other restaurants in Siem Reap, we decided to eat in the restaurant of Viroth’s Villa again, as the food and service were excellent; the restaurant was convenient; and only a few people dined along with us — so the ambience was quiet and relaxed. While it may not have been the most inexpensive option in Siem Reap, it was not what I would consider expensive either.
Khmer Ceviche contained fresh raw fish cured in lime, long beans, red and green capsicum, garlic, shallots. onion, peanuts, local herbs, lime, and lemongrass. $8.50
We again ordered the River Garden Sour Soup — along with a couple of other items that we enjoyed from the previous night — on the second night of dinner. $8.00
The Fried Noodle consisted of vegetables, and a choice of pork, chicken or shrimps that was topped with a fried egg. Shrimps were chosen for this dish. $9.25
The Fried Rice consisted of vegetables, and a choice of pork, chicken or shrimps that was topped with a fried egg. As with the fried noodles, shrimps were chosen for this dish. $9.25
The Food: Breakfast.
Breakfast was included in the room rate. A paper menu with a pencil is given to each person at the table. At first, the menu looked like it was for a few items for a continental breakfast; but we were told by the server that we may choose whatever items we wanted — and we were always asked if we wanted more food or beverages at no extra charge.
I started off with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
I never heard of a croissant type of pastry filled with chocolate referred to as a chocolatine — but here it was; and it was good.
As with the chocolatine, the half slices were also accompanied by butter and chutney.
Fresh greens and a halved cherry tomato accompanied the omelette.
The bacon that came with the two hard-boiled eggs, the roasted tomatoes, fresh greens, and a halved cherry tomato was rather underdone…
…which was not a problem. The server was more than accommodating in bringing out additional slices of bacon on a separate plate that were more thoroughly cooked.
The noodle soup was very tasty, with assorted vegetables and large slices of the breast meat of chicken. I really enjoyed the glass noodles.
The noodle soup came with soy bean, garlic, and “chilly” sauce. I tried each; but the noodle soup was flavorful enough that it really did not need anything extra added to it.
We also ordered both the Mixed Seasonal Fresh Fruits Salad with Plain Yogurt and the Fresh Seasonal Selection of fruit.
The Swimming Pool.
As with the remainder of the common area of Viroth’s Villa, the swimming pool was located outside and was open until 10:00 in the evening — which meant an opportunity for a night swim in somewhat heated water. The black bar installed in the wall is a fountain, which was activated when guests use the swimming pool. Towels are provided in all of the seating areas around the swimming pool.
What a relaxing way to end the day prior to retiring for the evening.
A spa was available; but we did not use it.
Final Boarding Call
I highly recommend staying at Viroth’s Villa, which is generally centrally located in Siem Reap. The entire property was clean; the room was comfortable; and the service was very good to excellent, as every member of the staff sincerely aimed to please — and they throughly succeeded.
The total for three nights came out to $422.54, which was less than $140.85 per night in United States dollars. The cost for the lodging itself was $329.55; and the rest of the amount was for two full dinners.
Viroth’s Villa
#14, Street 23, Wat Bo village, Sala Kamreuk commune, 171204
Siem Reap 0017
Cambodia
+855 0 96 919 2222
Reservations can also be booked at the official Internet web site of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and at the official Internet web site of Mr & Mrs Smith.
All photographs ©2026 by Brian Cohen.
