Journeys Within Boutique Hotel – April’s Review

By: April Cole- US Director of Operations and Tours

I know it may seem silly to post a hotel review of our hotel on here, but I actually do think it’s fitting. The reason why is because Andrea was putting together an itinerary for someone and she said she wanted a “really nice hotel” and I asked her why she wasn’t including Journeys Within? I think sometimes we feel like we’re including the hotel just because it’s ours and not because of the hotel itself and sometimes we actually sell the hotel short. Sooooo, if I want to treat the hotel like any other hotel then I need to review it! Whew! That felt like a ridiculously long explanation!

The rooms:

I’ve been lucky enough to stay in almost every room at JWBH and I’ve really liked them all. All JW rooms have:

• Wireless internet throughout the property
• Netbook computers to use in your room
• Mobile phone, preloaded with minutes
• Complimentary laundry service
• Sodas in the minibar
• Unlimited filtered water
• Breakfast each morning, made to order
• Free tuk-tuk rides to and from town each night
• Flat Screen TVs

JWBH has a few different room types which are fitting for different travelers.

The original rooms:

I stayed in these rooms on my first trip to Cambodia four years ago. I loved them then and I love the upgrades they’ve made to them now.  Like all JW rooms they are styled with a touch of Khmer design but not overdone. When you step into your room you really feel like you can relax as the rooms are spacious and well appointed. We stayed in a room with a king sized bed and had a baby cot and still had plenty of room for our luggage and for our little one to play. The upstairs rooms each have a balcony overlooking the pool and the bay window looks out on the village area behind the hotel. The down stairs rooms have a patio with pool access. The original rooms are perfect for couples as they are quiet since the bungalows built as separate units.

The Ramayana Retreat:

The original family suite that was designed for longer stays as it has a relaxing resting area upstairs and a usable living area downstairs complete with a full kitchen, bathroom with shower, and a pull out couch for extra sleeping space. The upstairs living area is an absolute oasis. The king sized platform bed is like sleeping on a cloud. The upstairs room has a sitting area with a bay window overlooking the village area behind the hotel and, of course, the room has the classic JW spa rain shower.  I love this room for a couple who is looking for a large suite with extra space, those who are staying for a longer time, or families with tweens or teens. The pull out couch is usable, but isn’t ideal for extra adults as it’s on the smaller side. This room would have been wonderful for my husband, me and our son as our son would have hung out in the downstairs living area, but my wild 18 month old daughter would be climbing those stairs non-stop, so I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is traveling with a little one who isn’t sturdy on their feet on stairs.

The new family suites:

We recently stayed in the new family suites and I couldn’t have been happier with the room. After having kids and traveling as a family, my husband and I always book a suite, preferably a two bedroom suite, so the kids can go to sleep and we don’t have to sit in the dark and be quiet at 7pm ; ) ! I am not being biased when I say these were the best family suites we’ve ever stayed in.  You have two full rooms which sit side by side and have a connecting door. The “kids” rooms are set up with two full sized beds, lots of play space, a bay window and a desk area. The connecting “parent” rooms have a king sized bed, bay window and desk area as well. The rooms are the same layout as the original rooms with the exception of being built next to each other so they could be connecting rooms instead of only separate bungalows. I was very pleased at how quiet the rooms were. We had a family with two young kids staying in the units above us and we only heard them when they went up and down the outside stairs. I also liked that the rooms got really dark when you closed all the curtains – if you’ve ever tried to get a little one to take a mid-day nap while on vacation I’m sure you’d appreciate this fact too! It was a great set up for us traveling with two little ones and I would highly recommend the family suites to those traveling with kids or teens.

The Kids Klub:

The Kids Klub is a great space for the younger ones to have supervised play while you enjoy a quiet meal on your own or while you head out to the temples. The staff is friendly and I felt like my children were not only having fun but that they were really safe. My kids read books, colored, played with blocks and even played Wii – while we had time to have breakfast, while I attended work meetings, and while my husband and I went out on a date!

Sabai Sabai Restaurant:

First of all I love the name- Sabai Sabai means ‘Happy Happy’ in Khmer, and Sabai is the name of one of the staff’s daughter – and she is just about the sweetest, happiest little girl you’ve ever met.  Understandably, I instantly loved the name just as I love baby Sabai. The restaurant is gorgeous. It was originally designed to be open air but it just didn’t work out as Cambodia can get really hot and really rainy – so they ended up building it with glass walls so you felt like you were outside, but had the creature comfort of AC (a must in Cambodia!).  I was pleasantly surprised to see that even though a full sized restaurant was being built, the quality of the food is as good as it’s always been at JW. I highly recommend the Pumpkin Curry Soup and the Mango Salad. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a look at the pool menu. From the pool menu you can order crickets and frogs, true Cambodian delicacies. I will admit, I wasn’t feeling adventurous and kept to the main restaurant menu during my stay. Also, if you’re traveling with kids, they do have a kid friendly menu!

For more information about our boutique hotel, please visit our hotel website here: http://www.journeyswithin.com/