The swimming pool at Viroth’s Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia (Courtesy: viroth-hotel.com)

When it comes to making lists and ranking items, whether they be people, places, or things, there’s simply no way to be entirely objective; the very act of ranking something comes with a certain level of subjectivity baked into it. But when you’re talking about a set of rankings based on millions of reviews and opinions from people scattered across the globe collected throughout an entire calendar year… well, that’s probably just about as unbiased as you can get.

That’s the kind of data TripAdvisor relied on in determining the winners of their 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards, which were released toward the end of July. Pouring over millions upon millions of reviews and ratings and comments left on their site in 2019 is precisely how the world’s largest travel platform figured out which hotels, dining experiences, and airlines stand above the rest.

Some things, such as France staking claim to the top two fine dining establishments in the world, are hardly surprising, while others, like four of the top 12 hotel slots collectively belonging to Vietnam and Cambodia, and not a single U.S. airline cracking the world’s top ten, are perhaps slightly more eye-opening (depending, of course, on how well-traveled you might be).

While Brazilian airline Azul takes the cake when it comes to flying the friendly skies and French restaurant Auberge Du Vieux Puits, which boasts three whole Michelin stars, sits atop the world’s mountain of fine dining, it’s the world’s number one hotel (again, according to TripAdvisor) that really caught my attention — largely because of where it’s located.

Viroth’s Hotel can be found in northwestern Cambodia in the resort town of Siem Reap, a five-hour drive from the country’s capital, Phnom Penh. The town is known as the gateway to the ruins of Angkor, which once served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, the predecessor of modern-day Cambodia that existed from the 9th through the 15th centuries. As such, the area is littered with stone temples and monuments, all of which are a lasting testament to an empire that at one time ruled over most of mainland southeast Asia and parts of southern China.

The ruins of Angkor and the Khmer Empire deserve a blog post all their own, but the hotel we came here to talk about is also a destination unto itself.

Featuring 35 guest rooms, an open air restaurant, a collection of classic cars used to transport guests to and fro, and all those amenities you’d expect a modern hotel to have (pool, spa, gym, 24-hour service), Viroth’s has now snagged the top spot on TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards list twice (the first time being in 2018) and was also named the top hotel in the Asia Pacific region in 2019.

I cannot claim to have had the pleasure, but here is a smattering of what some guests have had to say about their stays:

“I have been fortunate to have traveled all over Asia, mainly for business, for 30+ years. For the most part, service levels are high across the region. Viroth's however takes service to another level, but in a subtle, less obvious way than some hotels who make a fuss of their ‘pampering’ their guests.” — @Chicago60657, Feb. 2020
“A Gem of a property. Tucked away on a quiet side street perfectly located near market areas and many great restaurants, this place will not disappoint. From the personal reception at the airport to the beautiful property our stay at Viroth’s was most memorable. The staff was warm, welcoming and helpful and the property is a delight.” — @dennisrwelch, Jan. 2020
“From the moment they picked us up at the airport in a 76’ Rolls Royce I knew we were in for a treat. The hotel decor is very tasteful. Mosaics with contemporary design, comfy yet designer sofas. Attention to detail is noticeable all over. When we were leaving the hotel they offered bug spray, when we came back cool towels. Everything is kept very clean. The swimming pool is a great place to take a break between visiting temples … [and] the hotel is walking distance to pub street where all the action is.” — @Vanepar, Dec. 2019
“Breakfast is ordered a la carte, and it was absolutely delicious. If you are waking up early for a sunrise tour, they will even pack you a picnic breakfast, which leads me to the best part about this hotel - the people. Everyone was incredibly kind and helpful.” — @Jthokie1, Dec. 2019

Scroll through the rest of the reviews and comments on TripAdvisor and it’s basically rinse and repeat. What it all boils down to? Start planning your trip to northwestern Cambodia, because the hype is real.

-LTH

TripAdvisor's 2020 Travelers' Choice Awards Are Here & the World's Top Hotel is in... Cambodia?