Thirty years married and I’ve fallen in love with another man. In fact, I’ve never even met this man, and he certainly hasn’t got a clue who I am.
His name is Bill Bensley and I’ve started travelling the world to witness first-hand more of the artistic splendour he has created. This year, his work has taken me to the magnificent Shinta Mani Angkor and Bensley Collection Pool Villas in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Siem Reap is itself a place with unsurpassed cultural heritage but combining it with a precious stay at one of US designer Bill Bensley’s masterpieces allows you to enjoy the beauty of today and yesteryear together.
Being home to Angkor Wat and other Buddhist/Hindu temples has made Siem Reap the beating heart of Cambodia. The ruins of Angkor and the seat of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th–15th centuries are captivating from every angle. The World Heritage site is vast as it is complex, and one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.
Back to my love affair.
It all began last year with my first visit to the award-winning hotel The Siam in Bangkok. My hotel stay there will remain in my mind forever because I was so won over by the friendly staff, loved the fabulous hotel design and endlessly fascinating treasure trove of antiques. Everything about this hotel pulled me in. The impressive artwork, eclectic movie and record collections, the richly coloured fabrics and plush furniture, the tropical indoor garden and lofty ceilings all had me enthralled. Situated alongside the Chao Praya River, The Siam also includes historic buildings, an open-air courtyard and stupendous swimming pool. The staff was also supremely welcoming from the General Manager Nick Downing to the hotel manager Nawee Wattanasongsuit and Executive Chef Blair Mathieson. There was simply nothing not to love.
Who created this heavenly place? I soon learned that The Siam was the brainchild and vision of its owner, Thai actor and musician Krissada Sukosol Clapps and the Sukosol family and designer Bill Bensley. My interest in Bensley grew from there. Bensley, who lives in Bangkok, is famous for being a landscape architect, architect, and interior designer and according to Wikipedia has designed over 200 hospitality projects in 50 countries.
During my short stay, I learned more about this man, Bill Bensley. I even started following him on Instagram. Then, The Siam’s hotel manager Nick Downing encouraged me to visit Siem Reap and experience Angkor Wat before the area became filled with tourists – and in particular, to stay at Shinta Mani Angkor and Bensley Collection Pool Villas. This boutique hotel suddenly soared straight to the top of my bucket list.
Thank you Nick!
One year later, my limousine pulls up outside this boutique luxury hotel and I’m greeted by the smiling faces of the Cambodian staff wearing Bill Bensley’s signature uniform, a fabulous mix of tartan pants with a white shirt and khaki vest.
A recent review of the hotel showed me, I’m not the only one who has fallen in love with everything designed by Bensley. It read: “Even if you’re not aware you’re into architecture, you can’t help but be impressed by the Bill Bensley design of this hotel – the ceiling height, sleek lines, muted whites and greys, black tiled swimming pool (so cool), doorways reminiscent of Angkor Wat temple doors (you’ll see the resemblance as soon as you go to Angkor Wat) and the cool marble corridors, with lotus flowers placed on pedestals in bowls, petals so neatly folded by a group of women daily.”
Indeed there is an explosion of flowers everywhere. Flower displays have always caught my attention because they are such a wonderful form of creative expression. Here, the crimson lotus is formed into works of art and installations throughout the hotel.
The Bayon Executive Suite
Next, I’m enter my room and my breath is taken away. Easily one of the most fabulous hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed in, and a perfect example of Bill Bensley’s masterful designs. Take the way the bedroom (pictured below) features such a bold mix of large and smaller modern paintings and sculptures, the placement of textured rugs, and vintage luggage assembled at the end of the bed reminding you of a bygone era of decadent and romantic luxury travel. Bensley is someone who excels at blending the old and the new, featuring modern lighting with Art Deco lamps so that when you walk into any of his rooms it’s like walking into an Art Gallery because you have to stop and look at everything before your eyes.
Situated on the second floor, The Bayon Executive Suite is inspired by the Khmer style. The focal point of the spacious and elegant living room is a bright orange and black striped sofa and chairs placed on a black and white geometrical shaped rug. Decorative flourishes include an old radio which looks like it hailed from the French Colonial era.
Throughout the Suite, there are captivating black and white photographs of the nearby World Heritage listed temples, which even appear in the bathroom. Painted in a warm ochre colours with white tiles, there’s nothing sterile about the bathroom unlike many hotels I’ve frequented.
The lavish Suite, 94 square metres in size, also includes a balcony with street views. The street view is more alluring than normal as I’ve unexpectedly but delightfully timed my stay during the Cambodian New Year celebrations. This is where you really experience the kind, generous and fun nature of the Cambodian people.
Not quite knowing what to expect on this day which generally falls on the 13th or 14th of April, I discover that the festival is usually held for three consecutive days. and marks the end of the harvest before the beginning of the rainy season.
The hotel invites guests in the morning to watch traditional Cambodian dancers, and make a donation to those less fortunate. For most Cambodians, it is a time of giving and both the young and older members of the community would visit temples during the New Year period to make their offerings.
The ritual is believed to bring longevity and prosperity in life to Cambodian people. This is why Songkran, as the festival is known, is marked by pouring water because it symbolizes ‘cleansing, reverence and good fortune’. Other activities include spraying water on family and friends which is why even during dry season and at the hottest time of year, the streets are awash with water.
Treating us like family, the Shinta Mani team invite me and other guests to join in on the festivities, one of which is balancing clay pots on your head and racing from one point to the other without spilling the water inside. Oum Chanra, the hotel’s Executive Assistant Manager, had the poise and balance to manage this perfectly. She even held the pot on her head and performed a traditional dance.
Community spirit is in abundance here, and an incredibly important aspect of staying at the hotel is that it enables funds to be channelled into the local community via the Shinta Mani Foundation, which includes a programme that lets guests meet locals from rural Cambodia and discover more about the work it is doing to empower the locals to build sustainable livelihoods through vocational training programmes, particularly in hotels. Another key focus of the Foundation is to preserve Cambodia’s precious wildlife and protect its forest from logging.
Bensley himself is heavily invested in the work of the Shinta Mani Foundation and he donates many of his paintings, prints and even his signature denim jackets to be sold in the Gallery alongside the hotel and much of his time to help fund the Foundation.
As a conscious consumer, there is something deeply satisfying about the emerging trend for ethical and sustainable luxury travel, and Shinta Mani Angkor and Bensley Collection Pool Villas is a shining example of what can be achieved. Since its establishment in 2004, the Foundation has made huge strides in education, health, and environmental preservation.
Knowing this makes my stay all the more special, and since my return I’ve been encouraging everyone to visit Shinta Mani Angkor and Bensley Collection Pool Villas, and be another member of Bensley’s fan club. Just like The Siam in Bangkok, it is a hotel that leaves you with lasting memories and a deep desire to return.
Find out more about Shinta Mani Angkor and Bensley Collection Pool Villas below:
