Saravoan Hotel Kep

“Loved this place so much I stayed longer!”

I booked for 2 nights and stayed for a week as I really enjoyed the lovely Saravoan Hotel. I had a room at the top with excellent views over the bay. Sunrise was amazing to watch in the mornings. The staff were really great and the pool was clean and well attended. There is a bar for evening c… more

I booked for 2 nights and stayed for a week as I really enjoyed the lovely Saravoan Hotel. I had a room at the top with excellent views over the bay. Sunrise was amazing to watch in the mornings. The staff were really great and the pool was clean and well attended. There is a bar for evening cocktails that did excellent margaritas and the food was really varied and good. The place had lots of character and is ran with love.

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“Honestly, get to breakfast before 7:40 am because once a few customers are there, the service gets worse.”

The Saravoan-Kep Hotel is very popular with YouTubers and before going there, I viewed reviews of it by no less than three YouTube influencers. However, unlike them, I did not tell the staff that I write reviews and I did not get any kickbacks for writing this. This is my honest opinion based on my… more

The Saravoan-Kep Hotel is very popular with YouTubers and before going there, I viewed reviews of it by no less than three YouTube influencers. However, unlike them, I did not tell the staff that I write reviews and I did not get any kickbacks for writing this. This is my honest opinion based on my own experiences. Keep reading until the end because the last one is a zinger. Ok, so we’re outside of Phnom Penh for one thing, which means that some things get more relaxed, and other things are not available. The Saravoan also sits right on Kep Beach, so this is one of the main reasons you are probably staying there. You can literally step out of the hotel, cross the road, and you’re on the beach. I also stayed in a Superior Double Room with a gorgeous view of the ocean, and I would often sit on my veranda, or stand near the glass doors enjoying the vast expanse of the ocean, and the surrounding islands. We stayed there for five nights, which was probably too long. By this time, we’d eaten all the different kinds of street food, and tried the local restaurants. The array of seafood is impressive but by the end of it, I was craving a ham sandwich just from something different. The first thing you’ll notice about the Saravoan is the stairs, especially if you have to carry your own bags, which I did some of the way. We were on the third floor, which meant walking up and down the stairs all the time, and I carried our bags down the stairs when we were checking out. This place is not for those who are mobility impaired. The room itself is a bit of a concrete box but the view is spectacular. You are asked not to leave food on the veranda because it will attract the monkeys. Also, you should not leave your veranda door open because the monkeys will get inside and make a mess. We saw monkeys at the hotel, and heard them fighting on the roof, which was cool but it is definitely something you need to be wary of. The pool was very small. You can swim laps but it is not very wide, so if anyone else hops in the pool and is not swimming laps as well, you can forget about using it for exercise. The doors are not sealed, and there are no mosquito screens. We did not have a problem with mosquitoes when we were there for the New Year. Only a thin piece of metal keeps the veranda door locked, something that could be opened easily by a determined cat-burglar but there was a security safe box in the room as well. Honestly, they would be better off to provide half a broom handle to stop the sliding glass door from opening. It would help with the monkeys as well. Then there was the mystery of the hand towels. They appeared on day two not on any other day. Hand towels seem to be a hit-and-miss affair in every hotel that I have stayed in in Cambodia. And of course, no hooks are provided to hang them close to the bathroom sink. The ceiling was not sealed, you could look into the ceiling space, which was also lit for from some strange reason. The beds were a little flat and uncomfortable. Not a deal-breaker but noticeable. Ok, I’ve made you wait long enough, its time to talk about the breakfast and the rude waitress. Breakfast involves choosing something from the menu and most of it is a bit bland. The bacon and eggs comes with only one rash of bacon. In fact, everything the restaurant makes suffers from the same problem – its overpriced and the portions are small. I found myself channelling my inner Hobbit and thinking about Second Breakfast, and there is a café close by that you can get a pastry from. Getting a second coffee was a major ordeal. If you only asked for coffee, you would not get any milk. Sometimes, they did not have enough to go around – as if a daily breakfast came as a surprise to them and they forgot to make the coffee. Some days, I gave up and just had one coffee before going to the café or making a second one in my room. When I asked for a second coffee the staff were obviously not pleased and did not try to hide it. Other people commented on their facial expressions being so rude. She was obviously dissatisfied with her job and played with her phone a lot rather than looking after customers. Would I go back? Probably for the view, but there are other newly constructed hotels in the area now that will provide some much-needed competition. Kep is going to become increasingly popular as foreigners discover this area as more than a one-day trip from Kampot. When that happens, more businesses will open and there will be other options. I’d probably try one of them instead as once might be enough.

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“Needs renovation but excellent service”

I had a sea view room and it was amazing. Just be careful with monkeys as they visit the balcony. It’s neither sunrise or sunset facing. Room was OK for the price with toiletries, coffee and free bottled water included.