Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, the iconic luxury heritage hotel on the doorstep of ancient Khmer archeological sites in Cambodia, has unveiled an immersive new ‘Path of History’ tour featuring rare photographs, video footage, architectural drawings, and other vintage artefacts that highlight a golden age of travel in Southeast Asia.
The permanent exhibition at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap is complemented by a new history book by authors Andreas and Carola Augustin. A Tale of Two Hotels – Raffles in Cambodia showcases the property alongside Raffles Hotel Le Royal, its sister property in Phnom Penh, while chronicling an era of globe-trotting explorers and thrilling discoveries.
The ‘Grand Path of History’ tour and book both trace the early boom years (1900-1940) of international travel, when passengers boarded steamships bound for the East and the first aircraft took to the skies. It is a story of true pioneers, like the Sarkies brothers in Singapore, whose Raffles brand has epitomised luxury travel for nearly 140 years.
The 160-page book, full of colourful photographs and available in hardcover and paperback, brings readers into Cambodia’s two grandest hotels, Hotel Le Royal and Grand Hotel d’Angkor, and recounts the country’s determined efforts to promote its rich cultural heritage abroad, from the Royal Ballet of Cambodia’s striking debut in Paris at the start of the 20th century to Hollywood actor Charlie Chaplin’s visits to Le Royal and Angkor Wat.
The ‘Grand Path of History’ tour will be available to in-house guests only, with guided visits led by a Raffles historian. The exhibit was curated by Andreas and Carola Augustin.
“We are delighted and honoured to showcase a seminal early period of international travel, when visitors from around the world first discovered the wonders of Cambodia. Our new ‘Grand Path of History’ tour chronicles this story alongside that of Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, whose illustrious 96-year past intertwines with those pioneering arrivals,” said Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor General Manager Joseph Colina.
Dagmar Lyons, General Manager of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, added: “Andreas Augustin’s new book, A Tale of Two Hotels – Raffles in Cambodia, illuminates not only a remarkable chapter in history but also its enduring connection to two of the world’s most iconic hotels. Our properties in Cambodia – Raffles Hotel Le Royal and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor – are historic gems, each with its own extraordinary story.”
Preserving this legacy today, the two Raffles hotels in Cambodia continue to set the benchmark for luxury travel in the region.
Raffles Hotel Le Royal, which originally opened in 1929, today features 175 rooms and suites that underwent a full refurbishment as part of a meticulous one-year restoration project in 2019. The hotel’s elegant past has been reinterpreted in a bold, contemporary style that is inspired by French colonial, Khmer and Art Deco influences.
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor opened in 1932 as a rest stop for archeologists and adventurers exploring the ancient kingdom of Angkor Wat. The hotel features an authentic expression of 1930s French Art Deco style with beautifully refined rooms, suites and villas blending old-world charm with Cambodian influences and contemporary detail.
The two properties were among just 10 hotels in Cambodia to be recognised with MICHELIN Keys in the MICHELIN Guide’s inaugural edition in the Southeast Asian country last year. Raffles Hotel Le Royal, in a separate major honour, was voted the No. 2 hotel in Southeast Asia in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2025.
The two Raffles Cambodia hotels came together last year to unveil an exclusive new 7-day stay package, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, billed as ‘a journey like no other, where grand history, enchanted glamour and extraordinary adventure entwine’. This seamless multi-city journey perfectly complements the new historical offerings.
