Laying the foundation for prosperity at Siem Reap's Shinta Mani Hotels

In the leafy French Quarter of Siem Reap between the Royal Gardens and the Old Market area, Shinta Mani Angkor and the Bensley Collection Pool Villas are just footsteps from the river and 15 minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage Temples of Angkor Wat.

And while the upscale property oozes sophistication and style, there’s more to this place than meets the eye.

Not only is it an ultra luxurious place to stay, the boutique hotel exists to support the wider Cambodian community through the Shinta Mani Foundation.

Founded by Cambodian businessman and philanthropist Sokoun Chanpreda, the Shinta Mani Foundation first started out as a hospitality school in Siem Reap in 2004. This innovative program, which received international recognition for its efforts, trained underprivileged Cambodians in all aspects of world-class hotel operations on a free of charge basis — providing them the skills to secure employment and to enjoy a brighter future.

Since then, the foundation has matured into a multi-faceted champion of social good, and is a recognised not-for-profit organisation in Cambodia. Today, the foundation continues to train locals in hospitality while focusing on empowering families through a number of educational, health and development programs, and micro-financed opportunities for interested, qualified individuals.

For Sokoun, the Shinta Mani Foundation is something he is exceptionally proud of and he hopes it will continue for many years to come.

“It always makes me feel proud when I meet people from the foundation alumni who are working at a well-known international hotel or restaurant,” Sokoun says.

“They always come up and thank me for the opportunity they received from the training our foundation provided. Not only has it allowed them to find employment in the hospitality industry, but it means they can also send their brothers or sisters to school as well.

“I hope the foundation will continue to identify the needs of our local community and do its part to meet those needs for many more years to come.”

Charting the course for a brighter future

For Sokoun, who fled Cambodia as a child in 1970 when the civil war broke out, his drive to succeed in business is just as strong as his want to do good.

Having only ever really known Thailand as his home, Sokoun made the decision to return to Cambodia in the early 1990s as part of a humanitarian effort to help the desolated in Phnom Penh. At the time, Cambodia was only just opening up after decades of war and the Khmer Rouge genocide, which wiped out a generation of leaders, teachers and intellectuals.

“The entire country was at ground zero, so much needed to be done,” Sokoun says.

Once he saw the possibilities Cambodia harboured, Sokoun decided to stay and start a construction company. Not long after, his fate as a hotelier came into form when he was asked to revamp one of Siem Reap’s most famous hotels, Hotel De La Paix.

With an innate desire to help others, Sokoun saw this as an opportunity to involve local Cambodians in the building process and improve their quality of life. At the same time, he was introduced to the legendary hotel architect and interior designer Bill Bensley, who Sokoun eventually asked to design the entire hotel.

When the hotel opened, everyone was blown away by its design, and even more surprised that local Cambodian people brought it to life. Not only did it see Sokoun and Bill form a business partnership that still stands today, but it made Sokoun want to build a brand with Cambodian people at its core, which is exactly what the Shinta Mani brand is.

Today, Shinta Mani Hotels fully support the Shinta Mani Foundation, with 100 per cent of all donations providing direct assistance to underprivileged Cambodians. So, when you choose to stay at any Shinta Mani Hotel, you are already contributing to the development of Cambodia.

Siem Reap ready to welcome tourists back

Like many countries around the world, the impact of the pandemic was harshly felt in Cambodia, especially in a city like Siem Reap, where its economy relies almost exclusively on tourism. However, as the situation slowly starts to improve, Sokoun says the city is ready to welcome tourists back.

“If you’ve visited Cambodia before COVID-19, please visit again,” he says. “Over the past two years, the country’s infrastructure has been further developed.

“The whole of Siem Reap has new roads with fibre-optic cable ready for 5G technology. People cannot wait to welcome Australians back, you will be treated like royalty.”

Marrying luxury hospitality with philanthropy, Sokoun says guests get treated like royalty. At the moment, those travelling to Siem Reap in Cambodia and staying at Shinta Mani Angkor and Bensley Collection Pool Villas, can book a package from $845 (US$599) per night that includes a large villa with a private pool, separate bedroom and bathroom pavilions and a rooftop sky lounge, butler service, breakfasts, transfers, massage for two, cooking class for two, daily laundry and other benefits.

shintamani.com or email book@shintamani.com

For more information about the Shinta Mani Foundation: shintamanifoundation.org