Battambang's BEST Hotel? Capital Battambang Review!
Battambang's BEST Hotel? Capital Battambang Review! (Prepare for Fireworks… and Maybe a Few Fumbles!)
Okay, people, buckle up. We're diving headfirst into the swirling, sometimes chaotic, world of Battambang hospitality, and the target tonight is the Capital Battambang Hotel. This isn't your dry, robotic travel blogger review. This is the unvarnished truth, sprinkled with a healthy dose of my (your humble reviewer) brand of crazy. So, let's get messy!
First Impressions: Accessibility & Cleanliness… The Essential Stuff (and the Panic Attacks They Avoided!)
Look, I'm a sucker for well-maintained, clean spaces. Call it a germaphobe thing. Battambang gets dusty, folks. So, cleanliness is HUGE. Capital Battambang knocked it out of the park. I mean, the place SHONE. And, in these precarious pandemic times, that's reassuring. They're clearly taking it seriously. Kudos for the anti-viral cleaning products, daily disinfection in common areas, and the rooms sanitized between stays. I'm a fan of the hand sanitizer stations dotted around – because sometimes, you just need a spritz, you know? They also offer room sanitization opt-out available which is a nice touch, for anyone who doesn’t have OCD like myself.
Regarding accessibility: They do offer facilities for disabled guests, which is HUGE for inclusivity. I didn't need it personally, but the presence alone is a massive plus. Elevator? YES! The building itself is easy to navigate, which is a HUGE plus.
Accessibility Rating: Solid A! (Happy sighs of relief from the hygiene-obsessed).
The Covid-Era Tango: Safety Measures & Peace of Mind
Let's be brutally honest, the lingering shadow of Covid hangs over everything. Capital Battambang gets this. They're not just paying lip service to safety; they're doing the damn thing. I witnessed the staff trained in safety protocol, they’re rocking the physical distancing of at least 1 meter, and their safe dining setup makes you feel comfortable enough to eat without constantly glancing sideways, wondering if someone's sneeze might be headed your way. They also do cashless payment service, just in case you're avoiding those grubby, communal bank notes (I know I am!).
Safety Rating: A+, because peace of mind is priceless (especially when you’re trying exotic Cambodian dishes).
The Room: A Sanctuary (Unless You're a Light-Sensitive Freak like Me!)
Okay, let's talk rooms. My room (thankfully) offered everything imaginable: Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes (YES!), Blackout curtains (HALLELUJAH!), Coffee/tea maker (essential for a morning grump like me), Free bottled water, a Fridge for keeping some of those glorious Cambodian beers perfectly chilled, Hair dryer, In-room safe box, Internet access - wireless, Mirror, Non-smoking, Reading light, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Sofa, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], and Window that opens.
The room was comfortable, spacious, and mostly well-appointed. The blackout curtains were a godsend. Battambang sun is BRUTAL. My only real gripe was the lighting. It felt a little…glaring sometimes. More ambient lighting options would have elevated the whole experience.
Room Rating: A- (Lighting needs a hug, but overall, a sanctuary!)
Dining & Drinking: Feed Me, Seymour! (And Keep Those Cocktails Coming!)
Alright, food! This is where I get really excited. Capital Battambang delivers on the culinary front. The restaurants are a treat. You can choose from a A la carte in restaurant, Asian cuisine in restaurant, International cuisine in restaurant, and Vegetarian restaurant, which is incredibly thoughtful. Breakfast [buffet] was a glorious spread, with everything from fresh fruit to the obligatory (and delicious!) Asian options. I devoured the Asian breakfast; it was heavenly! Coffee/tea in restaurant was on point, which is necessary for those early starts.
The poolside bar is a must. Imagine this: glorious pool, a frosty cocktail in hand (their happy hour is a lifesaver!), and the Cambodian heat gently nudging you into a state of blissful relaxation.
Dining Rating: A. The food was outstanding; the cocktails, even more so.
Spa & Relaxation: Finding My Inner Zen (After the Cocktail!)
They definitely have a lot on offer when it comes to relaxing: Body scrub, Body wrap, Foot bath, Massage, Pool with view, Sauna, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor].
I booked a massage (because, self-care!), and it was divine. The therapist was skilled, and the atmosphere was tranquil. The pool with a view? A gorgeous sight, and I think I may have spent all my free time floating around, with a cocktail in hand.
Relaxation Rating: A+. A haven of tranquility.
Services & Conveniences: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference
Capital Battambang excels at the nitty-gritty stuff. They have Air conditioning in public area, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Contactless check-in/out, Currency exchange, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Meetings, Safety deposit boxes, and Taxi service. From the friendly concierge to the efficient housekeeping, everything ran like a well-oiled machine. The Wi-Fi for special events, Xerox/fax in business center, Food delivery, and Invoice provided shows they’re capable of catering to all types of clients.
Service Rating: A. Efficient, friendly, and genuinely helpful.
Things to Do Nearby
Battambang itself has so much to do such as the Battambang Bamboo Train!
Overall Impression: Is It Worth the Hype?
Yes. Absolutely. Capital Battambang offers a fantastic blend of comfort, convenience, and Cambodian charm. The cleanliness, the safety protocols, the delicious food, and the relaxing spa make it a top choice. And if you want to be close to everything, there’s loads of Getting around options available so you’re never left out!
The Quirks?
- Lighting! (Still banging on about it!).
- Sometimes the staff speaks limited English, but they make up for it in enthusiasm.
- The pool could get a bit crowded at peak times.
Would I Go Back?
In a heartbeat. Capital Battambang delivered a memorable experience.
Final Verdict: A firm, enthusiastic A-. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Battambang.
Compelling Offer for Capital Battambang:
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- Convenience at Your Fingertips: From airport transfers to currency exchange, we've got you covered.
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Don't just visit Battambang – experience it. Choose Capital Battambang. Your perfect escape awaits!
Drury Inn Terre Haute: Unbeatable Deals & Free Perks Await!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into my Battambang adventure, and let me tell you, it’s going to be less “polished travel brochure” and more “drunken diary entry discovered years later, filled with questionable choices and existential crises.” Buckle up. This is raw, baby.
Battambang: Capital of…Well, Let's Find Out! (And Hopefully Not Get Eaten by a Rat)
Hotel: Capital Battambang Hotel (Because, let’s be honest, the name screams "budget-friendly and centrally located.” Pray for me.)
Day 1: Arrival, Delusions of Grandeur, and Dodging Motorbikes
Morning (7:00 AM - 10:00 AM): Arrival. Flight from… somewhere irrelevant. Airport pickup pre-arranged (thank GOODNESS, because I'm already sweating and haven’t even left the air-conditioned bubble). Taxi ride to the hotel. First impressions? Battambang smells…different. A mix of incense, exhaust fumes, and something cooking that I really hope isn't dog. The Capital Battambang looks…adequate. The lobby is gloriously air-conditioned and smells suspiciously of cleaning product. I’m already calculating how many beers I can budget into today.
Mid-Morning (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Hotel check-in. Room: clean, a/c works (HALLELUJAH!), view of…a brick wall. Okay, expectations managed. Quick unpack, then a frantic search for the actual hotel pool (it's a real thing, right?!). Turns out, it’s a glorified kiddie pool. My dreams of languid poolside afternoons are, sadly, dashed.
Lunch (12:00 PM - 1:30 PM): Wandering aimlessly in the Battambang heat. Finding a place called "The Coconut Tree” (because, duh). Ordered Amok (apparently the national dish) and a local beer. Amok was…interesting. Kind of like a curried fish stew, but with a mysterious green paste that could be anything from cilantro to crushed up bugs. I took a swig or two. The beer helped. The heat was…unbearable. I was starting to feel a little delusional.
Afternoon (1:30 PM - 4:00 PM): Afternoon adventure and the motorbike hellscape. Thinking I'm intrepid now, I rent a moto from a nearby vendor and almost immediately regretted it. The traffic here is a free-for-all. Motorbikes are EVERYWHERE, weaving, honking, and generally behaving like they have a death wish. Every street crossing felt like a near-death experience. I spent a solid hour just trying to get my bearings. "Oh, look, it's a temple! Oh god, is that a chicken? DON'T RUN ME OVER! I'M JUST A TOURIST!" I nearly gave up and walked.
Late Afternoon: (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM): A visit to the Wat Ek Phnom ruins. The temple ruins were great, actually. Seeing the crumbling ruins of the temple and imagining what it must have been like centuries ago was pretty cool, but the entire time, I kept having an image of a bunch of monkeys swinging from the crumbling stone. Still, I was able to take a few good pictures, and it was less crowded than I thought which was a plus.
Evening (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM): Dinner at a riverside restaurant (trying to escape the motorbike madness). I ordered something called "spicy Khmer noodles" and a local beer. The noodles were… well, let's just say they lived up to the "spicy" part. So spicy, in fact, I was sweating more than I had all day, I suspect I may have also cried a little bit. Watched the sunset, trying to pretend I wasn't secretly terrified of all the things moving in the dark river.
Night (9:00 PM - Bedtime): Back to the Capital Battambang. Did a thorough mosquito check. Spent an hour reading a trashy novel (because I earned it). The A/C hummed, the city outside roared, and I felt utterly… exhausted. Already dreaming of cold water, and a room service breakfast.
Day 2: Killing Fields, Bamboo Trains, and "Oh My God, I'm Actually Doing This" Moments
Morning (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM): Breakfast at hotel (the same cleaning product scent is still present). Ate a sad croissant and drank terrible coffee. Feeling a deep sense of existential dread about the day ahead.
Morning (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM): The Killing Cave and Bat Cave (because apparently, a day of lighthearted sightseeing is out of the question). This was…hard. Seriously, emotionally challenging. Hearing the stories, seeing the physical evidence of the Khmer Rouge regime…it’s a punch in the gut. Felt the heavy weight of history. Came out feeling…numb. Afterwards, I took a walk in the jungle hoping to distract myself from the heavy feelings. It didn't work.
Lunch (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM): I'm starving, but can't stomach anything fancy. Ate noodles in a local cafe.
Afternoon (1:00 PM - 4:00 PM): The infamous Bamboo Train. Okay, this was actually fun. Imagine a rickety platform powered by a lawnmower engine, rattling along old train tracks. A pure adrenaline rush. Wind in my hair, sunshine on my face, and a genuine "OH MY GOD, I'M ACTUALLY DOING THIS" moment. Saw some rice paddies, waved at local kids, and briefly considered buying a chicken on the side of the road. Did not.
Late Afternoon (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM): Back in town, and attempting to find some peace after the emotionally draining morning. Wandering the market, even though I don't need anything. Buying a dodgy smoothie that probably shouldn't have been consumed.
Evening (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM): Dinner al fresco (because I still need to experience more). A decent place for Khmer food, complete with local beer. Conversation with a few fellow travelers. Made plans to connect later.
Night (9:00 PM - Bedtime): A few more beers at a bar, and conversation. Back to Capital Battambang. I'm more tired today. Thoughts of home, and the real world, now seem so far away…
Day 3: Goodbye, Battambang… and the Quest for Laundry
Morning (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM): Final breakfast at the hotel. Saying goodbye to the cleaning product smell. Packing. Debating whether to bring home souvenirs…or just throw everything away and start fresh.
Morning (9:00 AM - 11:00 AM): Laundry quest! (the most important thing). Battambang doesn’t have a lot of laundromats, apparently. I finally find one, hoping they can rescue my increasingly pungent travel clothes. Note to self: pack more underwear next time.
Mid-Day (11:00 AM - 12:00PM): Last-minute souvenir shopping (mostly for my mom), and a final walk around the central market, because I have to see it.
Lunch (12:00 PM - 1:00 PM): Final lunch at a local restaurant (again, Amok!).
Afternoon (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Saying farewell to the hotel, and getting ready for my trip to the next destination.
Final Thoughts: Battambang. It was… intense. Beautiful. Uncomfortable. I loved it. I hated it. And I'd go back in a heartbeat.
This, my friends, is the truth, and the unvarnished version. Embrace the mess!
Jayshrea Meadows: Chandrapur's Hidden Paradise? Unbelievable Views!
Okay, so, *is* the Capital Battambang the BEST hotel in Battambang? (And seriously, can you even *trust* online reviews?)
Alright, alright, let's get this elephant out of the room. BEST? Look, 'best' is a slippery little eel. Depends on what you value, right? If you're after five-star glitz and a butler named Jeeves, you’re in the wrong province. Compared to the other options I saw, and trust me, I SCOURED the internet (and the dusty streets!), the Capital Battambang is… well, it's *up there*. I'd say it’s probably the safest bet. Trusting online reviews? HAHAHA! You can’t. They’re either sponsored, written by robots, or by people who seem to have only eaten hotel food their entire lives. I rely on my own gut, my tolerance for questionable plumbing, and the overall 'vibe'. Capital Battambang had a good vibe, a decent shower, and an actual usable air conditioner, which in Battambang heat, is worth its weight in gold.
Let's talk specifics. The rooms? Spacious? Cramped? Do they have... *bugs*? (I HATE bugs.)
Okay, truth time. The room I got – and I’m guessing they vary – was… fine. Not palatial, but it had a good-sized bed, which is essential after a day wrestling with tuk-tuk drivers and dodging rogue chickens. Spacious enough. Now, the bug situation... Look, you're in Cambodia. Bugs are part of the deal. But the Capital Battambang wasn't *swarming*. I saw a couple of geckos (they're the good guys!), a determined ant or two, and… alright, here’s the truth bomb: I saw a COCKROACH. This was on my first night. Freaked me out, yes. I’M NOT A FAN. But, on the positive side, it was only one, and it was a *relatively small* cockroach. And it didn't reappear. Maybe it just hated my company. Or maybe, and this is important, the staff seems to do a pretty good job of keeping things clean-ish. I’d bring bug spray regardless of the hotel, just saying.
And the pool? Is it actually *swimmable*? Because some hotel pools… ugh.
THE POOL. Okay, this is where the Capital Battambang actually *shines*. It's not HUGE, but it's clean, inviting, and absolutely essential after a day exploring the bamboo train (which you HAVE to do, by the way – it's hilarious and terrifying in equal measure!). Seriously, the pool was one of the main reasons I booked this hotel. It was crystal clear, and the temperature was perfect. I spent hours in there, just floating, watching the sunset, and trying to forget the logistical nightmare of getting back to the airport. They have enough loungers, and the bar is conveniently close. Bonus points for the pool. Huge bonus points. I'd swim in that pool again. Honestly, it might have been the best part of my entire trip. Maybe. Okay, probably.
Breakfast? What's the food situation? I heard Cambodian breakfast can be… interesting. (And I like my coffee.)
Breakfast... This is where my memory gets a little hazy, because I was generally fueled by copious amounts of caffeine. The breakfast buffet was… decent. Standard hotel fare. Eggs (cooked any way you like), toast, fruit, some Cambodian options (which I bravely, and sometimes regretfully, tried). The coffee... was not the best. But, again, you're in Cambodia! It's hit or miss everywhere. Pack some instant coffee if you're a snob like me. Overall, it wasn't a culinary masterpiece BUT, it was free and filled my stomach, which is really all I ask for before a day of temples and tuk-tuk rides. Think of it as fuel for adventure, not a Michelin-star experience.
Location, location, location! Is the Capital Battambang in a good spot? Easy to get around?
Okay, this is a big win for the Capital Battambang. It's *perfectly* located. Close-ish to the river, close-ish to the market, and close-ish to the main drag with restaurants. You can walk to a lot of things. Or, even better, grab a tuk-tuk, which are plentiful and cheap. Seriously, getting around Battambang is super easy. The hotel staff can help arrange transportation if needed, but frankly, just flag one down on the street – it's part of the fun!
The staff? Friendly? Helpful? Do they try to sell you stuff constantly?
The staff... they were fantastic! Super friendly, helpful, and not pushy at all. They didn’t try to sell me on tours I didn’t need. They spoke decent English (a huge plus!), and they were always smiling. Seriously, the staff made a huge difference. They were genuinely welcoming, and they really made me feel like I was looked after. They helped me with everything from calling a tuk-tuk to figuring out the best route to the bat caves which, by the way, are AMAZING. The staff, they honestly made the Capital Battambang feel more like a home than some sterile hotel.
Would you stay there again? Be honest!
YES. Absolutely, without hesitation. Despite the rogue cockroach sighting (which, again, was a very small one!), the Capital Battambang was a great choice. It’s clean-ish, the pool is glorious, the staff are amazing, and the location is perfect. It’s not the fanciest hotel in the world, but it’s comfortable, convenient, and it provides a genuine sense of place. For the price, and for what you get, it's a solid, solid choice. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Just, you know, maybe pack extra bug spray.
