Terres Rouges Lodge

The room's decor was pretty decent, but $85 felt overpriced for old, rusty facilities. The bigger issue was the management and staff. The general manager was easily the rudest, most immature, and most unprofessional person I've encountered. Most of the staff had the same attitude, though a few offered only the bare minimum of customer service. It felt like a family-run business staffed by unqualified people. I won't come back. Avoid the place unless you enjoy dealing with terrible management.

The whole stay felt like a nightmare, and this isn't even everything that went wrong. We paid $85 a night for multiple rooms and felt like we were begging whenever we made a small request. The hotel rejected every little thing. I only expected basic respect and customer service, not royal treatment. I kept quiet at checkout to avoid a fight, but the general manager still made snide remarks at me. I don't know what her problem was with our team, or how she became a general manager in what seemed like a family-run business where nearly every staff member was unprofessional. Our large group's check-in was badly handled. Instead of helping, the general manager stood on the porch complaining about us where everyone could see, even though her team's incompetence was the problem. She didn't greet us or smile, and the welcome drinks were left on a tray for us to find ourselves. It felt like she was there just for decoration, and even decorations have a purpose. Customer service was abysmal throughout. The receptionist demanded payment before we'd properly checked out, and the restaurant guy complained about us right in front of us. Every moment at the hotel felt awful.

The grounds were a real asset, with lovely lawns, gardens, and statues, and the large pool with sunlounges looked nice. The property is opposite the lake, though, and there's a lot of noise and activity there at night. It disturbed the rooms and restaurant, with loud dance music late at night and deep bass from sub-wolfers. During the day a guy rides around with a portable speaker blasting music, sometimes starting between 8 and 9am. The noise outside isn't under their control, and it may get worse with a zipline under construction. Staff were all polite, friendly, and efficient. Management was rarely around. My only interaction with them was when I was told I'd been given a more expensive room than I paid for, and they graciously let me keep it. They hadn't told the staff I was arriving, which made things awkward and confusing even though I'd paid a deposit in advance. Finding parking was confusing too, since there were no signs to the designated area around the corner on another road. I had to ride onto the path and park outside reception, then go in to ask, leaving my dog and luggage briefly unattended. The junior suite was spacious, with air conditioning that dripped water and a ceiling fan, but the lighting was poor. There was no TV despite it being advertised in the compendium, and no minibar fridge. They want guests to use the bar, where a Coke Light costs USD2.50, compared with USD0.50 less than 100 metres away. They also say no outside food or drinks are allowed. The private bathroom was very spacious, with an alfresco-style rain shower and a huge stone bath. The bath only had cold water because there wasn't nearly enough hot water for it. The storage heater had enough for a good shower, but not a bath. Cleanliness was okay, though I questioned it after finding a rusty shaver that looked like it came from a shop packet. There was a nice verandah around the room with a couple of sitting areas, but ants were an annoyance. The pool is 15M x 7.5M, but a few water-borne insects harassed me and made me wonder how well its chemistry is maintained. The upstairs restaurant is large and offers a decent range of cuisines, with good food quality. Prices were high and portions small, except the salads, which were a decent size. The rate felt expensive for the comfort offered. The beds were very hard, and a mattress topper would have made them more bearable for the price. I even tried using the couch's long base pillow, but that didn't help. The room was spacious, air-conditioned, and had a ceiling fan, but comfort and quality need to match the premium price.

The daily rate was reasonable, and the staff were friendly, professional, and helpful. During my four-night stay I only ordered Khmer dishes, and the food was great. The restaurant had an amazing open setting where I could enjoy my meal while looking at the lake. I hadn't expected such a nice environment right next to a lake. The room was a good size and very nice and clean. The walls were thin, TV reception didn't work, and there were a few bugs, friendly or otherwise. Still, I'll definitely come back.