Why One?

The One Hotel really was an accident, completely unplanned. After working at Shinta Mani for about six months it was easy to Siem Reap was just beginning to take off as a tourist destination. From about 1.1 million tourist arrivals in 2004 to more than 2 million in 2007, Angkor Wat is a wonderful new destination. My original thought in 2004 was that there were more than 1 million visitors and no gay bar in the city. Being gay myself, I listened to visiting friends say, "Where can we go out?" It did not take a mathematical genius to figure out there was demand. So, with that in mind I asked a friend who had a bar on Pub Street and he knew of a place nearby that was for rent. Located on a small little alley was a nice space with two rooms opening outwards. The space was a family residence but they were ready to cash in an move out. At that time there were only three other businesses on the street but, given its location between the Old Market and Pub Street it was an ideal alternative location.

The alley back then:



But truly, I just wanted to make a fun bar, relaxed atmosphere with fantastic cocktails and a place where everyone was welcome. We achieved that beyond our wildest dreams with a huge opening night on 12 November, 2004. Actually, I did not really invite anyone as we wanted to have a nice slow start, get organized and do some training. But, word got out and we were mobbed that night. It seems everyone knew Linga Bar was opening and wanted to come and show their support. We were not ready for the crush and ran out of almost everything but it was a great start. And in our first year of business I jokingly say we were a failure as a gay bar since 60% of our customers were straight. Never did I think that Linga would be covered in the New York Times (twice!). About the name Linga, it really is a cultural reference.

Linga on a party night:



So, with Linga Bar off and running I turned my attention to what really means the most to me, running a hotel. During the first year Linga was open, the little alley we were on started to transform into the charming lane I knew it could become. We started to refer to it as "The Passage" since it did not have a name. In the middle of 2005, my friend John McDermott signed a lease for a building opposite the bar to open his second gallery. The building next to John's was also available and I thought it could be my chance to make a hotel. From the outside I thought it would be big enough to make three or four rooms, however, when I got inside I discovered the back part was an open courtyard. Even if I built it up (at considerable cost), I would have rooms with no windows. So, I looked at the existing structure and was thinking about two rooms, one on top of the other, but it seemed to small for that. Then the idea him me: One Room! Why not make one gorgeous room, provide every possible amenity (the likes of which other luxury hotels would never include, like a laptop, mobile phone, iPod etc) and due to its exclusivity you can provide unparalleled attention since you only have one guest to serve. Well, it was genius by accident but as some people say, "I would rather be lucky than good." So, that is how the idea was born. I hired the same architect that helped me with Linga Bar, Ivan Tizianel and his partner Lisa Samboros. Together, we came up with design of what was to become The One Hotel Angkor. The rest, as they say, is history but I will tell you more of our story soon.

And now, The Passage: