Knai Bang Chatt

Knai Bang Chatt occupies three restored mid-century modern villas built in the 1960s by students of the Vann Molyvann school — Cambodia's most important modernist architect. The result is one of Southeast Asia's most architecturally significant hotels: all clean lines, concrete curves, and floor-to-ceiling windows opening to the Gulf of Thailand. An infinity pool stretches toward the sea, the sailing club offers catamaran trips, and the restaurant serves Kep's legendary pepper crab with ingredients from the hotel's own gardens. It's a love letter to Cambodia's brief golden age of architecture.