Our Orientale room’s name is taken from the French word for the Orient, or Northeast Asia and particularly China and Japan. Our recent renovations are inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, embracing and  glorifying transience and natural ageing. We’ve preserved the walls’ and ceiling’s rough grey concrete finish under layers of glaze, and styled the room with antiques and distressed period pieces from the Orient. The floor is very contemporary, of highly glazed polished cement.

Orientale  features an antique hand-carved Chinese matrimonial bed, replete with an extra-large  single/twin 7-layered wool and cotton futon mattress with latex core, cotton and linen sheets, down pillows.  Of special note is the 7-panel Meiji-era screen along the room’s back wall. The en-suite bathroom has a shower with instant-hot water, and  black matt walls.  Plus private balcony to  gaze on Battambang’s leisurely street life.  Free high speed Wi-Fi, and ceiling fan an air con.

YOUR HOSTS

Textile authority and designer Morrison Polkinghorne, and cookbook author and stylist Robert Carmack welcome you to colonial Battambang and its charming architectural time-warp.  Plus nearby ancient Khmer temples and local sites. Long-time Sydney residents, the Robert and Morrison host bespoke and group tours across Southeast Asia through their company Globetrotting Gourmet.  Morrison is director of Passementeries, specialising in the hand-crafted manufacture of 18th century French classical trimmings.  The duo’s latest book is The Burma Cookbook (River Books, London & Bangkok).