While traveling to Cambodia from Thailand, it is often difficult to decide on a good hotel. Being in another country means that every now and then you will have to take a risk to go into a hotel that may not be so good. In the old times you would have to at least be able to talk to a person who knew where you were going, and this would give you some sense of direction as well as any potential surprises along the way. These days with the large number of foreign tourists in the hotels in Phnom Phen city center can sometimes be overwhelming. I have decided to make a few suggestions on how to choose a good hotel in Kampot that you might want to consider.
First I would say that it is a good idea to check out the city center's deluxe hotels. The luxury hotels are sometimes the most important aspect of a vacation. If you find a hotel that is clean, nice, and with good service then that is a great hotel. For a Cambodia trip it would be very important to try to stay away from the tourist-oriented hotels and the ones that are known for having a low quality service. I would save the word "cheap" for my last words before recommending a hotel in Phnom Phen.
The best advice I would give you is to focus on what you will be doing while you are in Phnom Phen city center. Once you are there you can figure out what you need in a hotel to get the rest of your vacation underway. This is by far the best advice I can give you on how to choose a good hotel in Kampot.