Guardians of Eternity: Park Hyatt Siem Reap and the World Monuments Fund Join Forces to Preserve Angkorr

It is a partnership as discreet as it is decisive. Park Hyatt Siem Reap has just announced its collaboration with the World Monuments Fund (WMF), a leading global institution in heritage preservation.

Phnom Bakheng. Photo provided

The stated objective: to support, over the long term, the training of local conservators at the heart of the Angkor Archaeological Park, and to offer visitors a unique encounter with the soul of this place.

A wounded heritage, patiently rebuilt

To understand the stakes, one must first grasp what Angkor represents—and what it nearly lost. Spanning more than 400 square kilometers, the complex contains over a millennium of Khmer architectural, artistic, and religious history. Its temples and hydraulic systems reflect deep connections with Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and today embody the symbol of Cambodian national identity.

The civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime brutally interrupted this transmission: specialists were displaced or killed, and technical knowledge was lost for decades. When international cooperation resumed in the 1990s—Angkor was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger in 1992—it marked the beginning of a reconstruction effort that was both human and stone-by-stone. In 2004, after more than a decade of sustained efforts, the site was removed from the list. A collective victory, but never a definitive one.

Forty years of commitment

It was in this context that WMF established its presence in 1989, at the request of King Norodom Sihanouk. Since then, the organization has never left the Angkor sites. Nearly $19.5 million has been invested in conservation in Cambodia—76% of which was spent directly on-site, and $13.9 million directed specifically to the Siem Reap region. Approximately 95% of project expenditures remained within the local economy, generating an estimated impact of $20 to $25 million.

Since the founding of the Center for Khmer Studies in 1999, more than $8 million has been dedicated to training, leading to the emergence of one of the country’s most experienced conservation teams. More than one hundred Cambodian technicians are trained and employed each year, for an average duration of fifteen years, passing on their knowledge to new apprentices. This training model has largely eliminated the need for external consultants and has firmly rooted expertise where it matters most: locally.

Training the guardians of tomorrow

At the heart of the new partnership with Park Hyatt Siem Reap lies a conviction that WMF has upheld since its origins: the preservation of Angkor must remain in the hands of its natural heirs. This is the essence of the heritage team leader training program developed by the Suzanne Deal Booth Institute for Heritage Preservation—newly established in 2026, bringing together training, research, and innovation within a single collaborative framework.

Over six months, twenty-five team leaders from communities surrounding Siem Reap will be trained in the specialized techniques required for maintaining historic temples.

This program is part of a broader international dynamic: the Institute also leads similar initiatives in Belchite (Spain), the Monastery of Alcobaça (Portugal), Japan through the Kanazawa gold leaf conservation program, and in the United States with the Bridge to Crafts Careers program. Academic partnerships with Columbia University GSAPP and ICCROM further strengthen this global framework.

“Siem Reap is home to one of the most extraordinary cultural treasures in the world, and we are honored to support the remarkable work that the World Monuments Fund has carried out at Angkor for decades,” said Himanshu Kapoor, General Manager of Park Hyatt Siem Reap.

Angkor under pressure

Behind the timeless beauty of Angkor’s towers, a silent race against time is unfolding. More than two million visitors each year—attendance that accelerates structural wear on the most fragile temples, erodes sculpted surfaces, and places pressure on foundations designed for a vastly different human scale. Tourism, an essential economic driver—accounting for one in ten jobs worldwide and around 10% of global GDP—sometimes turns against the very sites that sustain it.

Faced with this paradox, WMF has developed an approach known as “balanced tourism”: managing visitor flows, improving site interpretation, and strengthening benefits for local communities.

At Phnom Bakheng in particular—a 9th-century hilltop temple and one of the park’s most visited viewpoints—visitor management strategies have been implemented to reduce structural pressure. It is precisely at this active site that Park Hyatt guests will now be able to participate in exclusive tours guided by WMF specialists—offering a behind-the-scenes view of traditional techniques, original materials, and the complexity of conservation work.

Committed luxury

This partnership—established in December 2025—fits into a broader vision promoted by the Park Hyatt brand: luxury rooted in its local environment and attentive to surrounding communities. It also reflects a model that the hospitality sector is beginning to explore more seriously: making tangible contributions to the protection of the sites that underpin destination appeal.

“This partnership demonstrates how the private sector can play a decisive role in protecting heritage across the region,” emphasized Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of WMF, “and ensure that Angkor remains resilient and accessible for generations to come.”

From Shanghai to Buenos Aires, each Park Hyatt property aims to be a living reflection of its destination. In Siem Reap, facing the silhouettes of Angkor’s towers, this commitment takes on particular resonance—and a concrete measure, counted in trained artisans, transmitted knowledge, and stones preserved for the long term.