Golden Butterfly Villa is certainly easy to spot. The bright orange building is visible all the way down the tranquil dead-end side lane on which it sits. Two Apsara statues set in stone urns greet arrivals along with a golden Angkor Wat replica placed overhead. One crosses a concrete walkway over several small carp ponds fringed with tropical plants to get inside to the open-air lobby. The interior is painted in a reddish-orange hue with a purple ceiling and black floor. There are plenty of shimmery gold and hardwood accents as well, giving the hotel a bit of a psychedelic feel. The restaurant takes up most of the space here, although there are a few extra bright-orange couches with traditional cushions as well should anyone want to relax or read. Hanging cloth lanterns add to the eclectic effect, as do several art pieces, ranging from Buddha busts to Ganesh statues. Guests are mostly tourists, including lots of couples and solo travelers seeking a friendly, colorful place to stay and easy access to Siem Reap's party scene at value rates. 

Golden Butterfly Villa is located just five minutes on foot from raucous Pub Street and the Old Market area of Siem Reap, where dozens of restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops are located. For those who want to party and have easy access to food and drink, it's an excellent spot. The various night markets of downtown are also just around the corner. The hotel is well positioned for those who want quiet, too, as it's away from the brunt of the action, on a quieter side street, down a dead-end driveway. The Angkor Wat temples are a 15- to 20-minute drive from here, and Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is about 15 minutes away by car. 

There are only 25 rooms at Golden Butterfly Villa, all exactly alike except for the number of beds and whether or not they have balconies. The look across the board is colorful, which should come as no surprise given the eclectic and vibrant style downstairs. Rooms here are all painted a bright reddish-orange, which gives them a distinct flavor that some guests will love and others will not. Additionally, there are some nice traditional Khmer touches, like bamboo fishing baskets and containers decorating the walls, plus large cloth lantern shades for the lights. The rooms with balconies are especially pleasant, as they get more natural light, and each balcony is decorated with large vases of plants as well as stools and a table.  

Each room has both air-conditioning and a fan, a writing desk, a flat-screen TV, DVD player (with movies that can include "The Killing Fields" or a documentary on Angkor Wat), a mini-fridge with two free bottles of water (some have minibars), electric hot water kettles with a couple of free tea bags and Nescafe packets, and old-school locking safe boxes. All rooms also come with free Wi-Fi.  Bathrooms are small and a bit dark, but compared to many budget offerings in Siem Reap they are far more modern, with walk-in shower stalls, tan tiling, and generous countertops.

The hotel has a fine list of features for a property this size, and there's a nice handful of freebies on offer too (except for breakfast). A small spa is upstairs and has four beds for massage treatments. Every guest receives a free half-hour full-body massage, a perk not offered by many Siem Reap hotels. Downstairs in the lobby area is the only public space in the hotel: the restaurant and bar serving Khmer and Western cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Unlike most properties in this price range, there's no free breakfast, although there are bananas and coffee offered for free throughout the day. There are four public computers for guests to use in the back of the lobby, plus a bookshelf. Photocopying services are available. The concierge can book tours and transportation, and free pickup from the airport or bus station is available. There are also free bicycles available for guests to use. Free welcome drinks and snacks are provided, too.