In the Beginning

Hotel management was never really on the radar for the growing list of projects we had in mind -- let alone owning a hotel in Asia. Sure, our list is often built on ambitious, and sometimes borderline absurd ideas, that we call projects. Javier is still convinced that the lost city of El Dorado exists in South America and is dead set that he can find it. Just one of his projects, ambitious or absurd, guess that depends on the audience. Nevertheless, a story for another time.

When you call something a project rather than an idea, it gives it more substance, more meaning, more credibility so everything  for us more or less becomes a project. In the beginning, when the idea to purchase a hotel in Cambodia was born, it didn't take long for the idea to evolve into a determined project. This project became Hotel Cambodia.

When we came across the Lotus Lodge, we weren't even in Cambodia at the time, and to be honest, we had never even seen the place with our own eyes before we took over. We were in Canada, our home and native land. Following the online shopping trend, we came across the property on the Internet. Most people buy shoes or clothing online, however we wanted to buy a property that happened to be on the other side of the world.

Mitch and I had visited Cambodia twice before while traveling, but at the time, didn't know about the little hidden gem that is the Lotus Lodge. During our initial visits, taking over a hotel was the furthest thing from our minds. We were involved in another project, that coincidentally led us to the hotel, and in retrospect, in the most fatalistic way.

About eight months before officially taking over the hotel, we returned home from filming a documentary in Cambodia called Lost Rails into the Kingdom. A team of five of us were working on the film for a month while we trekked throughout the country. The gist of the documentary follows the narrative of three friends traveling to far-off Cambodia in search of the legendary Bamboo Express.  One of the characters is confined to a wheelchair -- that's Mitch. He's been in a wheelchair his entire life and is about three feet tall with a brittle bone condition. He's traveled around the globe, loves a good chat, a glass of whiskey on ice, and is co-owner/general manager of the Lotus Lodge. And yes ladies, he's single.

The group dynamic of those involved in the film was anything but cohesive, but politics aside, the film was a success. It was beautifully shot by an excellent filmmaker who captured the beauty of Cambodia with his camera . The documentary told a captivating and interesting story. Like many fall-outs, a result of stubbornness, pride and callous indifference, there was a bitter fracture in the group. And like so many conflicts nowadays, the squabbling is often intensified on social media sites. It's amazing how something so benign in the beginning can take on a life of its own when the situation is posted online and becomes public property. Fortunately, saner minds prevailed and the project forged on. The love of the documentary proved to be stronger than the angst among the individuals. Lost Rails into the Kingdom aired on national television in Canada and on cable in the United States.

After returning to Canada when Lost Rails into the Kingdom was completed, we often reflected on the journey we had taken and the people we met along the way. The sincerity, the gentle demeanor and the hospitality of Cambodia sparked an idea, and like any good idea, a new project was born.

Cambodia, like any developing nation, is a country in need. In need of many things. Better schools, higher environmental standards, poverty reduction and health care. The list goes on and on. If someone who genuinely cares about the well-being of the human race visits Cambodia, I guarantee they will become aware of a soft spot within their soul. It's hard to resist the philanthropic urge to do something about the adversity witnessed in many parts of the country.

We knew we wanted to do something in the city of Siem Reap. It was a city we really liked. The initial idea was to start an orphanage, an endeavor that seems to be growing in Cambodia. Such child shelters are definitely in need as the country has a massive child population that is under-cared for. The hurtles, pay-offs, corruption, and obscene land prices in the city didn't equate to anything sustainable.This is when we veered our interest towards business opportunities, something that is a little more sustainable, with the idea that down the road, a business could support more philanthropic pursuits.

After clicking our way through numerous businesses that were for sale, we came across the Lotus Lodge listing. Javier was hooked, and thus began his campaign to sell the idea of going into the hotel business to Mitch and me. We loved the idea. Seeing the hotel's online photos and thinking about owning a business made it an easy sell. Even though we more or less went along with it, we often doubted Javier's ability to make it happen. It became a challenge for him to pull it off and any doubt fueled his resolve to actually do it.

The funny part is, Javier's the only one of us that hasn't actually been to Cambodia. His enthusiasm, drive, and his almost obsessive compulsive behaviour, wouldn't let the hotel go. After nearly driving his family over the edge obsessing over the Lotus Lodge, he miraculously made it happen.

We had been discussing whether or not to buy the hotel for weeks, when one night out at the local pub back home, and after a few whiskeys,  Javier's patients wore thin with all the talk. He sent a wire transfer from his cellphone for the deposit on the hotel. At this point there was no turning back -- the project had taken a giant leap forward, and Hotel Cambodia would soon become our reality.