Well, I've got the flights organised and thought I had the hotel in Siem Reap THEN I got the email from the online booking service advising that there's a "compulsory" gala dinner on at the hotel on Dec. 24th at a cost of 30USD per person!!!!!!Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
No mention of it on the hotel website and no details of what's on offer - just expected to pay up.

Yes, we can afford it - the amount is not the issue but we don't celebrate Christmas Eve (we do lunch on Chrismas Day and would probably spend this amount anyway but we CHOOSE what and where we eat, rather than be forced to pay high prices for who knows what?)
I feel that there's a principle involved here (I refuse to be railroaded) so cancelled the booking, but have since trawled around various booking websites and it seems the majority of the hotels are having "compulsory galas" on Christmas Eve.
So unless we want to stay at a guesthouse or hotel without a restaurant, it seems we either pay up or don't go at all. Anyone know of a nice hotel in Siem Reap that DOESN'T engage in this practice?