Raffles Hotel Le Royal 5 stars

Serenity and professionalism entwined to make this a memorable, enjoyable and productive home away from home in Phnom Penh.

Specifics: Five nights in a Landmark King room overlooking the inner courtyard and pool. Check-in: It was a bit on the late side, my flight arrived in Phnom Penh at 9:40 and I didn’t get to the hotel until after ten. I was met by a staff member in the foyer and the necessary check-off list addressed: passport, credit card, welcome drink, welcome krama. I deferred on a tour of the room as I had spent the previous week in Siem Reap at their sister hotel. (4/5) Room: Modern and recently refurbished in 2019-20. Trust me, it shows. The bathroom in particular was sublime: Italian tile, rain shower, and a claw foot (!) bathtub. Overall this was a perfect mix between traditional and modern, with the usual contemporary amenities found (TV, in-room safe, writing desk, etc.) in an aesthetically pleasing environment. (5/5) Facilities: French colonial architecture at its finest. Similar to the rooms, there was a perfect but difficult-to-obtain balance between conventional and current. Wooden staircase that squeaks when you walk down? Check. Old rotary telephones for in-house communication? Check. Gorgeous antique furniture in the common areas? You get the idea. It’s a bit more of a business vibe than in Siem Reap (with, yes, a business center) but no less impressive. (5/5) Service: The staff here have simply raised the bar for attentive and flexible service. The list of people who went above-and-beyond during my week in residence includes Soem and Monyta (Writer’s Bar), Rotha (Le Royale restaurant), Sotha (front door), Reaksmey (reception), and Sam (concierge) among too many others. I was able to make restaurant reservations with the concierge from the bar (!), and the staff accommodated my request for a full lunch at the Writer’s Bar without hesitation. (5/5) Location: For this traveler, absolutely perfect as it was right next to the American Embassy and I was able to engage in numerous political/historical conversations with people who were in town for business. (5/5) Cost: All of the above for under 400$ is reasonable in today’s stratospheric luxury hotel arms race. (4/5) Departure: Organized with some forward planning by the concierge, I was allowed late-checkout from my room and the car and luggage were immediately available. A number of the staff turned out to see that my departure occurred without incident. (4/5) Summary: Mr. de Groot and his staff can take a tremendous amount of pride in the time, effort, and attention to detail they spend here. They have left an indelible impression on this reviewer and helped make the second of my two weeks in Cambodia as good (if not better than) the first. Put simply, they have hosted two US Presidents (um, and me) in a little over a decade. Phnom Penh’s first address indeed. (5/5)

Serenity and professionalism entwined to make this a memorable, enjoyable and productive home away from home in Phnom Penh. Centrally located and easily accessed. Raffles Hotel le Royal in Phnom Penh is a welcome change to modern high-rise hotels.

I came and stayed for one night, and was made to feel immediately welcome. All the staff I interacted with were friendly and kind and helpful. The property was incredibly luxurious.

Service was excellent and staff were very accomodating. The layout and design of the hotel is also wonderful. Has a rich historical feel. Special mention to Mr. Boumen for the assistance of my special requests.