Stay here: Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh

What’s the deal? 

Drifting in the jade-green, tree-shaded pool of the near-century-old Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh , it’s easy to feel as though you’ve stepped into a bygone era. Slide your sandals back on and wander chequerboard-tiled corridors past French windows to your room – an elegantly appointed space that channels a Gatsby-esque glamour. The design is classic, bright and fresh rather than chintzy or staid: alongside the vintage telephones, dark wood furniture and shuttered windows, you’ll find sumptuous wool rugs, plump king-sized beds and deep freestanding baths.

Dress elegantly for dinner – you’ve a table at Restaurant Le Royal, where royal Khmer recipes handed down by the palace meet modern finesse on white tablecloths beneath a hand-painted ceiling.

But first, an aperitif at the Elephant Bar, a legendary venue and home to one of Asia’s largest gin collections, with some 110 distillations on the menu. However, you wouldn’t want to miss sipping a Femme Fatale, a champagne cocktail created for Jacqueline Kennedy during her 1967 visit. When it comes to big names, it’s more a question of who hasn’t stayed here: framed photographs of stars from Charlie Chaplin to Barack Obama line the hotel’s landings and hallways.

Opened by King Sisowath Monivong in 1929 as Hotel Le Royal, the property has seen many iterations before being restored and reopened by Raffles in 1997. The renovation preserved key architectural elements while adding new wings and modern comforts.

Phnom Penh has a complex history, but this grande dame has stood sentinel through it all, offering both setting and sanctuary – from celebrity soirées to sheltering Red Cross workers and members of the foreign press during Cambodia’s darkest days. Ask chief concierge and resident historian Sam Nheanika Pann for a tour to uncover its layered past and appreciate its heritage in full.

Why stay?

Service here is old-school sharp – many staff have been with the hotel for decades, and it shows. This is a truly transportive stay, offering instant escape from Phnom Penh’s famously frenzied pace. But step outside and you’re in the city’s leafy embassy district – just a 10-minute walk from the Tonle Sap River, surrounded by consulates, schools, museums and ministries, and a five-minute tuk tuk ride from Central Market and Wat Phnom Daun Penh. There’s plenty to explore, but that cool, jade pool, glimmering under fairy lights at night, is perhaps the most inviting scene of all.

Cathay editors say…

“Turn your stay into a two-part journey with Raffles Cambodia’s seven-day A Tale of Two Cities package . It begins at Hotel Le Royal and includes a private tour of the Royal Palace by its official biographer, afternoon tea with Princess Chansita Norodom and a wine-paired dinner at Restaurant Le Royal. The adventure continues with a helicopter transfer to Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap, where you’ll explore the Angkor Archaeological Park and visit the floating village of Chong Kneas.”