Phnom Penh hotels and guesthouses
Raffles Le Royal is the most exclusive hotel in town
Phnom Penh offers one of the widest varieties of accommodation in any capital city. From US$3-a-night backpacker hostels with dubious cleanliness to US$30 flashpacker boutique guesthouses, the budget traveller is easily accommodated. In the city centre, there are numerous mid-range hotels (US$20 - US$80) that are generally the safest bet for reliable, affordable rooms, although don’t expect to see any familiar brand names.
There are also a handful of truly world-class five-star hotels (US$80 - US$500). New establishments seemingly open every week, meaning that the savvy traveller is spoilt for sleeping choice. Internet bookings are recommended when they are offered, and if booking by email make sure to get a response. We have listed a few of each type of accommodation based on reviews and visits.
Accommodation is scattered around the city, with small concentrations of places usually found close to tourist sites or transport. The once legendary Lakeside district of Boeng Kak, a mandatory stop for backpackers on the Southeast Asian trail, is in its last throes as the property owners await eviction. The area has become a magnet for cheap sex and cheap drugs for the partying backpacker, but most guesthouses are squalid and unsafe.
The new budget centres are found near Central Market and on the south side of the Independence Monument along Street 278. Top Banana, with its balcony, and OK Guesthouse, just behind the Royal Palace are two of the better choices here. Near the market, the cavernous Capitol Guesthouse is part of a wider group that includes Hello, Monorom and Hong Phann Guesthouses. Guesthouse prices start at US$3 for a mattress, fan and walls. From US$5 you can have your own bathroom, and for just over US$10, air-conditioning.
Recommended Phnom Penh guesthouses
Top Banana Guesthouse
Popular with Phnom Penh's backpacker crowd, this buzzing guesthouse has internet access and tour booking facilities plus cheap dorm beds (US$5).
#9Eo Corner Street 278 & Street 51, Tel: +855 12 885 572
Okay Guesthouse
Stalward of the Phnom Penh backpacker hostel class with ameable staff and clean if simple rooms. Ask for something near the back to be sure of a decent night's rest. Rooms from US$10.
#5 Street 258, Phnom Penh. T: (012) 300 804, (02) 176 6624, (023) 986 534
Bright Lotus 1 Guesthouse
This Phnom Penh guesthouse has bags of local charm and is ideally situated in the centre of town near expat bars and local and international restaurants. Breakfast is included in the price. Doubles from US$10.
#22 Street 178, Tel: (023) 990 446
Walkabout Guesthouse
This upstairs guesthouse is above Phnom Penh's first 24 hour bar with cold beer, freelancing girls and regular pool competitions. Rooms from US$20.
Corner of Street 51 and 174, Tel: + (855) (0)23-211715
Recommended Phnom Penh hotels
Phnom Penh has a growing variety of five star hotels
Indochine Hotel
This popular hotel on the riverfront is right by the Foreign Correspondents Club and a host of great value pizzerias. Rooms cost from US$30 and include breakfast...More details and booking
#28-30, Street 130, Tel: + (855) (0)23-211525
Blue Tongue Hotel
This 36-room hotel is ideal situated with 24hr room service, pub/bar, lift, coffee shop, airport transfer, restaurant, safety deposit boxes and WiFi internet. Rooms from US$30. ..More details and booking
Corner of Street 51 and 174, Tel: + (855) (0)23-211715
Raffles Le Royal Hotel
Ultra-chic Phnom Penh hotel set amongst manicured gardens with bags of colonial charm. Gym, swimming pool, bar and top class restaurant make this the place to be seen about town. Rooms from US$175...More details and booking
#92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh (off Monivong Boulevard), Tel: +855 23-981 888
Hotel Cambodiana
This four star hotel on the riverfront resembles a grand palace and is well equipped with every possible convenience including swimming pool and ballroom. Doubles from US$80...More details and booking
#313 Sisowath Quay, Tel: +855 23-426 288
Intercontinental Hotel
Huge international-standard five star hotel in Phnom Penh with swimming pool, conference facilities and a range of restaurants and bars. Rooms from US$130...More details and booking
#296, Boulevard Mao Tse Toung, Tel: +855 23-424 888
Amanjaya Pancam Hotel
This luxurious hotel in Phnom Penh is set on the famous Sisowath Quay with easy access to historical attractions such as the Royal Palace, Wat Ounalom, National Museum, Mekong and Tonie Sap Rivers plus the bustling entertainment district. Rooms from US$130...More details and booking
#1, Street 154, Sisowath Quay, Tel:(885) 23 214 747
Insider Tip – Finding a location
The French introduced a numbered grid system for Phnom Penh’s streets, meaning that in theory, addresses are easy to find. However, years of conflict and changing occupation, and superstitious business owners, have resulted in a bewildering display of naming and numbering. Your guesthouse may be upstairs or next door in most cases.
The riverfront area has undergone a makeover in the past two years, and many of its former cheap digs have been replaced by more upscale versions. Sisowath Quay is definitely Phnom Penh’s trendy destination, but good deals can be had for mid-range budgets, while Monivong and Sihanouk Boulevards also featuring a host of average hotels.
The Boddhi Tree group offers a range of three mid-priced boutique hotels at ideal locations, including opposite Tuol Sleng, while Bright Lotus 1, Blue Lime, Billabong and the landmark Indochine Hotel are all consistently praised. Look for signs stating that sex tourists are not welcome to be assured of a respectable establishment. The, Walkabout, Flamingo and Blue Tongue Hotels are all in the heart of the late night strip around Street 51 and feature sports bars, big screens, pub meals and welcome all comers.
At the top end, the Intercontinental Hotel and Raffles Le Royal are the place to stay for the rich and famous, although the Hotel Cambodiana and Amanjaya Pancam Hotel, in ideal locations at opposite ends of on Sisowath Quay, have won several plaudits.
