Review: Soul Golden City in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Soul Golden City is one of the large hotel and entertainment complexes in Phnom Penh. These sorts of establishments can be found all over Cambodia.

There are usually a few in each city large and small including seaside towns like Kampot. There are others dotting the countryside. Yet the capital city contains more businesses of this type than any other part of the country.

KTVs are ubiquitous in Southeast Asia. For locals with money to burn and the many Asian men who visit or live in the region they are the main center of adult entertainment. A close second comes in the form of massage parlors.

There are plenty of both in Cambodia from the stand alone KTVs such as Wonderland to the hotel based massage parlors like previously reviewed Luxury World. Soul Golden City combines KTV, massage and short time hotel rooms in one large establishment.

Soul Golden City

The Soul Golden City complex is located at the end of a short dead end road off of Sothearos Boulevard. There is a large sign at the beginning of the road. The building is also illuminated with lights at night. The road can only be accessed from one side of the Boulevard since there is a traffic barrier in the middle.

Soul Golden City takes up a large and brightly painted building that stands out against the background. Well at least it did until development in the area took off at breakneck speed. Before the large Aeon Mall and several nearby high rise condos were constructed the place could be seen from quite a distance. Now Soul Golden City is more hidden even though it can clearly be viewed by those enjoying the view from inside their luxury hotel rooms at the nearby Sofitel Phokeethra.

There is a large parking lot surrounding Soul Golden City as well as a large parking garage under the building. Security guards watch the parking area. There is an elevator entrance inside the back of the garage that gives access to every floor in the building. Still most people climb the elaborate staircase in front and enter through the main doors.

Inside Soul

Through the main doors there are a line of chairs on both sides of the carpet. Beautiful Cambodian women in dresses fit for a wedding greet customers as they come inside. These gals are also available for singing in the karaoke rooms upstairs. While they typically guide customers in they seem much more reticent to deal with men who are not Asian.

Soul Golden City like most similar businesses in the city is really set up for local and Asian customers. Others are not excluded but there usually isn’t a lot in the way of hand holding for those who can’t figure out the way things work. There is no sign that says “boom boom this way” in European languages for example.

The food, drinks and karaoke areas are a major draw to most local and Asian customers. The aforementioned gals are available to accompany customers to either for a price. There are also many other women waiting in the upstairs levels who keep punters company in the karaoke rooms.

Room prices depend on the time period and what is consumed. A few guys who invite in a few gals and have some drinks can easily go through a couple hundred dollars US even before they hand out tips or invite a hostess to leave.

Massage parlor and prices

Plenty of the local and Asian customers do make their way to the massage parlor on the top floor. But it doesn’t usually seem to be their main draw to the place. Others are much more likely to make a beeline to the massage area by entering the elevators where they find a button marked “massage” in English.

On the top floor there is a wooden desk to the right staffed by an older female manager and her assistant. On the other side of the room is the fishbowl area where several women sit on red stadium style seats behind a glass window. Customers who want a massage select one of the masseuses from behind the glass then pay the $10 fee over at the desk. The masseuse then gets the key for one of the empty rooms and things begin in the private rooms.

There may be anywhere between five and fifteen women working the massage parlor at any given time. They are usually a mix between Khmer and Vietnamese ladies in their twenties or perhaps slightly older. A few can speak some English. More can speak enough Chinese to carry out a transaction or two.

As you may be able to guess these masseuses aren’t experts at back rubs. In fact they don’t seem to know much more about massage than how to lightly rub a leg for a few minutes while offering extra services. What happens between consenting adults is a private matter and there are no set rates.

Things are negotiable though it appears to be a sellers market as things are often kicked off with quotes of $100 or higher. Full service is standard while things that lead up to may or may not be included. It depends on the people involved. It is fairly run of the mill for this part of the world. In other words it is decidedly average.