This is a list of the best guest friendly hotels in Phnom Penh. These are quality and reasonably priced hotels in good locations with confirmed guest friendly policies.
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. While it isn’t a huge city it does take up quite a bit of space and for the uninitiated getting around can be a little confusing. The city has a lot of options for nightlife and entertainment but it’s pretty spread out. Thankfully for the visitor there are plenty of tuk tuk and motorcycle taxis around to take people from one place to another for a dollar or two.
While locals are tolerant or even accepting of the nightlife a few foreign transplants are not. Some of the hotels forbid their guests having visitors of any kind and they embarrassingly announce this rule with things like large signs in their lobbies that read “No sex tourists”.
More than a few guys with local girlfriends have run into prejudice at these kinds of places and learned a bad lesson the hard way. What could be worse than booking a trip to see a local lady friend only to show up and find out that the hotel forbids any meeting behind closed doors?
1. Hotel Cambodiana (Riverside)
The Hotel Cambodiana is without a doubt among the nicest hotels in all of Cambodia. In addition it’s centrally located and every taxi, tuk tuk and moto taxi driver in the city knows the place. The rooms are large and the hotel is even larger. It stands out like a monument in the city.
Although it’s centrally located the Cambodiana isn’t necessarily right next to the nightlife. There is a nice lounge bar inside the hotel with a live band from the Philippines but other nightlife and entertainment spots require a short ride in a tuk tuk or taxi. Thankfully there are plenty on standby and the ride is inexpensive. A positive aspect of this is that the risk of getting lost in a strange city in the middle of the night is virtually eliminated.
The Hotel Cambodiana is totally guest friendly as many regulars and business travelers can attest. It’s not the cheapest place to stay in town by any means but good deals can often be found by booking rooms at the Hotel Cambodiana online before arrival.
2. Royal Mekong Boutique Hotel (Street 208)
The Royal Mekong Boutique Hotel is a nice hotel located on a quiet street in the heart of the city. Walking distance to the infamous Golden Sorya Mall and many bars and eateries this hotel is still out of the way enough to offer some privacy. The hotel is very nicely designed and well maintained. Rooms are spacious and staid. There are safes in each room and quality wireless internet throughout the building.
The doors of the hotel are closed at night but there is always a staff member of security guard on stand by to open them when a guest arrives. The hotel is totally guest friendly though they may ask a visitor to leave some form of identification at the front desk for the safety of their guests.
Rooms are reasonably priced but the best rate can only be guaranteed by booking a stay at the Royal Mekong Boutique Hotel online in advance.
3. Bougainvillier (Riverside)
The Bougainvillier is a decent and fairly inexpensive hotel located right on the riverside. Despite the prime location and large rooms they do not ask an arm and a leg for a stay. The hotel is also completely guest friendly. Visitors simply have to show some form of identification at the front desk before visiting a guest’s room.
The Bougainvillier is officially a three star hotel. Although it might cost less than some of its competitors it would probably given something more like two stars if it were located in the heart of the action in many other cities around the world. Rooms are large but decorated with rattan furniture that is on the cheap side even if it does add some local flavor.
The hotel’s central location makes it easy to find for visitors and taxis alike even if pronunciation of the name might prove a little difficult. Beds are big and comfortable and the bathrooms are large and well insulated to offer privacy even when someone else is inside the room.
Although a stay at the hotel isn’t necessarily expensive in any event the best deals can be found by booking rooms at the Bougainvillier Hotel online in advance.
4. Ostro Hotel (Street 130)
The Ostro Hotel is a nice budget option to round out the list. The hotel isn’t the greatest thing going but it’s definitely not bad for the price. Rooms can be surprisingly cheap considering what is provided. Wi-Fi is reliable throughout the building which is something even many expensive hotels can’t manage to pull off.
The Ostro Hotel is centrally located. It’s only a short walk from the riverside and popular areas filled with bars on Street 130 and Street 136. The staff is warm and courteous and they have no problem with guests bringing visitors back to their rooms.
A stay at the hotel never costs too much but the best rates can only be guaranteed by booking a room at the Indochine 2 Hotel online before arrival.
5. Lux Riverside Hotel (Street 136)
For those who want to be right in the midst of the action there are few better choices than the Lux Riverside Hotel on Street 136. This four star hotel is surrounded by hostess bars on all sides and only a few steps away from the lively Riverside.
The Lux is a large modern hotel with a variety of rooms available. The quarters range from the standard double all the way up to two bedroom apartments. All of the quarters are well fitted with comfortable beds and furniture. The place is very safe and secure too.
Due to its location it wouldn’t make much much for the Lux to turn away guests with visitors. The hotel thus has a rational guest friendly policy that only requires people visiting hotel guests to provide some kind of identification before enter the rooms.
A stay at the Lux isn’t necessarily cheap but the prices are quite reasonable considering the hotel’s location and star rating. Of course the best prices can be found by booking at the Lux Riverside Hotel online in advance.
6. The Great Duke (Mao Tse Toung Blvd)
The Great Duke is a five star hotel located on the corner of Monireth and Mao Tse Toung Boulevards which are two major thoroughfares. This puts it near the Olympic Stadium and the Russian Friendship Hospital. This area is filled with markets and regular stores of all types but is not in the immediate area of most nightlife and entertainment.
The part of town the Great Duke calls home isn’t bad though. There is plenty around and it is an easy trip to the international airport or the local bus station. Plenty of motodops and tuk tuks are on hand to take people from the hotel to the riverside or other nightlife hotspots for a few dollars at any time of day or night though those who spend the money to stay in a five star hotel are probably more likely to take a metered taxi or hire a car and driver.
Those too tired or lackadaisical to venture far afield will be pleased to find that there is a very fine restaurant inside the hotel that serves up some delicious food. The prices are higher than what street vendors and more local oriented places charge of course but the quality is generally much better too. There is a time and a place for everything. For those finding them selves in a time when they have aches in many places there is a massage center located right inside of the hotel. The female masseuses who work in the massage center will also perform massages in the privacy of customer hotel rooms upon request which often results in a happier experience.
Of course has all the usual features one would expect from a place with a five star rating as well. There is a gym filled with working equipment along with a nice outdoor swimming pool. There is a bar next to the pool and free WiFi throughout the hotel. The Great Duke also has a business center, meeting rooms and its own coffee shop on premise.
The most unique thing about the Great Duke hotel is its exterior. While it may appear to be like any other large hotel from afar getting closer reviews a large archway designed in the local architecture style which really stands out. The rooms inside are very nice and spacious. There are some signs of wear here and there which would take away from a five star rating in many more developed countries but in Cambodia this is about as good as it gets for the moment. There are no major glaring problems in any event and the hotel remains sound.
The Great Duke has a very large staff. Numbers of very lovely ladies handle a lot of the business including dealings with customers and local gentlemen often dressed in strapping uniforms and pith helmets do the rest. Most of the people working at the hotel can speak at least some English. More than a few can speak quite a bit. All workers are warm and friendly and willing to help in any way that they can.
That’s not to say that the staff follows every move of all the people staying in the hotel. The sheers numbers probably wouldn’t allow that but there’s no attempt at such a thing in any event. There is respect given to the privacy of guests and those who decide they’d like to bring people back to their rooms seem to have no problem doing so. There is plenty of security on hand if a problem breaks out but in this place that rarely appears to happen.
This concludes my list of the best guest friendly hotels in Phnom Penh. This list is not conclusive by any means. There are more girl friendly hotels in the city than I could ever hope to cover. I have examined many of these hotels however. And I have narrowed then down to the list of the best presented here. Thank you for reading.
