Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh Review

Great review! Fun fact: Jackie Kennedy used to stay here during the war; they even have a cocktail named after her on the menu!

Great review and beautiful pics. Having stayed twice at the hotel, I was wowed by the public areas but the sleep quality was awful due to the paper-thin walls. From the sound of the flushing toilets next door and above to the cacophony from the hallway, it was hell. Chalk it up to the curse of old construction.

Crazy that this room costs $280 not even factoring in that fact that it's in Phnom Penh, which makes it ridiculous. I know you mostly did it for review purposes but anyone that stays here at those rates is a fool.

Great trip report series Tiffany. I've enjoyed following along!

I could not justify the coin to stay there when I was in Phnom Penh. Rather, I found adequate $30/night digs but one day splurged for day use of the pool and fitness center. It was $20 in 2011.

This hotel was central to the story of the film, The Killing Fields ( the story of NYT reporters Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran), although it was shot at the Railway Hotel in Hua HIN ( another great hotel). The film should be seen by anyone contemplating a visit to Cambodia.
Jackie Kennedy stayed there during her SEA charm offensive tour in 1961.
The last time I stayed, maybe 15 years ago, Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton were there adopting a child. I hadn’t a clue who they were, so felt quite comfortable chatting away with them..a charming couple.
It’s a lovely, relaxing hotel.

You should have tried the rosewood instead. I get that you wanted the colonial feel but with the way PP is developing, that colonial feel will become less and less of an attraction.

Great review!!!

Now this deserves to be in this blog not random AirBnB, better for personal memoirs, where chance of readers staying is next to zero.

An Accor sister hotel Sofitel Phnom Penh is also a beautiful place. However, there are innumerable boutique hotels for $30-$70 which are just as good.

I have stayed at this hotel a couple of times over the years and have always loved it. My rooms were always quiet, the pool amazing, and I guess I am not very posh because the few times I had a massage I thought the set up was perfectly fine. Of course I'm talking probably more than 10 years ago so the relative sterility of the set up was a refreshing change from the funky still very much gritty city that Phnom Penh was not so long ago. Your trip review was wonderful as always, tho it made me sad. From 2000-2008 I spent a lot of time traveling and working in SE Asia and have been to almost everywhere you wrote about and it is astounding to hear how much it has changed. As little as 5 years ago when I was last in Luang Prabang it still charmed me and felt authentic (with some exceptions the Night Market has become insane!). L'Royal was the only fancy hotel in PP for years and despite some of the comments and the insane price point I guess nostalgia and history still make be want to stay again. The Elephant bar used to alway be very low key when I was there last there was a pianist from Chicago who I became friends with, obviously a very different vibe than what you describe, which is too bad, but after all those years of being either dangerous or sleepy the world has found Cambodia and wants to visit!

@eskimo, I've found Tiffany's AirBnB reviews just as useful as higher end ones. Best to just speak for yourself and move on if something doesn't interest you personally.

Super review and pics. You are very talented.

Thanks!

Fabulous reviews !
As for the Le Royal, I specially love their private tuk-tuk and toa have lunch outside at the pool. One small detail : the last time I was there (2 years ago), I had the pleasure of seeing a rat as big as a rabbit, charmly crossing the bridge over the pool . He took his time do do it, so it was probably a hotel's pet 🙂