After leaving Siem Reap, we headed to our next stop in Cambodia – Phnom Penh. I was quite excited for my stay at Raffles Hotel Le Royal. It’s a sister hotel of the Singapore icon, and from the moment we entered the property, we were surrounded by a sense of historic elegance. The blend of colonial architecture, lush gardens, and serene pool area creates a peaceful retreat right in the heart of Phnom Penh. That said, it wasn’t a perfect stay, and doesn’t quite live up to the Singapore Grande Dame.
Location of Raffles Hotel Le Royal
The hotel is situated close to the centre of Phnom Penh and it’s in walking distance to all the major attractions, including the Royal Palace and National Museum. The hotel is also well located for exploring the sites of S-21 and The Killing Fields, a hugely important part of Phnom Penh’s history. Both can be reached via a short tuk-tuk journey from the hotel.
Finally, the hotel is around 1 hour from Cambodia’s brand new international airport, Techo International. That means if you’re arriving/departing from there, Raffles makes a perfect first or last stop on your itinerary. The hotel will also arrange airport transfers for you if you need them.
You can read my full post on visiting S-21 & The Killing Fields HERE (coming soon).
Accommodation at Raffles Hotel Le Royal
The hotel is one of Cambodia’s most iconic and historically significant hotels, with a story that spans 100 years. The hotel was originally commissioned by the French colonial administration as part of Phnom Penh’s urban development plan. Hotel Le Royal officially opened in 1929, quickly becoming the premier luxury hotel in the region.
Le Royal hosted royalty, diplomats, writers, and celebrities. It even hosted the first lady, Jackie Kennedy. It became known for its refined colonial atmosphere and its role as a meeting place for international guests in Southeast Asia.
In 1997, the hotel underwent a complete renovation to restore its original 1929 charm while adding modern luxury. It reopened under the management of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, adopting the name Raffles Hotel Le Royal.
It maintains its signature Colonial elegance and the rooms reflect that – being very traditional. The bed was large and comfortable, though the room itself was quite small. There was no comfortable seating area, but that didn’t matter too much as we were out exploring during the day.
The bathroom was nice, but in need of some repairs – there were a lot of chips in the sink, and the bath itself was stained. The shower was absolutely lovely though.
My biggest issue with the room was that the doors are so paper thin and old, that you can hear everything down the echoing corridor. Getting a good night’s sleep was virtually impossible and we could hear people going to the toilet directly above us, and every door along our corridor opening or closing.
I was also concerned about the safety. Each door is just locked with a key, which you are asked to leave at reception every time you leave the hotel. When we came back we asked for a key to room XX and were handed it; we went to the room and it wasn’t ours!!! We could have stolen everything! We had given our room number of a previous hotel by accident, and the hotel had done no ID or name checks – just blindly handed us the key. I felt concerned that anyone could walk in and ask for any key.
Food & Drink at Raffles Hotel Le Royal
This is where Raffles really set itself apart. Every single thing we ate and drank was completely and utterly delicious. The hotel offers a fine dining restaurant, and a more casual restaurant called Le Phnom 1929.
We actually ate in here for 3 meals as it was SO good. The Asian/French menu mash up was amazing. The Vietnamese Pho was incredible, the noodles were excellent, the Croque Monsieur was the best I’ve ever eaten. Don’t get me started on the delicious breakfast muffins and traditional French crepes. Heavenly.
Aside from the food, the hotel is also home to the famous Elephant Bar, a gorgeous colonial style bar serving the most amazing cocktails. Its main drink was the Phnom Penh Sling, a take on the famous Singapore Sling of Raffles Singapore. Both were delicious.
Service in the Elephant Bar was really brilliant, and happy hour from 5pm-7pm was our highlight of each day!
However, service in the Le Phnom 1929 restaurant was really poor, especially at breakfast. Whilst the food was incredible, often it took a couple of chasers to even ask to order. For one meal it took over 40 minutes for someone to come and take our order. At breakfast, a fruit plate and bread basket is complimentary, but on one morning we didn’t get either despite asking twice. The same morning, we also only received our ordered coffee as we were leaving (1hr after arriving).
Amenities & Experiences at Raffles Hotel Le Royal
Aside from the dining experiences, Raffles Hotel Le Royal offers a really lovely dual pool area (half for adults only, half for families with children). We really enjoyed a few hours sitting by the pool with drinks – the loungers were super comfy and the setting was an oasis for a central city location.
The hotel also offers a large wellness spa, complete with 5 treatment rooms, a sauna, steam room, fitness centre and gym. Given we’d had massages at some of our other hotels (we’d just come from Jaya House where they were complimentary each day), we didn’t have them here.
The hotel offers a complimentary tuk-tuk to within a 2km radius of the hotel, on a first come first serve basis. We never managed to get to it in time, but we saw it coming and going quite frequently.
There is also a laundry service, babysitting service, and doctor-on-call service for a fee if needed. Airport transfers are often included within the price of a room. Some rooms also come with personal butlers.
Finally, the hotel also curates a number of experiences around Phnom Penh. For example, a trip to the local art gallery with a guide, or a cultural tour of the city. We explored independently so didn’t do any of these, but they looked a good option for people who wanted to prioritise ease or were rushed for time. They were quite pricy though.
As one final area which frustrated me a little bit – the hotel advertises its check in time as 2pm, but our room was not ready when we arrived at 3.30pm. It was only another 30 minutes or so, but still a bit frustrating after a long journey.
So what did you think of Raffles Hotel Le Royal? We enjoyed our stay, and the highlight was definitely the Elephant Bar and the food, but it wasn’t quite a perfect experience that you’d expect from a high price point hotel. That said, it was still a really great place to pick for our stay in Phnom Penh and I’m glad we chose it.
Stay safe and happy travelling!
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