15 Best Hotels in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A lush green oasis in the heart of bustling Phnom Penh, the Pavilion is set in a lovingly restored building dating to the 1920s, with a swimming pool surrounded by shady palms, banana plants, and jackfruit trees. Choose from more elegant, atmospheric suites and rooms in the colonial villa and more minimalist rooms in several adjoining modern buildings, four of which have plunge pools. All suites and rooms have four-poster beds and sitting areas. The poolside restaurant serves delicious Asian dishes and Phnom Penh's main sights are just a short stroll away.

This chic boutique hotel is built around a grand 1930s villa with an open courtyard and a lotus-filled pond. Accommodations are located in the more modern buildings overlooking an enormous palm-shaded swimming pool. The minimalist rooms are furnished with modernist decor and most have balconies. There's an art gallery, the spa is of a high standard and affordable, and the restaurant, La Pergola, serves some of the finest French fusion food in the capital.

This refurbished 1960s Khmer villa brings a touch of arty chic to Phnom Penh's central suburbs. Three floors of spacious and functional rooms, all with balconies and adorned with striking local contemporary art, face a free-form pool surrounded by comfortable loungers and a covered patio—a perfect spot to enjoy the resort's complimentary breakfast.

Located opposite the palm-lined riverside promenade, the light-filled rooms at Amanjaya come with traditional rosewood furnishings and Khmer silk textiles, while every suite has a balcony with a view of either the Tonle Sap River or Wat Ounalom. The Le Moon Terrace bar on the rooftop has panoramic river views, and is the place to be at sunset. In-room massage services are also available.

This stylish boutique hotel has a streamlined modernist Cambodian aesthetic with curvy staircases, raw concrete, and breezy corridors. The centerpiece of the property is a spectacular swimming pool with water falling from a hot tub on an upper floor into the pool below, creating a waterfall effect, and a second pool on another floor that's perfect for swimming laps and sunbathing. In the evening, head upstairs to the Lantern Bar for a drink beneath the stars.

Located a 30-minute drive upriver from the city center on the banks of the Mekong, this sleek, low-rise resort makes for a relaxing escape. The 18 minimalist suites are decorated in mid-century modernist furniture and Cambodian silk soft-furnishings. Overlooking the stunning 30-meter waterside swimming pool, the Riverfront Suites are the pick, with spacious wooden decks and vistas of the Mekong, Koh Dach (Silk Island), and the city skyline in the distance. The restaurant is superb and breakfast is generous.

Ideally located on the riverfront, cooled by the river breezes, and across from the National Museum, the Foreign Correspondents Club or FCC is well known as a hub for expats and visitors who hang out at its lively restaurant-bar on the second and third floors. Accommodations include all the essentials plus chic touches, and some overlook the busy river promenade, offering a feel of the hustle and bustle of the capital. Named after ancient Angkorian temples, the rooms have a colonial aura about them. Try to get a room in the main building.

The fifth in a local chain, the Frangipani Palace Hotel is currently the only hotel in Phnom Penh with a rooftop pool, from where you can enjoy lovely panoramic views of the capital, especially at sunset. Later on it's a pleasant spot to sip a moonlight cocktail and enjoy a snack at the bar. The hotel's location, standing next to two of the city's most noteworthy landmarks, the Royal Palace and the National Museum, offers further incentive for staying here. Rooms are practical, modern, and comfortable but need better finishing. Ask for a room facing out onto Street 178.

One of Phnom Penh's finest hotels is on the far edge of town, where it's long been a favorite of business travelers and tycoons requiring VIP treatment. For this reason the Great Duke may not be the first choice for many tourists, though upper-level rooms offer sweeping views of the flatlands surrounding Phnom Penh. Check out the wineshop in the basement for a unique collection of bottles with prewar labels.

Located in the embassy district, this quiet, airy, and affordable hotel offers spacious rooms with balconies, upcycled wooden furniture, and refillable water bottles for guests. There's a small swimming pool and vertical gardens. There are plenty of great restaurants on your doorstep.

While some Hyatts have a generic, could-be-anywhere feel, this luxury hotel in the heart of Phnom Penh couldn't be anywhere but Cambodia, with a French colonial villa that belonged to a Khmer princess housing the hotel's grand entrance, bars, and restaurants. The plush, spacious rooms are in a sleek building behind the villa and there's a stunning pool overlooking the National Museum and Royal Palace beyond.

The rooms here are immaculate, spacious, and surprisingly pleasant for a budget property.

Phnom Penh's ritziest hotel, first opened in 1929, was practically destroyed during the Khmer Rouge years and was meticulously restored by the Raffles group in 1996. A recent renovation has revamped this colonial landmark with modern touches. Surrounded by manicured gardens, Le Royal has an opulent lobby, a tranquil pool area shaded by enormous trees, and elegant restaurants and bars that are a world apart from the chaotic city outside. Guest rooms are furnished with fine Cambodian handicrafts in an elegant colonial style and overlook the pool or gardens. Suites in the main building include claw-foot tubs from the original 1929 hotel. The iconic Elephant Bar is famous for its cocktails (and happy hour), while the sumptuous Restaurant Le Royal serves Khmer haute cuisine.

Occupying the top 14 floors of Phnom Penh's tallest building, the Rosewood offers sumptuous lodgings with sky-high views that sweep across the city from the Mekong to the mountains. The luxurious rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with even more spectacular vistas, especially those overlooking Central Market out to the Tonle Sap and Mekong. There's an enormous indoor heated swimming pool, an impressive breakfast buffet, and outstanding restaurants and bars, including the rooftop sky bar, Sora, named one of Asia's 50 Best Bars. It's just a short stroll to the French Quarter, markets, and riverside.

This grand hotel on hip Street 240 has suites on the top floors with balconies overlooking the city, while rooms on the ground floor have terraces that lead directly to the pool. This was the former residence of U.S. ambassadors, and all rooms have marble floors and a cream color scheme, with polished dark-wood furniture. The hotel's café serves fresh-baked French pastries. If you're traveling with kids, nanny service and a video game corner are among the family-friendly amenities.