Raffles Hotel Le Royal

Rooms and decor

Picture a cream-colored colonial building under an orange-tiled roof, built back in 1929 and designed by French architect Ernest Hébrard, who blended French Colonial with Khmer detailing and Art Deco into one handsome whole. That's Raffles Hotel Le Royal, the building that became the picture of colonial-era Phnom Penh. All 175 rooms and suites split into two zones. The Heritage Wing is the original block, still holding its 4-metre ceilings, slow-turning antique fans, carved teak wardrobes, parquet floors that creak softly underfoot, and the highlight — classic claw-foot tubs in soft cream marble bathrooms. The other zone, the Personality Suites, was added later and decorated in period style, drawing on the hotel's legendary guests: Jackie Kennedy and Charlie Chaplin. Jackie's suite still runs a white-and-soft-gold palette, with a photo of her 1967 visit on the wall, a firm king bed, and thick linen curtains that black the room out by day. Some rooms have a small balcony over the leafy courtyard garden.

Food and amenities

The heart of this hotel is the Elephant Bar, the legendary cocktail bar. Step in and you find a long polished teak bar counter, dark wood walls, antique brass lamps and deep-green velvet sofas that look properly vintage. The bartenders here are credited with inventing the "Femme Fatale", served to Jackie Kennedy first when she visited in 1967, and now the signature drink everyone orders. The main dining room, Restaurant Le Royal, serves contemporary Khmer and classic French; the Amok fish in banana leaf and the Kampot-pepper duck are both worth trying. Another corner, Le Phnom 1929, is an all-day French brasserie good for a long brunch. There are two pools ringed by the tropical garden — one larger for proper swimming, one smaller for a relaxed soak — and the Raffles Le Royal spa, which reviews rate the best in the city, with signature treatments built on a Khmer-style massage using local herbs and lemongrass oil. A fitness room and steam room round it out.

Location and getting there

The hotel sits on the corner of Monivong Blvd. and Street 92, in the heart of Daun Penh — Phnom Penh's oldest historic district and the source of the city's name. The street out front is lined with tall mature trees, giving a genuine colonial feel you won't find in the city's newer districts. It's about a 10-minute walk from the lobby to Wat Phnom, the small hill temple that is the city's symbol and the origin of "phnom" (hill). Another 5 minutes on is Central Market (Phsar Thmei), a pale-yellow domed Art Deco building selling everything from food to handmade silver. From the hotel, the Royal Palace and National Museum by the river are about a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride. In the evening, walk down to Sisowath Quay on the riverside, lined with restaurants and bars, for a fine sunset. The airport (PNH) is a 35-45 minute drive depending on traffic.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide — Raffles Le Royal is priced noticeably above other 5-star hotels in Phnom Penh, and some reviews feel they're paying for the "history" and the "Raffles brand" more than current room quality. Next to newer hotels in town at half the price, the rooms here aren't necessarily better on tech or modern convenience. The other thing to know is that it's a genuinely old building — Wi-Fi in some rooms is slower than you'd expect at this level, and the older air-con can hum a little. Some Heritage Wing rooms carry a faint sound of old plumbing or a creak from the wood floors when people pass. If you expect dead silence like a brand-new hotel, adjust your expectations a bit. Restaurant Le Royal is also fairly pricey by Phnom Penh standards, and the menu doesn't change often, so over several nights it can get repetitive — worth heading out to the local Khmer places around Daun Penh that cost a lot less. And if you book the Heritage Wing but need fast Wi-Fi to work, you may have to sit in the lobby or restaurant, since the in-room signal can be patchier than in the newer zone.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews, Raffles Hotel Le Royal is the one hotel selling genuine colonial history in a way no other place in Phnom Penh can. The 1929 building where Jackie Kennedy stayed, the quiet tropical garden in the city center, the legendary Elephant Bar and the well-known Raffles spa. If the trip in your head is waking up to swim in a palm-ringed pool, wandering out to Wat Phnom and Central Market mid-morning, then coming back for a Femme Fatale at the Elephant Bar in the evening the way Jackie Kennedy did, this is about as good a fit as it gets. But if you want a modern, high-tech hotel where everything is brand-new, the price here can feel like paying for history beyond the room quality. Overall we give it 9.2/10 — best for honeymooning couples and luxury travelers who value history and atmosphere over cutting-edge tech, plus business travelers who want a stay they'll remember and a story to take home.