Rosewood Phnom Penh is one of the most luxurious urban hotels in South East Asia. It is a delight and a highlight of any visit to Cambodia.
The 39 storey skyscraper style building was purpose built for Rosewood, and is exceptionally designed with 360 degree views, a smouldering outdoor rooftop bar, stunningly sublime streamlined pool and wellness area, sparkling restaurants that would fit into any world city five star hotel, and rooms and suites that are as elegant as they are spacious and that are perfectly fitted out with acute attention to every detail.
The hotel sits on the top 14 floors, with three floors of spacious rooms and suites.
Staff are proactive and kind, and the feature of the hotel are floor to ceiling windows in almost every room, bar and restaurant with sweeping views which floods a stay with natural light and a unique energy.
Overall Rating of Rosewood Phnom Penh: 9.5/10
The Location: 9/10
There is an upscale shopping centre adjoining the hotel with the highest end shopping brands you would want as well as Arabica Coffee shop on site for any addicts of this Japanese born cult-like coffee chain. The much more relaxed and down market Central market is walking distance and provides the colour and vibrancy of a typical inner city Asian market.
Everything else including nightlife, a large shopping centre and fashion street are a quick 10 minute taxi ride away and taxis are plentiful and cheap.
Service & Facilities: 9/10
Service is warm and friendly and the facilities are outstanding. They include everything you could want from a top end five star hotel and more. There are six sensational top end culinary experiences, and state of the art fitness and spa facilities. The huge swimming pool has spectacular views. and its own staff to deliver food and drinks from the pool menu and fresh towels.
There is an on site art gallery, with ever changing exhibitions, and an exceptional patisserie which includes home made ice cream, sold by the scoop. High tea is available and the open air roofotp bar is one of the hotel’s many highlights. Rooms are spacious, modern and superbly furnished and nightly turn down includes a sweet treat.
Wellness: 9/10
The spa is absolutely exceptional, and has an excellent range of treatments. Renowned for the Khmer herbal massage, even the waiting room has a view – and sense of calm that helps you immediately exhale. The women’s changing room has an intoxicatingly warm plunge pool that is sublime both before and after a treatment.
The swimming pool is large with its own views and has a calming, relaxed but upmarket feel.
The style: 9.5/10
Rosewood Phnom Penh is its own landmark. Interiors are by Melbourne-based BAR Studio, which also worked on Rosewood Phuket and Beijing.
Think modern, slick and chic and switched on in terms of day to day feel and the style is a mix of French colonial and traditional Cambodian motifs. Everything at Rosewood works like clockwork, and oozes style, design prowess and functionality.
The restaurants at Rosewood Phnom Penh are some of the country’s best, with extraordinary food of a global standard, acknowledged by the multiple awards the hotel and the restaurants keep winning.
The Rooms: 10/10
All 175 rooms and suites come with stunning floor to ceiling views, and are furnished in creamy, dreamy neutral hues which oselate between batik panels, soft to touch rugs, couches and pillows, and sassy gold flecked bathroom tiles.
I stayed in a huge suite which was simply magnificent. Extraordinary views, lights that operated with the simple touch of an ipad, a decadent king sized bed, my own coffee machine, a vast, sweeping bathroom and plenty of natural light.
Food & Drink:
The restaurants are the show stoppers of the hotels – and there are five. From the interiors to the food and wine menus, they are elegant, poised and truly something very special and sophisticated.
Brasserie Louis is where all guests are invited to start their day with breakfast with a view. The buffet is seemingly endless, and offers everything you could dream of including pastries, fresh meats, juices, eggs, asian choices and more, plus there is an a la carte menu.
The award winning Cuts Steakhouse is simply extraordinary with a grace and charm all of its own. There is a massive wine cellar, red leather interiors, marble, sweeping high ceilings, art sculptures and steak and seafood beyond your wildest dreams. Instagrammers will want to spend the night here – it is so photogenic. And foodies will definitely be in Paradise.
Japanese Restaurant Iza has a fabulously fresh, creative menu, and is pleasantly casual yet sophisticated with acute attention to detail. The open style kitchen provides fabulous entertainment over a meal.
Sora, the hotel’s rooftop bar has both a striking indoor section and equally but very different outdoor areas with views and live music, and a creative cocktail list. This is where the heavy hitters go to do their deals. There are cigars, whiskey by the bottle and a cantilevered balcony that is striking both in reality and on instagram. They even have their own signature cocktail, The Cambodian.
Insider Knowledge: Add an extra day to your itinerary just to enjoy everything this hotel has to offer. Even an afternoon spent reading in your room is an elevated experience at Rosewood Phnom Penh.
Renae says:
Who should Stay here: Singles and couples – anyone wanting five star luxury and sophistication.
Who shouldn’t Stay here: This is really a hotel for adults. You can stay with small children, but you might miss some of the grown up fun; like long massages, slow dinners and savouring some cocktails under the stars which would be a huge pity.
Location: Forty minutes from Phnom Penh airport depending on traffic.
Best culinary delight: The rib eye steak at Cuts for two. First Class American beef cooked to perfection – just incredible.
The Highlight: Being surrounded by natural light and sweeping views in the restaurants as well as your room.
The lowlight: Adjusting to separate lifts for two parts of the hotel takes a bit of getting used to, but is well worth it
Click here to book Rosewood Phnom Penh.
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