CAMBODIA: Review of Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Phnom Penh

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Phnom Penh

In a nutshell 

A 201-room, five-star, neo-classic urban oasis in the country's capital, overlooking the Mekong and Bassac Rivers, with an awards cabinet full of accolades.

Where is it?

Sprawling over six hectares, this hotel's riverside setting is minutes from key landmarks and attractions of the Royal Palace, National Museum and Sisowath Quay. The Old Market and Central Market are a ten minute drive, and the international airport is just 30 minutes away.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Phnom Penh

Style and character

The 12-story, light-flooded hotel artfully blends contemporary sophistication with 1920s elegance. There's a striking lobby with polished marble floors, lofty coffered ceilings and wrought iron chandeliers - fully French colonial. Rattan furniture, gleaming hardwood and the gentle beat from wooden ceiling fans lend to local influences, and the soft white linens and plenty of Khmer touches reflect sophistication and yesteryear refinement.

On the top floor you'll find an exclusive lounge for high tea indulgences (very good it was too), a pool table and table tennis in the sports club, live piano played in the lobby bar, an upscale spa and two very beckoning pools.

What's unique?

The hotel chain is part of Planet 21, an initiative encompassing their commitment to sustainable development. It's active every day in the areas of nature, carbon, innovation, local development, employment and dialogue. 

For example, all taps are fitted with water flow regulators, only eco-friendly cleaning products are used for the rooms, they have a commitment to protecting children through training on sex tourism, and local food products are promoted in the restaurant.

In addition, the hotel is the first in Cambodia to have received the internationally recognised HACCP certification in February 2015. This means food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. 

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Phnom Penh

Who goes?

I spotted a family with four kids, a lot of international business people at the early 6.30 - 7.00am breakfast, and many leisure visitors.

Breakfast

Served in the bright and airy all-day dining restaurant La Coupole - one of the nine drink and dining options available within the property - and recognising their diverse client base, it's an international offering with a slant towards French.

Expect the likes of cereals, dried fruit, fresh blueberries, ice cream (!), chocolate fondu, a waffle and pancake station, oat cookies, fancy mango and papaya jams, peanut butter, Nutella, freshly baked breads, brioche, cake, smoothies shots, fruits.

You'll find cheese, crackers, cheese and ham toasties, banana fritters, French toast, meat sliced to order with a big meat slicer, smoked seabass, grilled vegetables, salad items, sauces and a big wooden bowl to toss it all in.

There's a big noodle station with five different types of noodles, green papaya salad, dough sticks. At the Japanese section you'll find an assortment of pickles, seaweed salad, grilled salmon heads and miso. You'll also find an egg station making them to order whichever way you like them.

Dining 

The hotel has a few dining options, but the promise of dashi and a heart aching for Japan since we left in April 2014 had us heading straight for Hachi.

The familiar clip-clopping of the traditional wooden footwear worn by the staff set the backdrop to what was a very good Japanese meal. There was a rainbow of oshinko moriawase (Japanese pickles), some fantastic niku udon with fat and slippery noodles and tender slivers of beef, and a sprightly seaweed salad. Not to mention the very good vinegared mackerel and tuna sushi, and the sesame ice cream with red bean paste to close.

I'd have happily gone back for it all again if we had another evening there.

dining at Hachi, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Phnom Penh

Service

All the staff members were wonderful, and very smiley, opening doors, calling lifts, and closing their palms in the traditional Khmer way as a greeting every time they passed a guest - I really liked that. And the international team come from 14 different countries, covering many languages between them. 

Liked lots / liked less

Liked lots

During our stay, the “Wonders of 1929” photo exhibition was being held at the hotel. It was on for four months and consisted of 84 of the best images from mysterious French travelling actor Georges Portal's travels through Cambodia 85 years ago. There were some fascinating images - a really insightful collection. More information here.

Liked less

Traffic on the roads surrounding hotels can be pretty bad, so if you plan on using wheels, try to keep it outside rush hour.

Price point

Prices from £170 for a superior double to £460 for a prestige suite.

Contact

26 Old August Site, Sothearos Boulevard, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh
+855 23 999200
Website

Note: I stayed as a guest of this hotel as part of a media package. All views remain my own.

Related posts

Week 13: CAMBODIA - Siem Reap (and Angkor Wat) → Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA: Review of Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, Siem Reap
CAMBODIA: Review of Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap
CAMBODIA: Review of La Rose Boutique Hotel & Spa and La Rose Suites, Phnom Penh

CAMBODIA: Review of Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap

In a nutshell 

A French-colonial style luxury property with 238 rooms and suites, covering a vast six hectares, and close to the great Angkor temple complex. If it's good enough for the First Lady, it's good enough for us.

Where is it?

The hotel is set back from the tree-lined Charles de Gaulle Avenue close to Angkor’s famous temples in Siem Reap, and sits around a lake garden, with wooden bridges stretching across the waters, and a modern lake-shaped pool (the largest of its kind in Cambodia) at its heart.

It's close to the spectacular sunsets seen from Bakheng Hill, the Siem Reap River, the Old Market, it's 20 minutes from the International Airport, and walking distance to Siem Reap National Museum.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap
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Style and character

Built only in 1997 and opened in 2000, its striking interiors - feeling at once like the original airy French colonial architecture that can be found in Saigon, yet with a more local Khmer twist - feels a century older. 

A property with a design that's unique in the area, its most show stopping feature is the use of space. Sitting amongst the elegant manicured gardens, the swimming pool is surrounded by lush and opulent landscaping, and the world-class 18-hole golf course at the Phokeethra Country Club, is just a 25 minute drive away.

Dark wooden floors and furniture, four poster beds, the gentle beat from ceiling fans, soft white linens, and vibrant local silks reflect French sophistication and yesteryear refinement, with each luxury room (what we stayed in) overlooking the garden, pool or lagoon.

A small mezzanine level with floor loungers to kick back on leads onto the private balcony surrounded by trees; perfect for a spot of exotic bird watching as they flit from tree to tree. An in-room Lavazza coffee machine and L'Occitane bath products help add the finishing touches to a very splendid space.

What's unique?

The hotel chain is part of Planet 21, an initiative encompassing their commitment to sustainable development. It's active every day in the areas of nature, carbon, innovation, local development, employment and dialogue. 

For example, all taps are fitted with water flow regulators, only eco-friendly cleaning products are used for the rooms, they have a commitment to protecting children through training on sex tourism, and local food products are promoted in the restaurant.

In addition, the hotel is the first in Cambodia to have received the internationally recognised HACCP certification in February 2015. This means food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. 

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap
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Who goes?

Shortly after opening, the hotel was discovered by star guests on their own search for ancient culture in the area – the whole cast and crew of Tomb Raider (2001), led by Angelina Jolie, stayed in the hotel during their filming in the surrounding temples. 

And just a few days after our stay, the First Lady herself, Michelle Obama, was also there. Along with her security and entourage, they stayed at the hotel for two days whilst Michelle Obama was in the country to address a Peace Corps event. And it was no small price tag for the American tax payers, according to the Daily Mail.

And from the non-famous clientèle, I spotted a few business folk (I think quite a few from the Whitehouse were there in preparation for the First Lady's visit), solo diners, many couples, groups of friends, and a couple of tour groups.

Breakfast

Served in the bright and airy all-day dining restaurant The Citadel - one of the seven dining options available within the property - and recognising their diverse client base, it's an international offering.

Expect the likes of cheese, cold cuts, charcuterie, and crackers, smoked salmon, dried fruits and nuts, an egg station and a noodle station, cooking them to order. There's shrimp cocktail salads, ham and cheese salads, smoked fish, mango with pork, chive dumplings, miso soup. There's a soup of minced beef with five spices, chicken sausage, pork sausage, steamed veg, noodles with veg. 

You'll find peanut butter, milk jam, compotes, mixed fruit smoothies, beetroot and apple juice, blueberry jam, Nutella, a spread of fine baked goods including madeleines and financiers, HP sauce (hurrah!) and Bon Maman jam jars on each table.

Calories are handily written on the label for each dish, and you can dine on the terrace and enjoy the bird watching in the surrounding trees, if you can handle the heat.

breakfast at Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Siem Reap
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Service

All the staff members were wonderful, and very smiley, closing their palms in the traditional Khmer way as a greeting every time they passed a guest - I really liked that.

I like how a sign in the bathroom tells you the tap water is safe to brush your teeth with, that there are complimentary newspapers, and rather than being priced per item, the laundry service lets you fill up a whole bag and charges you $40 to wash and iron the lot

Liked lots / liked less

Liked lots

Those staying in the superior rooms get one of the best fruit bowls I've seen in a hotel, including mango, banana, logan fruit, rambuten, mangosteen and pear. And that accompanies a lunch platter - pastries, cut fruit, crepes, little pancakes, yoghurts and smoothies. More than enough to tide you over until dinner.

Liked less

Struggling to think of something, to be honest.

Price point

Prices from around £170 a night for a superior double room, to £235 for a junior suite, including breakfast.

Contact

Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Khum Svay Dang Kum, Siem Reap
+855 63 964600
Website
@SofitelNews

Note: Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort kindly hosted us as a guest as part of a media package. All views remain my own.

Related posts

CAMBODIA: Review of Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, Siem Reap
Week 13: CAMBODIA - Siem Reap (and Angkor Wat) → Phnom Penh
Week 14: CAMBODIA - Sihanoukville & Koh Rong Samloem Island
Week 15: CAMBODIA - Kep