The best hotels in Phnom Penh

BKK1 and Riverside are the two neighborhoods worth prioritizing. Riverside puts you on Sisowath Quay within 10 minutes walk of the Royal Palace and National Museum, while BKK1 on and around Street 278 gives you the city's best café and restaurant scene. Expect to pay $45-175/night depending on which you pick. Both neighborhoods are walkable in the cooler months; in April, you'll want a hotel with a pool.

Generally yes, though bag snatching from motorbikes is a real issue on Sisowath Quay and around Wat Phnom. keep bags on the inside of the pavement, not the street side. The tourist-heavy areas like BKK1 and Riverside are well-lit and actively policed. Avoid the area around the bus station on Charles de Gaulle Boulevard at night. Most hotel concierges will give you current street-level advice; take it seriously.

Solid budget options in BKK1 start around $45/night. Mid-range hotels in Riverside and Toul Tom Poung run $110-180/night and usually include a pool. Luxury stays at Raffles or Sofitel in Daun Penh and Tonle Bassac hit $260-450/night. You can get genuinely excellent hotels for $130-160/night. Phnom Penh doesn't require a big budget to sleep well.

November through February is the sweet spot: temperatures sit around 26-30°C, humidity drops, and the city is at its most comfortable. The Water Festival (Bon Om Touk) in November is spectacular. boats race on the Tonle Sap right in front of Sisowath Quay, and hotel prices spike by 30-40% that week. April is the hottest month (often 38°C+) and coincides with Khmer New Year, which means packed streets and higher prices near the Royal Palace.

Tuk-tuks are the standard: expect to pay $2-5 for most cross-city trips. Grab (the regional Uber equivalent) works reliably and is usually cheaper than negotiating with street tuk-tuks, often under $3 for a BKK1-to-Riverside run. Phnom Penh has no metro. it's tuk-tuks, Grab cars, and motodops (motorcycle taxis) only. From Phnom Penh International Airport to central Riverside, budget around $12-15 by Grab.

Skip the area directly around the Phnom Penh Bus Terminal on Charles de Gaulle Boulevard. Hotels there market themselves as central, but you're 25-30 minutes from the Royal Palace in traffic and surrounded by scams targeting new arrivals. The Stung Meanchey area in the south is similarly poorly located for tourists. Stick to BKK1, Riverside, Daun Penh, or Toul Tom Poung.

Most mid-range and luxury hotels include breakfast or offer it as an add-on for $8-15/person. Budget guesthouses in BKK1 often skip it entirely. Honestly, skip the hotel breakfast if you're staying near Street 240 or the Old Market. you'll eat better for $3-5 at local spots like Daughters of Cambodia Café on Street 178 or any of the baguette carts on Monivong Boulevard.

Riverside means Sisowath Quay: you're walking distance from the Royal Palace, the National Museum, and the night market, but it's louder and more tourist-facing. BKK1 (Boeung Keng Kang 1) sits about 15 minutes walk south, centered around Streets 278 and 240, with a more local café culture, fewer touts, and slightly lower hotel prices. If this is your first trip, Riverside is easier. If you've been before, BKK1 is better.

At Rosewood or Raffles Le Royal, absolutely. Rosewood in Daun Penh starts at $185/night and delivers a 36th-floor pool and food that rivals any hotel in Southeast Asia at that price. Raffles Le Royal on Street Monivong is a genuine piece of history. These aren't just comfortable places to sleep. they're part of the Phnom Penh experience. If luxury is on the table, don't talk yourself out of it.

Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) sits about 10 km west of the city center. By Grab, you're looking at 20-30 minutes to Riverside or BKK1 depending on traffic, and about $10-15 for the ride. Avoid the airport taxi touts inside arrivals. fixed-price Grab is cheaper and more reliable. Hotels in Tonle Bassac near the Sofitel are the closest to the airport at roughly 15-20 minutes.

Kabiki Hotel in Toul Tom Poung is the clear pick: it's a villa-style property with large grounds, a proper pool, and room configurations that actually work for families with kids. It's about a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride to the Russian Market on Street 155. For families who want more central access, Plantation Urban Resort in BKK1 has the garden space and calm atmosphere that makes it manageable with children.

Hotel Cambodiana on the Tonle Bassac riverfront has the best mid-range business infrastructure in the city: solid conference rooms, business center, and proximity to government offices on Norodom Boulevard. For higher-end corporate stays, Sofitel Phokeethra on Sothearos Boulevard is 8 minutes walk from the diplomatic quarter and handles large delegations well. Both are under 20 minutes from the airport in light traffic.