Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra has opened its doors on the banks of the Mekong River, featuring eight restaurants and bars, a spa and fitness complex, and expansive meeting facilities.
The 201-room Accor hotel is the city's first new five-star debut since the 1990s, coupling classic European design and contemporary Cambodian style with wooden floors, high coffered ceilings and wooden lattice.
The $50 million hotel development claims a number of firsts in Phnom Penh and the region. Its 1,800-square-meter ballroom ranks as the largest in Cambodia while its So Spa and the executive club, Club Millésime, are the first purpose-built facilities of their kind in Southeast Asia.
Eighty percent of the hotels' rooms boast views of both the Bassac and the Mekong River and the hotel's cityside front rests against Phnom Penh's old French quarter, which is in the midst of a district-wide residential makeover. Also within walking distance is the Royal Palace, the National Museum and Sisowath Quay, a waterfront café.