Our stay at the five star Intercontinental in Phnom Penh was blissful, and I’ve been so excited to share it with you guys! The staff we encountered in Cambodia were some of the best and friendliest I have ever experienced, and the hospitality extended to us was just exceptional. Not to mention the incredible rooftop swimming pool complete with Elephant water fountain with *that* sunset as a backdrop…
I arrived at Phnom Penh airport on the Sunday evening, a coupla hours later than originally planned, and after coming out of arrivals found our driver and then went to find Clare. Clare is my old work bestie (not to be mistaken with the Claire I went to Poland and Antigua with in 2015 and 2016), and I hadn’t seen her since my London leaving party last September! Cue much squealing and hugging when I found her walking out of Costa Coffee (yes, Phnom Penh has a Costa!). After a short drive in our swish Mercedes, we arrived at the Intercontinental and began our wonderful two night stay at the luxury property…
The Room
The check-in process was quick and easy, and soon we were stepping into our room with a view over the busy bustling city of Phnom Penh peeking through the curtains. Our Classic room was traditional luxury, with Cambodian art, and absolutely perfect for our whistle-stop tour of Cambodia’s capital city. We were super impressed that there were two seriously comfortable double beds in the room, as a lot of rooms in countries outside the US tend to provide really small single beds in twin rooms. Our room had everything we needed, including a nice big wardrobe, tea and coffee making facilities, and complimentary bottled water.
The bathroom was gorgeous – all marble – with a lovely huge shower and organic Agraria toiletries!
The Pool
The rest of the hotel was stunning – everywhere was so clean and polished. Everywhere looked beautiful, but the pool was the pièce de résistance! The stunning rooftop pool was completely beautiful, with a bar in the pool, plenty of room for swimming proper lengths, sunbeds and tables and chairs around the edge, and even an elephant fountain!!!
We had a late lunch by the pool after a busy day exploring the city, and it was honestly one of the best club sandwiches I’ve had (don’t judge me for having a club sandwich in Cambodia – I promise I tried Cambodian street food too), and not too pricey either.
The Staff
Sometimes you find an absolute gem of a hotel, with a team of staff so kind your heart might burst from the feeling of loveliness surrounding you. Nothing was too much for the staff at Intercontinental Phnom Penh, and they really made our stay very special, despite the short length of it.
We only had one full day in Phnom Penh, and the concierge gave us a few different options at different price points. We decided to go with the private driver, who for a whole day took us anywhere we wanted to go for just $65USD (so around $35-$40USD each including a tip).
The lovely concierge told us how we should visit the Killing Fields because everyone should see what Pol Pot did, but that for him it was very sad. The rawness and honesty made us really realize just how recent the Khmer Rouge’s genocide was, and how even today it’s still impacting the people of Cambodia in ways we can’t even imagine.
The Breakfast
Oh my days. The breakfast was so incredible! It was probably one of the best buffets I’ve experienced, and we loved the variety. From fresh fruit, to cereals, a huge range of pastries, traditional cooked breakfast, dim dum, sushi, and even freshly made pancakes, waffles, omelettes, and juices made right in front of your eyes! We tried most of the dishes while we were there, and were really impressed with the quality of all the food.
The Intercontinental Phnom Penh is the perfect choice for anyone visiting Phnom Penh and wanting a touch of luxury away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and I’m so glad we stayed there!If you’re heading to Phnom Penh soon and want to stay at the Intercontinental, check out the prices for your dates here*!
Our stay at Intercontinental Phnom Penh was complimentary
*I use affiliate links with Skimlinks and Booking.com, this doesn’t cost you any extra, the company just give me a few pennies every time you book something through one of my links 🙂
*I use affiliate links with Skimlinks and Booking.com, this doesn’t cost you any extra, the company just give me a few pennies every time you book something through one of my links 🙂
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
Any breakfast spread with dragonfruit is a WIN for me, although the promise of calm and tranquility from the chaos of Phnom Penh is already good enough! x
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Nice article Catherine and very timely as we'll be staying there in a few days. How much is the breakfast buffet?