With our Spain trip complete – it was time to go back a little earlier in the year and visit something a little closer to home – Phnom Penh. When people think about Cambodia, the first place they think about is Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat, but we wanted somewhere a little different so decided to visit Phnom Penh first and visit Siem Reap next year.
As a IHG Platinum Ambassador Member, it was natural for me to go for the Intercontinental Phnom Penh and went for the junior suite on this occasion.
One of the benefit of the Ambassador program is the fact that you’re meant to get a room upgrade automatically when you stay at Intercontinental Properties, because we booked the Junior Suite and they actually had an event on at the hotel during my stay, they contacted me a week earlier and apologised and offered me a free airport transfer instead – not great news but I appreciate the thought. When we arrived, we were greeted and on our way to the hotel in a swanky BMW.
The Lobby
The building itself had a very colonial feel to it and it’s most likely because of the fact of the French Colonial period’s (1800s to mid 1900s) influence on country – that said, it was a very pleasant place to just relax and people watch.
The Room
The room we booked was a One Bedroom Junior Suite and to be honest, even if they upgraded us further, Ms. Buddha and I would not have been able to use up the space. As you entered the room, you’re greeted with a frankly massive living room. The design is quite traditional but very comfortable none the less. There was also an additional toilet and pantry area. The bedroom itself was relatively small compared to the living room, but otherwise, it was very comfortable.
Because of the Ambassador benefits, it meant that we also get fruits and a gift (it was a saucer) – something we could enjoy while looking down at the streets from high up 🙂
Club Lounge and Breakfast
With the Junior Suite, you also get access to the Club Lounge – which is effectively a lounge area that serves up breakfast, afternoon tea and cocktail/drinks in the evening. The lounge itself was not big in this case, but I suspect they actually don’t get that many visitors (wasn’t crowded when we were there). The food at the lounge was excellent though and frankly the service was top notch, it had the professionalism from a big brand without being too uptight – perfect!
For breakfast, instead of the lounge, we went to the hotel restaurant downstairs instead where there was a full buffet available, the food quality was great with a large range of variety – however, breakfast is always a bit difficult for me because I never really eat that much – Ms. Buddha loved the fruits though!
During our stay, it also coincided with the Earth Hour – which is where the city switches off it’s lights, it was actually quite beautiful because the hotel switched the lights off in the lobby and placed candles all over the place – quite romantic!
Intercontinental Phnom Penh is probably one of the bigger surprises for me in terms of IC properties, whilst the rooms are not super modern, the place was really comfortable and service suited my preference perfectly – it has definitely become my go-to for future trips here!
Buddha Explores 