New Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is the largest internationally branded hotel in the city

With the lemon-colored early 20th Century Colonial House serving as a counterpoint to the main hotel, the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is an alluring blend of the modern and the historic 

Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA: It's an obvious understatement that the pandemic has wreaked devastation on Southeast Asia’s vital tourism sector.

For the past two or so years, big-ticket destinations have been starved of international visitors. Visitors, in turn, have been denied the region’s uniquely vibrant blend of high-octane dining and nightlife, and paradise beaches and landscapes. 

But all has not been quiet.

Indeed, the region has welcomed a spate of notable resort openings. With travel now opening up again, business is looking up for the Cambodian hospitality industry.

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh

Key to Phnom Penh’s future success is the presence of world-class lodging options such as Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh. Opened into a world battened down by the pandemic in January 2021, it is among the most exciting additions to the hospitality scene in recent times. 

With 247 guestrooms including forty-three residential-style suites, the property is the largest internationally branded hotel in the city. 

Located in the heart of Phnom Penh’s cultural and business district of Doun Penh, the hotel is a 30-minute drive from the airport and is within a short walking distance to the Royal Palace, National Museum, and the riverside. 

Conceived by award-winning Singapore-based SCDA Architects and leading Thailand-based PIA Interior, the contemporary-meets-colonial interiors of the hotel reflect Cambodia’s unique history, seamlessly blending Khmer architectural accents, French colonial influences, and specially commissioned artworks by contemporary Cambodian artist, FONKi.

As guests pull into the hotel’s driveway, they are greeted with a welcoming centerpiece: a beautiful French heritage building flanked by sweet-smelling frangipani trees. 

The Colonial House is home to The Attic, an old-world speakeasy-style bar tucked into the eaves of the building.

Additional F&B standouts include Metropole Underground, an art-deco-themed space that is Phnom Penh’s first subterranean venue, and FiveFive Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, where guests can feast on creative cuisine and soak up breathtaking views of the Royal Palace, the Mekong River, and the city skyline.

Other hotel highlights include a 22-meter outdoor infinity pool surrounded by lush greenery and the hotel’s Jivapita spa, which offers a range of pampering treatments often inspired by Khmer wellness traditions.