Best Places To Stay In Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is cheap by regional standards across every price bracket, so the question is less about budget than about which of the city’s three main areas fits your trip. Book ahead if you’re arriving around Bon Om Touk in late November, when riverside hotels fill fast.
Riverside and Daun Penh
The historic core, and the obvious choice if the Royal Palace, the National Museum, and Wat Phnom are your priority: everything is within walking distance, and the riverside promenade is right there for morning and evening walks. This is where Raffles Hotel Le Royal, the city’s grande dame colonial hotel, sits, and it’s a fair benchmark for the top of the market here. Expect more foot traffic and tourist-facing restaurants than the other two areas, and factor in the bag-snatching risk that comes with a busier riverfront when you’re walking after dark.
BKK1 (Boeung Keng Kang 1)
The upscale expat neighborhood, dense with cafes, restaurants, and nightlife, and generally the pick for travelers who want a livelier base without staying directly on the tourist-heavy riverside. It’s a short tuk-tuk ride from the Palace rather than a walk, but the tradeoff is a wider range of food and a calmer street scene overall. This is also where Rosewood Phnom Penh, occupying the upper floors of the Vattanac Capital Tower with river views, anchors the luxury end.
Tonle Bassac
The quietest of the three, and the practical choice if Aeon Mall’s air conditioning and food court are on your list for a heat-break day, or if you’d rather be away from both the riverside crowds and BKK1’s nightlife. It’s still a reasonable tuk-tuk ride from the main sights, not a remote suburb, just a step down in intensity from the other two.
Budget range and booking
Cambodia’s accommodation spans genuine luxury at $150-plus a night down to hostel dorms for a few dollars, with a wide and reliable mid-range in between; you don’t need to spend much to get a comfortable, well-located room in any of the three areas above. Check current rates on Booking.com once you’ve picked a neighborhood, since prices move with the season and with festival dates.
For the sights each area puts you closest to, see the Phnom Penh travel guide , and for a day-by-day plan that accounts for where you’re based, the 2-day itinerary is the fastest way to see how the logistics fit together.