Le Bokor Palace Hotel — Hotel in Kampot

This was a strange experience I had at this hotel. Not something I would want to reiterate though, and I struggled to come up with a score; 3 or 4 circles?||Let’s get one thing out of the way. Their self-proclaimed 6 star category. This is laughable. By international standards, the facilities, comfort, service, are a solid 4 stars, no more.||I went there at the height of the latest COVID wave, wanting to escape the noise and heat of Phnom Penh and ended up being the only guest at Le Bokor that weekend. The number of staff had been understandably greatly reduced, and, annoyingly, all activities suspended. I’d come here to visit the national park, but the hotel had no driver to facilitate the visit. Instead they directed me to their sister hotel down the road which offers bicycle rental. Which I did and it was very pleasant.||Being the only guest in the hotel was eerie, and quite uncomfortable because the few remaining staff kept hovering around me wherever I went. I constantly felt observed. The most unpleasant part was during the meals, when the waitress was standing a few metres away from me and literally watching eagerly every single mouthful and then rushing to my table to remove the plate while I was still munching. I told her a few times to give me some space but she didn’t understand. This is obviously how she had been trained, and I can’t fault her eagerness to please, even though it didn’t allow me to relax.||And the hotel itself? Its location first is fantastic. Perched atop the Bokor hill, its (more or less) landscaped terrace at the back opens up to a spectacular view over the mountain, the sea, and the Vietnamese resort island of Phu Quoc. This is a 1 million dollars view and I guess explains the steep prices charged. Although this terrace is entirely open to the public. More on that later.||The building was built by the French in 1920, and restored in 2018. Unfortunately, the Sokha group clearly have no experience in bringing colonial buildings back to their former glory. The restoration was clearly made on the cheap. For once, the addition of an extra floor ruined the gracefulness of the original Art Deco building. Also, the communal parts (corridors, stairwells) all have a strange dated look. No modernisation was attempted there. The use of space is not working either. The dining room is cavernous, and desolate, but no space was devoted to a lounge, or library, or any intimate setting to relax with a book. Sokha should have looked at the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi to see how these things are done properly. ||The room I was in (Bokor suite) was simple and comfortable. Good amenities, fluffy towels, large comfortable bed. No aircon which was a bit of an issue as it was rainy season when I went there and the room felt a bit damp. ||Not many facilities otherwise. A lovely outdoor jacuzzi. However, it’s on the side of the terrace open to the public. Which means complete lack of privacy. When I went there in my bathrobe I had to go through gawking locals and was then followed by children who were staring at me getting undressed. I felt like an animal at the zoo and had to ask security to keep them away. A simple wooden fence with a sign “hotel guests only” would have done the trick.||And this also means that you can not really use this terrace (the hotel terrace!) to relax with a book, soaking in the scenery, in peace, as there are always people coming and going, taking pictures, children running around, etc. ||Overall a real mixed bag. I cannot fault the dedication of staff and their eagerness to please, even though it can be overbearing. A solid 4 stars for them. But many poor decisions were made by the owner and the manager that make this hotel a missed opportunity, is not very comfortable to relax, and yet charges a hefty price tag per night. 2...

Le Bokor Palace advertises itself as a six star hotel. On the basis of my recent stay this is an absurd claim: it is a run-of-the mill three or four star hotel, located in a magnificent mountaintop setting and housed in an attractively renovated old building. ||My partner and I were the only guests in the hotel during our two-night weekend stay (apparently not an unusual situation, as a previous reviewer notes the same experience.) The hotel was operating on a skeleton staff, and had apparently cut back on many of its services (including a shuttle to nearby attractions, the customary welcome drink, the minibar, the restaurant menu, and even help carrying bags when we checked out.) The few staff members who were around during our stay (as far as I could tell a front desk clerk, a waitress, a cook (at night) and a security guard) were very pleasant and helpful, and I don't fault them for the hotel's shortcomings.||The main problem with this hotel is that it over-promises, under-delivers and claims to be something that it isn't. Guests who expect what the hotel advertises will surely be disappointed. The view from the hotel grounds, however,...

Unlike claimed, this is not a 6 star hotel by any stretch of the imagination. This is even laughable. By international standards, this is 4 stars, no more.

Rooms are simple and comfortable. No complaint here. Although no aircon means you can’t get rid of the dampness when it rains outside. Staff are dedicated and eager to please, a bit too much though. There was always someone hovering around me when I was there, including during meals when the waitress was staring at me and counting my mouthfuls so that she could clear the plates when I was still munching. Not very relaxing. But she was also extremely friendly, and so was everyone else.

Outdoor jacuzzi is lovely, except when you have throngs of locals freely wandering across the hotel terrace and then staring at you when you try to relax. I had to point this out to the hotel security for them to finally cordon off the area for hotel guests.

Finally, the graceful elegance of the originally Art Deco building was massacred during a renovation clearly made on the cheap. But at least they saved it I guess since it was an abandoned ruin. Overall, pleasant, but a bit too expensive...