Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel — Hotel in Khan Daun Penh

An old world charm, environmentally friendly hotel next to the river and by some important sites.

It is very rare for me to write a review of a hotel while I am still checked in as a guest but the Frangipani Hotel is something else.

I am a platinum member of the Accor group, by default, I always stay in Accor properties if the are available. I could have stayed in the Sofitel down the road from here but after doing some research I found the Frangipani has particular features that I love. A river view and close to temples.

It is 5:45 in the morning now and for the last 20 minutes I have been sat at the Sky Bar, a roof top open air bar with a swimming pool, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes while dawn breaks over Phnom Pehn. There is a beautiful breeze and the gentle sounds of nature interspersed with the occasional car, the clouds are pink and the view of the Tongle Sap is something to behold. I am living a 6 star moment and would he happy to sit here every day for the rest of my life.

On one side is a Tongle Sap river, with all manner of boats chugging along, on another side is a temple and on yet another side is the Grand Palace. You get a real birds eye on view. In the immediate area are plenty of things to do, see and eat. The river is less than 2 minutes walk.

I arrived at 10pm last night. The journey from the airport was 27 minutes.

On arrival, the security guard took all my bags out of the car and whisked them into the lobby.

The reception process was fast and easy, the staff on reception where polite, friendly and spoke English very well.

As I was checking in as on my own, I was asked if I anyone else was checking in with me. I responded with no and was then told that under no circumstances am I allowed to bring outside guests to my room. That was the first time someone anyone has ever said that to me and I was a little surprised. But hey, no problem, that's not my style anyway.

I was shown to my room, the royal suite with balcony. My first thought when I went into my room was I wished that my wife was with me. She would love the decor and the style of the room and it really feels romantic. Generally I don't pay much attention to the furnishings in a room, but the room is laid out beautifully. This is a non smoking hotel, and I am a smoker, shame on me, and I was told I could smoke on the balcony. That's a massive bonus for me.

The hotel is not modern, it is borrowed from another era. It is the most romantic style of hotel, in the middle of a city, that I have ever stayed in. Perfect for couples.

I read the in room information book. That is very inspiring. Produce sourced locally, staffed from the local communtity, supports various NGO's, no tooth paste or tooth brushes to avoid plastic waste, free water that is refillable, again to avoid plastic waste. Strongly does not support the sex industry or any other type of exploitation. Will source day trips from ethical suppliers and recommend restaurants that have the same view.

Staying here, I feel more Eco friendly and inspired. I wish that more hotels would follow the principles of the Frangipani.

The Frangipani is absolutely an oasis in the middle of Phnom Penh. The old world style has been perfectly preserved and the staff are amazing and the views stunning. Staying here you support the same eco values and non exploitation values of the hotel. This is more than just a room for a night, your supporting the community and if you are travelling with your significant other, you are stepping into a whole world...

I have been at this hotel three times at intervals of two years each. Unfortunately, the hotels is loosing rapidly its charm. The hotel looks tired and a lack of investment is apparent. Already the reception gives as an untidy impression.||In the staircase the paint of the wooden planks was worn out. A dead Gecko on which someone must have stepped was sticking during my three days stay on the stairs. ||The rooms on the third floor are way too hot, as they are directly exposed under the roof. The floor mats in the room made of natural fibers were full of stains, the bed made on each move-ment a creaky noisy and the mattress was worn out. The bathroom made a sinister impression. I already commented in an earlier review that only a curtain is separating the living quarters from the toilet/bathroom. The bathtub that serves also as shower is with a round bottom and extremely dangerous. The flip-flops that are provided are unhygienic and worn by generations of guests. During the whole stay the trash bin was never emptied.||The proposed breakfast is modest. There is no buffet. Guests have to tick on a piece of paper what they intend to eat. Bacon was crossed out on the list, as well as the Asian noodles. There are two options, either to choose two lame croissants or two slices of toast, a little juice, an omelet or two fried egg, 3 different fruits (banana, pineapple or papaya, or a miniature slice of each with luck) Servings of butter and jam are pathetically small and of the cheapest quality.||This hotel can no longer be recommended. The feeling is that in this hotel what matters most to make money at the expense of doing some investment to offer some of the legendary Khmer hospitality to their guests. The hotel is centrally located for visiting Phnom Penh, but this does not entirely compensate for the lack of comfort and cleanliness. The “Fine Art” of catering and give the guests a feeling of wellbeing is lost...

We picked this hotel because it was so highly rated on TripAdvisor and Google. It was also suggested by our AAA travel agent. It was not 4 stars.

First off, we wanted to get some laundry done being a multi location trip. We put items in the designated bag and filled out the form. In order to get it the next day we had to call by 10 AM. We first called at 9:30 and they said they would be right up. 15 min later we called again and asked if it was necessary for us to be there when they picked it up because we wanted to make it to breakfast before it closed. We confirmed we didn't need to be there. We got back to our room 8 hours later and the laundry was still there. Ended up having to do laundry in the sink.

Secondly, the wifi was terrible. There were two access points on our floor, but still weren't able to stay connected.

Next, our room wasn't cleaned until after 5pm if it was cleaned at all. The first time they came to clean when we were showering before dinner (around 6pm) and so we said they could skip us today if we could just get new towels. The next day they again came late in the day when we had come back to shower and clean up before dinner. Told them we needed ten more min so they said they would come back. We came back after 10pm from dinner and it had never been cleaned.

There were stains on the mattress and sheets. The moulding was cracked. There were spots on the wall and cobwebs in the corners. Lots of things that I wouldn't expect from a 4 star hotel.

Honestly the only perk was that the room itself was air-conditioned fairly well. And that was only when we were in the room with the key inserted...