Cambodia’s newest hotel, the 201-room Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra has launched unveiling eight restaurants and bars, expansive meetings facilities, a captivating new spa and fitness complex and a bold vision for Phnom Penh as the emergent hub in a country that has long lacked one.

The new Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra

The city’s first 5-star debut since the 1990s, the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra melds classic European design and contemporary Cambodia elegance. Wooden floors, high coffered ceilings and wooden lattice are tone setters in one of the region’s most eagerly awaited properties.

The USD$50 million hotel development claims a number of firsts in Phnom Penh and the region. Its 1,800-square-meter ballroom ranks as the largest in Cambodia. And its So Spa and the executive club, Club Millésime, are the first purpose-built facilities of their kind in Southeast Asia.

“This is a big step for Phnom Penh, and a big step for Cambodia,” said Didier Lamoot, the general manager of the hotel, who worked five years previously as general manager of a sister property, the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort in Siem Reap.

“This hotel should move Phnom Penh from maybe-visit to must-visit for upscale travellers who’ve wondered whether it’s possible to be catered to appropriately beyond Siem Reap.”

Eighty percent of the hotels’ rooms boast views of both the Bassac and the Mekong River and accommodation ranges across seven classes, from 121 Superior rooms to 45 Luxury, 23 Junior Suites, 11 Prestige Suites and one Opera Suite.

Wooden floors, glass-walled baths and classic appointments distinguish every option and more than 150 of the hotel’s rooms overlook the Mekong.

The hotel is also firmly focussed on attracting the regional market for conferences. The hotel’s 1,800-square-metre ballroom anchors a facility that’s equipped to produce sit-down dinners for 1,100 at a time. A grassy lawn by the pool can accommodate 2,000 in an outdoor setting. The hotel invested nearly USD$2 million in audio-visual technology alone.

And when the meetings are over, recreational opportunities extend from utter relaxation to utter exhaustion.

The hotel is the first location in Southeast Asia to deliver Sofitel’s ‘So Spa,’ a new wellness concept that debuted in London last year. In addition to two squash courts, the grounds feature four, floodlit tennis courts and two locales for workouts — So Fit, a haven for fitness and well-being exclusively for in-house guests, and the Phokeethra Sports Club, a sophisticated gym for guests and local members alike.

Likewise, the hotel’s two pools – one in the hotel building itself and the other in the adjacent sports complex — cater exclusively to guests and to both guests and members, respectively.

On the 12th floor, Club Millésime caters to the hotel’s executive guests in the first purpose-built facility of its kind in the region. The lounge’s stunning views of the city and the river, and a combination of outdoor space and sophisticated décor, elevate this meeting space to great new heights.

Rates at the hotel start from AUD$162 per room per night. To book visit www.sofitel.com