I spent 10 days in Phnom Penh. 8 were spent at The Pavilion Hotel which I can absolutely recommend, but when I decided to extend my stay in Phnom Penh by 2 days, The Pavilion was fully booked, so I had to find another hotel, and after some research, I selected the Apsor Palace Hotel. I booked a deluxe double room with a balcony, and city view, and requested a high floor.
The hotel location is good, close to the central square and Royal Palace, although the road outside the hotel is in an extremely poor condition, so much so that it is difficult to walk down.
Upon entering the hotel, the foyer and reception is opulent and impressive and provides the feeling that you are in a very good 4-star hotel, so I was hopeful I had made a good choice.
First thing I noticed was that the staff were surprised to see me – Like they were not expecting anyone checking in that day. They had to call someone from the back office to help with the check-in procedure, as they could not find my booking, even though I showed them it on my phone. I had to inform them what type of room I had booked, and also that I had requested a high floor.
I was shown to room 501 – It looked similar to the pictures on the website, at first . . .
After looking over the room, I noticed the condition and finish was very poor:
Bathroom sink was cracked and poorly repaired.
Bathroom sink did not drain water properly.
Wardrobe doors did not shut properly.
Upright lamp was crooked and broken.
Large foam strips fitted on the bottom inside and outside of the room door as the door was so poorly fitted.
Stains on the floor.
Stains on the curtains.
Stains on the paintwork.
Large gaps in the flooring.
Water damage on the ceiling.
When I sat on the bed it made a sound like it was breaking.
Overall the room was quite disgusting and disappointing.
If I was to make an assessment, I would suggest that they have tried to refurbish the rooms at some point, to modernise and refresh them, and made a very, very poor job of it – The workmanship and furnishing are awful!
The swimming pool on the hotel roof is not really a swimming pool, more a large jacuzzi, as it is about 4 metres wide by 6 metres long, and since it has steps inside, you are unable to swim in it – The pictures on the website are deceiving!
Also, although there is a bar on the roof, this was not open.
The good points – The bedding and towels were clean and fresh
Breakfast was ok – A relatively good selection and the quality was nice.
In summary, based on the room, this is not a 4-star hotel, it is 3-star at best, and I am unable to recommend staying here due to the very poor condition and finish of the rooms
