Raffles Hotel Le Royal
Phnom Penh's 1929 French colonial gem, survivor of the Khmer Rouge
About the Property
Opened in 1929, Le Royal was Phnom Penh's premier address throughout the French colonial period and survived the Khmer Rouge era largely intact. Its arched corridors, black-and-white tiled floors, and tropical gardens have hosted Somerset Maugham, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Charles de Gaulle. The Elephant Bar — where foreign correspondents gathered during the Cambodian civil war — remains one of Asia's most storied watering holes. A careful 1997 restoration by Raffles preserved its colonial grandeur.
Original Purpose
French colonial grand hotel
Highlights
History Timeline
Le Royal opens on the corner of Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh, immediately becoming the address of choice for French colonial administrators, visiting diplomats, and Indochina correspondents.
Cambodia achieves independence; the hotel transitions from French colonial hub to the social center of Sihanouk's neutral, culturally vibrant kingdom, hosting heads of state and film crews.
As civil war engulfs Cambodia following the Lon Nol coup, the Elephant Bar becomes the gathering point for international journalists and aid workers covering the conflict.
Khmer Rouge forces enter Phnom Penh on 17 April; the hotel is shuttered and the city emptied — Le Royal sits silent through more than two decades of war and isolation.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts completes an extensive restoration, meticulously reinstating the French colonial interiors, Elephant Bar, and original pool terrace after 22 years of closure.
Named Cambodia's Leading Hotel by World Travel Awards for the first of many consecutive years, cementing its status as Phnom Penh's definitive grand address.