The Hotel Cambodiana ( km, សណ្ឋាគារខេមបូឌីយ៉ាណា, ) is a 239-room

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

on the banks of the Tonlé Sap River in the heart of Phnom Penh,

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

, approximately 10 km from

Phnom Penh International Airport Phnom Penh International Airport ( km, អាកាសយានដ្ឋានអន្តរជាតិភ្នំពេញ; french: Aéroport international de Phnom Penh) is the busiest and largest airport in Cambodia, occupying a land ar ...

. Construction of the Cambodiana was initiated by Prince Norodom Sihanouk in the early 1960s. He originally requested a 10-bungalow luxury resort/government guesthouse, but noted Cambodian architect Lu Ban Hap suggested a larger international luxury hotel would be more profitable. Lu designed the structure in the then-popular New Khmer style. Construction of the Cambodiana began in 1963, on stilts on reclaimed land. The hotel opened in 1969, with 100 rooms, but only operated for a year. In 1970,

Lon Nol Marshal Lon Nol ( km, លន់ នល់, also ; 13 November 1913 – 17 November 1985) was a Cambodian politician and general who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia twice (1966–67; 1969–71), as well as serving repeatedly as defence min ...

's troops overthrew Prince Sianhouk and converted the hotel to military barracks. The hotel was abandoned during the Khmer Rouge period, later serving as refugee housing. In the late 1980s, a Singapore-based company purchased a 70-year lease from the Cambodian government. They restored and expanded the Cambodiana to 239 rooms, and reopened it in July 1990. The hotel was operated by the French

Sofitel Sofitel Hotels & Resorts are a French hotel chain of luxury hotels based in Paris, France, and owned by Accor since 1980. Founded in 1964 in France, Sofitel quickly developed worldwide to reach more than 200 properties. In 2008, Sofitel became ...

chain from 1992 to April 1, 2001 as the Sofitel Cambodiana. It was purchased by

The Royal Group The Royal Group, based in Phnom Penh, is Cambodia's largest diversified conglomerate and holding company with investments in various industries in the country including telecommunication, media, banking, insurance, resorts, education, property, t ...

in 2005. In 2016, plans were announced to demolish the building and construct a 20-story replacement. In 2019 new plans were announced to replace the hotel with a 600-meter skyscraper.

References

Buildings and structures in Phnom Penh Hotels in Cambodia Hotels established in 1969 Hotels established in 1990 Hotel buildings completed in 1969 Hotel buildings completed in 1990 {{Cambodia-struct-stub