Hotel Le Royal

Hotel Le Royal is a landmark hotel in Daun Penh District, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Established during the French colonial period and opened in November 1929, the property was conceived as part of a wider urban-development vision for Phnom Penh and French Indochina. Its planning was associated with architect and city planner Ernest Hébrard, with design assistance from Jean Desbois. The hotel formed part of a proposed network of grand hotels intended to support the development of Phnom Penh and other destinations in Indochina, including Siem Reap and Hué. The hotel opened on 20 November 1929 in a ceremony attended by King Sisowath Monivong and expatriate residents. The opening included a formal buffet, dancing and music performed by an orchestra brought from Saigon. In its early years, the property was managed by the Society for Grand Hotels of Indochina. M.L.F. de la Pousardière served as director from 1929 to 1931, followed by Jean Baluteig. The property’s history became closely linked to Cambodia’s political upheavals. During the Khmer Republic period from 1970 to 1975, it operated under the name Hotel Le Phnom. Its central location and established facilities made it a prominent refuge and base for journalists reporting on the Cambodian Civil War. In April 1975, as the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh, the Red Cross attempted to designate the hotel as a neutral zone. After the fall of the city on 17 April 1975, however, the hotel and its grounds were emptied. Following the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, the property reopened as Hotel Samakki, a name meaning solidarity. After King Norodom Sihanouk was restored to the Cambodian throne in 1993, the hotel returned to the name Hotel Le Royal. A major restoration followed, and the property reopened in 1997 as Raffles Hotel Le Royal, combining its historic identity with the international Raffles luxury-hospitality brand. The hotel is positioned as a heritage luxury property rather than simply as an accommodation business. Its value rests on its colonial-era architecture, central Phnom Penh location, historical associations and connection with the Raffles portfolio. The property is located near Monivong Boulevard, named after King Monivong, while the street immediately in front of the hotel has changed names over time and is now known as Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh. The hotel’s history, including its wartime role and post-conflict restoration, contributes substantially to its identity and reputation. In 2018, the hotel and its sister property in Siem Reap were sold to Singapore-based Lodgis Hospitality Holdings. Raffles Hotels & Resorts continues to operate the Phnom Penh property. Public reference material identifies the hotel primarily as a single historic luxury property rather than as a standalone chain with a broad range of independently marketed locations.

Plans for a major hotel in Phnom Penh emerged in late 1923 and early 1924, when a 55-room property was proposed as part of a broader program for developing the city’s European quarter. Architect and urban planner Ernest Hébrard was associated with the project, with Jean Desbois assisting with the design. The proposal also contemplated 40-room hotels in Siem Reap and Hué, reflecting the colonial administration’s interest in linking urban development with tourism and regional travel. Hébrard’s wider plan for Phnom Penh included changes to canals and gardens, expansion toward the Tonle Sap River, creation of a new central market and construction of a major hotel to be managed by the Society for Grand Hotels of Indochina. Among the proposed sites, Phnom Penh received the highest priority. The project’s preliminary estimates covered buildings and furnishings and were expressed in piastres, the currency used in French Indochina at the time. Hotel Le Royal opened on the evening of 20 November 1929. King Sisowath Monivong attended the opening alongside expatriate guests. The event featured a lavish buffet, dancing and an orchestra brought from Saigon. M.L.F. de la Pousardière was the hotel’s director from 1929 to 1931. Jean Baluteig subsequently replaced him, as reported in contemporary Cambodian press coverage. The hotel remained a notable Phnom Penh institution through the colonial and postcolonial periods. From 1970 to 1975, during the Khmer Republic and the Cambodian Civil War, it operated as Hotel Le Phnom. Its location and facilities made it a gathering point and refuge for foreign and local journalists reporting on the conflict. In April 1975, the Red Cross attempted to have the hotel recognized as a neutral area. This effort did not prevent the property from being emptied after the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh on 17 April. Following the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, the building reopened as Hotel Samakki. The name changed again in 1993, when King Norodom Sihanouk was reinstalled and the property resumed the Hotel Le Royal identity. A comprehensive restoration culminated in a 1997 reopening as Raffles Hotel Le Royal. The restoration preserved the property’s position as a historic Phnom Penh hotel while placing it within the Raffles Hotels & Resorts international luxury portfolio. The property’s ownership changed in 2018, when the hotel and its sister property in Siem Reap were sold to Lodgis Hospitality Holdings, a Singapore-based hospitality company. Raffles Hotels & Resorts remains the operating brand identified in reference material. Today, Hotel Le Royal is best understood as a single-property heritage hotel whose brand equity derives from its architecture, location, long history and survival through Cambodia’s political conflicts and postwar reconstruction.

• 2018

  Ownership transferred to Lodgis Hospitality Holdings

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  Lodgis Hospitality Holdings acquired the Phnom Penh property together with its sister hotel in Siem Reap.

• 1997

  Reopens under Raffles

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  After restoration, the hotel reopened as Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

• 1993

  Hotel Le Royal name restored

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  The property returned to the Hotel Le Royal name following the restoration of King Norodom Sihanouk.

• 1979

  Reopens as Hotel Samakki

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  The property reopened after the Khmer Rouge period under the name Hotel Samakki.

• 1975

  Hotel emptied after the fall of Phnom Penh

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel was emptied after Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh, despite an effort to establish it as a Red Cross neutral zone.

• 1970

  Renamed Hotel Le Phnom

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  The property adopted the Hotel Le Phnom name during the Khmer Republic period.

• 1929

  Hotel Le Royal opens

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel officially opened on 20 November 1929 in the presence of King Sisowath Monivong.

• 1923

  Phnom Penh hotel proposal developed

  [1]Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org

  A proposal was developed for a 55-room hotel in Phnom Penh as part of a larger urban-development and hotel-building program in French Indochina.

A heritage-oriented luxury hotel combining a prominent Phnom Penh location, French colonial-era history, Cambodian political and cultural associations, and operation under the international Raffles Hotels & Resorts brand.

• Luxury hotel · 1997

  Raffles Hotel Le Royal

  The flagship property is a historic luxury hotel in Daun Penh District, Phnom Penh. Its offering centers on accommodation and full-service hospitality within a restored landmark associated with French colonial-era urban planning, Cambodia’s twentieth-century conflicts and the Raffles Hotels & Resorts brand.

• 2018

  Sale to Lodgis Hospitality HoldingsM&A

  Background

  The historic Phnom Penh hotel and its sister property in Siem Reap changed ownership.

  Action taken

  Both properties were sold to Singapore-based Lodgis Hospitality Holdings.

  Aftermath

  The property remained associated with Raffles Hotels & Resorts as its operating brand.

  Source

• 1997

  Reopen the restored property under the Raffles brandStrategy

  Background

  After the hotel resumed the Le Royal name in 1993, restoration created an opportunity to reconnect the historic property with international luxury hospitality.

  Action taken

  The hotel was restored and reopened as Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

  Aftermath

  The reopening established the property as a heritage hotel operated within the Raffles Hotels & Resorts portfolio.

  Source

1. 1Hotel Le Royalen.wikipedia.org