A 2026 Phnom Penh Hotel Glow-Up I Didn't See Coming
Stepping back through the doors of the Anik Palace Hotel recently felt like reuniting with an old friend who'd somehow gotten even better-looking since I last saw them.
I'd raved about this place in my 2024 update to our best value budget hotels in Phnom Penh article and I'll admit I went back half-expecting things to have slipped a little—that's just how it goes with hotels sometimes.
In fact, I hadn’t booked a hotel for my return to Phnom Penh this year because I thought I should try another place. Instead, I found a property that had clearly been investing in itself. I spent the next few days walking around with a grin on my face like I'd discovered a secret.
The first thing that hit me was the scale of the place now. What I remembered as a lovely boutique hotel had quietly grown into something much more substantial. While the loving, colonial exteriors look the same, the entire interior has been refreshed and expanded—even seamlessly extending into the building next door.
My room was generous. Properly generous. Not ‘hotel-website generous’. Cloaked in soft, muted tones that made the whole space feel calm the second I walked in, nothing jarring or overdone. The bed was the kind of plush I didn't know I needed; I sank into it that first night and very nearly skipped breakfast.
The rooms at the Anik Palace are spacious and comfortable.
There was a proper sitting area I actually used, a vanity desk, a mini bar stocked and waiting, and a bathroom big enough to feel like its own little retreat, complete with a deep soaking tub that I made full use of, candle-lit, after a day of wandering the city in the heat.
The neoclassical touches, a nod to the building's French colonial bones, gave it real character instead of the cookie-cutter feel you get in so many city hotels.
Then there was the Rom Yol Spa. I'd heard whispers that they'd built this since my last visit, and wow, did it deliver! I booked a massage and ended up wishing I'd blocked out the whole afternoon for it. The therapist worked through knots in my shoulders I'd been carrying around for who knows how long, the pressure firm but never painful, and somewhere around the halfway mark, I stopped thinking about anything at all. Just the warm oil, the quiet music, and that specific kind of stillness you only get when your whole body finally lets go.
I had a delightful and relaxing massage at the new spa.
I floated rather than walked out of there. It was the spa that led me to decide to return to Anik Palace after a trip down to the southern Cambodian coast. Back in the room, I stood under the rain shower and let the hot water work over my shoulders for what was probably an unreasonable amount of time, and I'm not even a little sorry about it.
The rooftop Luna Bar is where the renovation really shows off. It's expanded into this full sky-high playground. The pool to cool off in, with the city sprawled out below you on one side, is separated discreetly by lush garden beds. The sky bar on the other side serves up drinks and meals all day long, including a high tea in the afternoon.
A delicious high tea for two at the Luna Sky Bar.
But it really shines as the sun goes down over Phnom Penh. Guests and locals happily linger over happy hour and dinner more than once just to watch the skyline change colour. There's also a proper gym now, well-equipped enough that I actually used it instead of just admiring it from the doorway.
And then—breakfast. I will defend this breakfast to anyone. Fresh, flaky pastries still warm enough to steam a little, made-to-order eggs cooked exactly how I asked, fruit so ripe it didn't need the honey drizzled over it, and a whole table of Khmer specialties, noodle soups, rice dishes, little stir-fries, sitting right alongside Western classics like crispy bacon and good strong coffee. I came down each morning fully intending to be reasonable, only to end up with a plate that told a different story.
What really struck me, amongst all this glow-up, is that the prices haven't ballooned to match. I went in braced for a "well, it's fancier now, so it costs more" moment, and that moment never came.
The restaurant is elegant and the breakfast was sumptuous.
If you stayed at Anik Palace before and loved it, go back. If you've never been, you’re in for a treat—this is a hotel that’s levelled up in almost every way that matters, but keeps its soul, service, and prices refreshingly intact. Whether you’re a solo traveller, a couple on a getaway, or a family looking for comfort and style, Anik Palace feels like the best-kept secret in Phnom Penh.
A few practical notes for anyone planning a stay: the hotel sits at No.12, Rainbow Bridge, Street Tonle Bassac, in the Chamkarmon district—an easy walk or quick tuk-tuk ride to the Independence Monument, the Royal Palace, Russian Market and the buzzy Bassac Lane area.
Room categories now range from cozy city-view rooms up through multi-room suites and even a two-level penthouse, so there's flexibility whether you're after a quick city stopover or a splashy special-occasion stay.
The large rooftop pool provides a quiet respite from the city.
One small thing worth knowing if you're booking: the hotel's website usually offers perks (spa credit, breakfast, food and beverage discounts) that you won't get through third-party sites, so it's worth comparing before you click confirm.
If you haven’t been to Phnom Penh before, you may be surprised to learn just how much there is to see and do around the city. One attraction that many visitors miss is Silk Island. You can read about that in my article here which also includes a recommendation for a sunset cruise on the river which you shouldn’t miss out on either.
And if you are particularly interested in the historical and cultural aspects of the city, then check out Jillian Huntley’s article on Phnom Penh here.
