En mode guest: a weekend at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, a cocooning escape without leaving the city
- Voyageuse Passion
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
No need to hit the road to switch off. For one weekend, we headed to Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, a benchmark for luxury in the capital, for a family-style guest experience: spectacular décor, a cocoon of a room, an open-air pool, Do Forni pizzas and breakfast with a view. All just minutes from home.
Members of the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra's Sports Club for a while now, we knew the place through the gym and the pool, crossing paths between sessions. But the full guest experience — the one that begins at reception and ends at check-out — had always escaped us. For one weekend in August, with my wife and our son, we decided to test the staycation concept: sleeping a few kilometres from home, without driving, without logistics, simply to reconnect as a family. Verdict, unfiltered.
A lobby that sets the scene
From the entrance, the tone is set. The lobby of Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra plays the card of large-scale contemporary Khmer art: a phoenix suspended on golden metal wings beneath the tea lounge's chandeliers, a red bull sculpted from recycled gears and bicycle chains standing before reception, a piece in wire and gold leaf that catches the light in the corridors. The intention is clear: this isn't decoration for decoration's sake, it's a genuine gallery that accompanies visitors from the hall to the lifts, giving the property a strong identity from the outset, somewhere between colonial heritage and contemporary Cambodian creation.
Right next to the lobby, The Gallery by Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra extends this feeling of a living museum. The space hosts a different exhibition every quarter, always dedicated to artists based in Cambodia. During our stay, painter Ponleu Prom, originally from Siem Reap, was being honoured with "Reflections of My Father (Land)," a tender series on family heritage and the relationship to Khmer land. A lovely way to extend the walk after breakfast, without even leaving the hotel.
One small detail that changes an entire stay: on arriving in our room, a trio of gourmet cupcakes was waiting for us, accompanied by a handwritten Little Prince-style card addressed directly to our son. "Bonjour and welcome back to Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, we hope like The Little Prince..." — this kind of attention, designed for a child rather than a generic guest, speaks volumes about the team's eye for detail. Our son kept the card carefully all weekend.
Rooms made for truly settling in
The room, for its part, delivers on its promise. Dark wood flooring, cream and olive-green tones, warm lamps, an old-fashioned desk and a large window opening onto the Tonlé Sap and the rooftops of Phnom Penh: the whole thing breathes calm rather than showiness. For a family seeking to disconnect without leaving the city, it's exactly the right balance — cocooning enough to slow the pace, functional enough for a child who needs space to spread out his things and drawings on the desk.
The pool, the true star of the stay
If there's one memory to keep from this weekend, it's the pool. Long, lined with pink bougainvillea and palm trees, with the Phnom Penh skyline sketched in the distance: the scene has the feel of a resort in the middle of the city. You can swim real laps, stretch out under the green parasols, and a Victorian-style glass pavilion, open to the tropical garden, completes the picture for those who prefer sheltered lounging. For our son, it was without question the highlight of the stay; for us, the place where the rhythm of the city finally dissolved completely.
Breakfast with a view of the pool
Breakfast deserves its own mention. A generous buffet, fresh produce, pastries and a carefully composed charcuterie-and-cheese plate, all served in a room largely open to the garden and the pool. You take your time, watch the early morning swimmers through the glass, and quickly understand why so many Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra regulars make this moment a ritual in its own right, staycation or not.
Do Forni by the pool: the pizza worth the trip
Another highlight, more unexpected this time: the menu from Do Forni, the hotel's Italian restaurant, delivered straight to the poolside. Thin crust, well-judged baking, generous olive-and-charcuterie toppings: the pizza easily holds its own against the best in Phnom Penh, without ever needing to leave your lounger. Attentive, warm service from the restaurant team completed the sense of a holiday on-site, just minutes from home.
A restaurant line-up that already makes you want to come back
Do Forni is really just one entry point among several dining addresses at the hotel, and walking through the different lobbies and interior gardens, it's clear one weekend isn't enough to try it all. La Coupole, the grand French brasserie under a glass roof, already catches the eye with its three wrought-iron chandeliers and its Sunday brunch renowned for its seafood buffets. A little further on, Fu Lu Zu plays with deep red and dark wood for its Cantonese cuisine and weekend dim sum, while Hachi, more intimate, is devoted to sushi and donburi in an izakaya spirit. Not forgetting Le Bar, in the lobby, for a cocktail or afternoon tea facing the bay windows. We only had time to skim this menu this time — but La Coupole's brunch and Fu Lu Zu's dim sum are already noted for the next getaway.
The feeling of truly switching off
The main takeaway from this weekend is ultimately this: there's no need to hit the road to disconnect as a family. With its 201 five-star rooms and suites on the banks of the Bassac, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra offers, right in the middle of the city, a complete escape — décor, comfort, pool, gastronomy and genuine service — that lets you break from the everyday without the hours on the road. A guest experience that lives up to the property's reputation, and an address to recommend to any Phnom Penh family looking for a recovery weekend without the logistical hassle.
Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra — 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd, Phnom Penh.
I was searching for Delta Executor Atualizado, and this page answered most of my questions. Everything is explained in a simple and friendly way, which makes it useful for both new and experienced users.