La Chronique Hotel

This was such an absolutely lovely hotel. We had narrowed our hotel search down to just 2 places in Phnom Penh – one closer to the river and this one. We were so glad we picked this. On “paper” it appeared to have all the right elements and the reality was beyond our expectations. It’s not an inexpensive hotel (by Asian standards), but it certainly was not unaffordable. The staff were very helpful, friendly and welcoming. They did everything within their power to help us out when needed. This is a well run hotel. The room was spotlessly clean and well decorated, the bed so comfortable, there was a writing desk, a bar fridge and plenty of smart TV options. Yes, the rooms are a little on the small side and the staff always apologised to us about this, but when they are so comfortable and cosy, it absolutely did not matter. We ended up extending our initial 1 night booking to 4. We became unwell (bug caught in Hoi An) during our stay and felt that this was the best hotel to be unwell in – we never needed to go far to find whatever we needed and the comfort just made things better. The bathroom didn’t feel pokey and had all the usual amenities. Oh … and the restaurant downstairs … top spot for coffee or a meal. The location when viewing on Google Maps appeared to be a little away from the “main” part of town (ie, the Palace and river) but it’s actually a highly desirable part of the city. Every facility needed was in the area – mobile phone shops, ATMs, little grocery stores, laundry places and of course all the top restaurants. It was just one street away from the Russian market. There were always Grab / Pass App tuk tuks available. It was also pretty close to the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum. To get to places like the Killing Fields, you’d need transport anyway regardless of where you stay. The area was also very quiet – we never heard any traffic noise and the streets surrounding the area didn’t feel chaotic. We'd stay here again for sure.

A lovely hotel with quirky decor in a very busy city. The reception staff were absolutely lovely and very helpful. We had 2 rooms next to each other. Great bathrooms and comfortable beds. Good security with a safe and only being able to access your own floor in the lift. Soundproofing was reasonably good. The cafe/bar below was quite expensive so we only went in there once. There’s a great Kaiser bakery a few doors along the road so breakfast was raisin bread and pastries for us! There was a doorman at this hotel who carried all our luggage up and downstairs for us. On his day off, he took us to Cheung Ek and S21 in his remorque (tuk tuk). It was a great price compared to what we had previously been quoted. We had no trouble booking tuk tuks on the GRAB app and they were very cheap. The tuk tuk drivers not on Grab were a rip-off so definitely use Grab!

Here for just a night on my way to Siem Reap. I was coming down with a cold and with just a few hours, plus it was dark, I didn't feel the strength to do any exploring in the capital (perhaps another time!). Thank goodness this hotel was there for me! It's so calm, so clean, so charming... for folks just arriving to Cambodia, it can be a little intense all the tuk tuks, scooters, etc... there's a lot of chaos. La Chronique is the antidote to that chaos. Nice fluffy bed, great shower. The building is draped in vines and other greenery which are a clever way to make you feel like you're not in the middle of a big, sometimes grimy, city. I had dinner and breakfast in the restaurant, the French style patisseries for breakfast were VERY good. Dinner quite good. Food in general is so good and so cheap in Cambodia, it's hard to compete with the street food. But the atmosphere in the restaurant is very quiet, and again, for your nerves, you might appreciate that! WiFi was great, too. Highly recommend this hotel! I would categorize this hotel as a luxury hotel in feel, but when you're paying Cambodian prices, it just an incredible value if you're coming from the states or Europe. You can't believe it's that affordable.

The staff were exceptionally friendly (especially Vatha and Simas). The room itself was very pleasant and very well maintained. (Having lived and travelled extensively in Cambodia in the past this is not a given). Nice was that air-con could be left on even with the room unoccupied (useful if just popping out for a few minutes). Without a doubt the nicest (and best run) hotel I have used in Cambodia. Highly recommended.

Excellent location. Loved the neighbourhood with many fantastic restaurants. Hotel staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Hotel was quiet, clean and overall a real gem. Would highly recommend and definitely plan to stay again on my next trip to Phnom Penh