Room Service: V Hotel Phnom Penh (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

V Hotel Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, this capital city of a Southeast Asian country is fast becoming the next "it" destination. Full of experiences mixing historical tradition with a cosmopolitan lifestyle. A city that accommodates temples and shopping malls quite comfortably. If you wind up in Thailand like other typical tourists from North America, you should probably organize a side trip into Cambodia too.

Alright, you should make the choice to do that side trip. But this is my mother's birth country and you would miss out on a beautiful place.

If you're not into the corporate hotel chain thing, you are also in luck. Although the Americans have begun planning on making more of their cookie cutter branded structures (and the Japanese already built one along the river), Phnom Penh's best accommodations are the boutique hotels. Many are locally owned, others are located so direct to the centre of the city you'll have a guaranteed local experience.

For my first ever visit to the country of my mother's birth (emphasizing that a second time), I stayed at the V Hotel Phnom Penh, tucked in between a numerical street and another numerical street. I'm sure the common taxi and tuk-tuk driver knows where it is! I know Phnom Penh city is about 8 kilometres from the sparkling new international airport.

The property, as mentioned earlier, is tucked in a residential neighbourhood, along with mom and pop businesses that backpackers dream of frequenting. There's a Chinese restaurant barely three doors down in case you want to stay close to a food option.

Reception was styled like a resort, and I felt quite uncomfortable with how it was set up. They sit you down and proceed with clipboards and vouchers and welcome drinks. My partner, who was not a guest was served with such consideration, so I appreciate their efforts in making initial contact special.

The room has no view at all. I didn't mind, and neither should you. In an urban setting, what matters most is the room's features, and I loved how they separate a sitting area from the usual comfortable bed and desk. Painted rustically and in traditional Cambodian style, I felt they took an individual approach to every room. The traditional decor is a nice touch, though the bathroom felt a bit dark as they chose a dark green slate. Lovely bathtub with shower head outside the bathroom for a nice soak.

Wifi was fast and very useful; a big surprise as was the choice in television channels. Breakfast was hot with custom omelettes, though they seemed hesitant with refilling the buffet areas. I wish the staff remembered it was a buffet.