Rosewood Phnom Penh

"Set the scene.Set on the top 14 floors of a 39-story steel-and-glass monolith in the city’s central business district and shaped like a Chinese dragon, all the better to symbolize health and prosperity. Walk in under a burnished copper canopy and you’ll find yourself being watched by larger-than-life wire sculptures of Hanuman and other gods and animals. Step outside and there’s a fleet of leather-lined tuk-tuks to whisk you around. What’s the story?The Rosewood group has been scoring hits since Caroline Rose Hunt opened The Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas way back when in 1979. This is one of the group’s first hotels in southeast Asia, and joins international names such as the French-accented Sofitel and colonial-style Raffles—but there’s nothing else like the skyscraping Rosewood, which has become a destination for local power movers. Interiors are by Melbourne-based BAR Studio, which also worked on Rosewood Phuket and Beijing, along with various Park and Grand Hyatts, and mix Cambodian design with riffs on French colonial style. What can we expect from our room?Let’s start with the views, out over the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, the capital's old town, the Royal Palace, and the National Museum, as well as a hodgepodge of russet-red rooftops. The style is very much contemporary classic with ikat carpets and rust accents here and there. How about the food and drink?Five restaurants in all—but there are two real stand-outs. Sora, the cantilevered sky bar, has become Phnom Penh's party central. For a sundowner, order a Cambodian—a blend of gin, absinthe, Prosecco and cucumber—and take in the 360-degree panorama, soundtracked by a DJ. And at Iza, the Japanese izakaya-style open kitchen, you can watch the chef preparing sushi or a barbecue of fish, chicken, and vegetables on the charcoal grill. There are many, many varieties of sake and shochu to work through. Anything to say about the service?Seamless from start to finish—usually there’s a laundry list of glitches with new openings. Who comes here?Suits and stilettos. An intriguing mix of business travelers and black-leather-clad millennials. How does it fit into the neighborhood?Phnom Penh is a noisy city buzzed by swerving scooters and street sellers. The landscape is one of crumbling colonial villas, brutish modern architecture, and an ever-growing number of cool bars, cafés, and restaurants. You don’t have to stray far for luxury labels—plenty of familiar names in the tower below the hotel—but just opposite is the Old Market, for Cambodian designs, fruit and veg, religious accessories, and even motorcycle parts should you wish to stock up. Anything we missed?The spa—and most importantly the Khmer herbal massage, which will leave you walking taller. The therapist kneads and pummels out each kink and knot then places a hot compress of fresh ponlei, turmeric, and flower of salt on areas with the deepest muscle tension. Is it worth it—and why?Yes, and it deserves more than a whistle-stop tour. Working your way through five restaurants, the whisky varieties, and the spa menu takes time." - Gerri Gallagher