Matt C.
Google
This hotel has a lot of promise, but unfortunately the service and professionalism fell far short of what’s expected from a property that strongly markets itself as five-star.
Our issues began before arrival. We accidentally booked the confusingly named sister property, Palace Gate Hotel & Residence, which is extremely close by and nearly identical in name. When we realized the mistake and asked to switch, we checked Booking.com and saw the prices were identical for our dates. Despite this, the hotel insisted on charging an “upgrade fee,” justifying it by saying one property was four-star and this one was five-star.
The upgrade fee itself kept changing: first $15 per night, then $30 per night, and eventually “negotiated” down to $20 per night. This flip-flopping felt unprofessional and set the tone for the stay.
At check-in, we were required to provide a $100 USD deposit in cash only, with no option to use a credit card. This was inconvenient, especially for international travelers who don’t carry large amounts of cash.
We were initially placed in a room with essentially no usable window. We later learned that all rooms on that side of the hotel have fogged-over windows due to overlooking part of the palace, but this was never disclosed. When we asked to change rooms, staff initially dismissed our concern before eventually moving us. The final room did have a genuinely nice view of the city and palace, which we appreciated.
Service at the pool was particularly poor. Staff were inattentive and difficult to get the attention of. We waited 45 minutes for a drink order, which was made incorrectly three times, despite being very clear. When we raised this, we were told the staff were “new and untrained.” While that may explain mistakes, it’s not a reasonable excuse for a hotel positioning itself as five-star.
We raised concerns throughout our stay and spoke with management multiple times, but our feedback was consistently dismissed with little interest in fixing anything. At checkout, we again asked whether the hotel wanted to address the issues we raised, and the answer was simply no.
The final frustration was the return of our deposit, which could not be refunded fully in USD and instead was returned as a mix of U.S. dollars and Cambodian riel—annoying for guests about to leave the country.
That said, this property does have real potential. The location is excellent, the pool area is beautiful, the breakfast was genuinely good, and once moved, our room had a lovely view. With better training, clearer policies, and a more guest-focused management approach, this could be a great hotel. Unfortunately, consistently poor service overshadows the experience today.
