IC Phnom Penh Master Thread
#46
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,681
Any recent reports? I am particularly interested for restaurant recommendations, also treatment of RAs. I am on a paid stay that includes breakfast. Can I expect an upgrade to a suite and/or club access?
#47
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Shanghai and Bavaria
Programs: Spire RA, 1865 Voyager, Bonvoy Titanium, FB LP, LH SEN.
Posts: 3,104
Club or even club junior suite is the upgrade they told me. I've been pre-upgraded to a club junior suite from cheapest room.
Dining, there are numerous events at the restaurants (Wine and cheese night etc.), a very good Chinese restaurant. Outside the hotel is a good restaurant (forgot the name), plus there are several excellent restaurants in PNH.
I'll be there in about 10 days.
Dining, there are numerous events at the restaurants (Wine and cheese night etc.), a very good Chinese restaurant. Outside the hotel is a good restaurant (forgot the name), plus there are several excellent restaurants in PNH.
I'll be there in about 10 days.
#48
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,681
We had a very pleasant stay, in large part because we were given an exceptional upgrade to an executive suite. I am a Royal Ambassador, but others have reported a junior suite upgrade. I was also given access to their club lounge.
We booked the hotel car on arrival for $20. A taxi would have been $7 but we felt it worth the price to be immediately ushered into an immaculate air conditioned car. Roads were very congested, and it took almost 40 minutes to get to the hotel.
We were shown to our room and given access to the lounge. The lounge is very intimate, with a conference room, one sitting area with facing sofas and chairs, and 8 or 10 tables. We only went to the lounge one evening, as we found offerings rather meager. They had some good cheeses and 3 hot dishes that did not appeal.
We ate in the Chinese restaurant one night and did not find any of the dishes exceptional.
We rented a hotel car for sightseeing at $15/hour with a minimum of 4 hours. It was nice to have a car and driver waiting for us at each stop.
Staff was uniformly gracious and warm.
We were very well satisfied with our stay and would happily return here again.
We booked the hotel car on arrival for $20. A taxi would have been $7 but we felt it worth the price to be immediately ushered into an immaculate air conditioned car. Roads were very congested, and it took almost 40 minutes to get to the hotel.
We were shown to our room and given access to the lounge. The lounge is very intimate, with a conference room, one sitting area with facing sofas and chairs, and 8 or 10 tables. We only went to the lounge one evening, as we found offerings rather meager. They had some good cheeses and 3 hot dishes that did not appeal.
We ate in the Chinese restaurant one night and did not find any of the dishes exceptional.
We rented a hotel car for sightseeing at $15/hour with a minimum of 4 hours. It was nice to have a car and driver waiting for us at each stop.
Staff was uniformly gracious and warm.
We were very well satisfied with our stay and would happily return here again.
#49
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: West Coast USA
Programs: UA GS/4 MM, AA Exec Plat, Lifetime Hilton D, Hyatt G, Marriott Titanium earned Ambassador
Posts: 7,553
Glad you had a nice time. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
#50
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: AZ FA+, A3 G, AB G | IHG RA, HGP D, FPC P, Accor P, BW D, HH D, Eleva, GHA P, 1862 Voyager
Posts: 1,852
Anyone stayed at the Phnom Penh IC on PB?
What are the upgrades like for Amb or RA?
Seems RAs get upgraded to Junior Club Suite on revenue bookings but not sure about if on PB.
What are the upgrades like for Amb or RA?
Seems RAs get upgraded to Junior Club Suite on revenue bookings but not sure about if on PB.
#51
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Shanghai and Bavaria
Programs: Spire RA, 1865 Voyager, Bonvoy Titanium, FB LP, LH SEN.
Posts: 3,104
When the property was on the list last time, the hotel did not honor any RA/Amb benefits and played by the book. However, you can upgrade to club for cash.
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: All over
Programs: Most
Posts: 10,839
This is VERY affordable hotel to pay by ca$h. Good place to earn RA status stays + bonuses. Been there couple of times and paid the $100 or so rate.
#53
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: too far from the airport
Posts: 3,296
I'm only Platinum, so I didn't expect upgrades in any case, and I received none. On PB this hotel is ok, but just so. There are many, many decent hotels in PNH, where you won't have to pay nearly as much (you'll get a great room for <$100 with wifi and breakfast included), and, more importantly, much closer to the riverside and the central market. The area where the IC is located is really not interesting at all, it's relatively far from most tourist attractions (with the exception of S21, FWIW), and it's set back enough from the riverside, you'll notice the difference in air quality. I wouldn't pay cash for a room there, nor the regular points requirement, although I can see how someone who needs the stays for qualification might book the relatively low rates (for an IC).
#54
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Shanghai and Bavaria
Programs: Spire RA, 1865 Voyager, Bonvoy Titanium, FB LP, LH SEN.
Posts: 3,104
I'm only Platinum, so I didn't expect upgrades in any case, and I received none. On PB this hotel is ok, but just so. There are many, many decent hotels in PNH, where you won't have to pay nearly as much (you'll get a great room for <$100 with wifi and breakfast included), and, more importantly, much closer to the riverside and the central market. The area where the IC is located is really not interesting at all, it's relatively far from most tourist attractions (with the exception of S21, FWIW), and it's set back enough from the riverside, you'll notice the difference in air quality. I wouldn't pay cash for a room there, nor the regular points requirement, although I can see how someone who needs the stays for qualification might book the relatively low rates (for an IC).
- Except for first timers, the riverside is not an area where I would want to stay at
- It takes a max. 4 USD tuk-tuk ride (which is good fun) to the riverside and less than that to street 51, 240 or BKK 1
- The area out towards the Killing Fields (along Highway 5 to HW3, Choam Chao) is a serious off-the-beaten track (night) market experience; so is the market across the street
- It's got a nice pool to escape PNH madness
So yes, it's not on the riverside, but certainly not out in the sticks, and offers a pretty good hotel, particularily for the price.
Anyway, that's off topic
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Wow $4? I remember back in the day when a crazy looking foreigner like me could ride from the IC for free to the river on the back of a scooter. I might have bought a beer for the driver though for about 25 cents. There weren't too many people around who looked like me at that time.
#56
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Shanghai and Bavaria
Programs: Spire RA, 1865 Voyager, Bonvoy Titanium, FB LP, LH SEN.
Posts: 3,104
Wow $4? I remember back in the day when a crazy looking foreigner like me could ride from the IC for free to the river on the back of a scooter. I might have bought a beer for the driver though for about 25 cents. There weren't too many people around who looked like me at that time.
#57
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: AZ FA+, A3 G, AB G | IHG RA, HGP D, FPC P, Accor P, BW D, HH D, Eleva, GHA P, 1862 Voyager
Posts: 1,852
Thanks for the replies guys
>4 USD for Cambodian beer?
Not to worry I have my trusty hip flask with me most of the time.
Still pondering if I should just fly there to check out the city. The rooms will be essentially free as I've some family member accounts that have like 15K that they'll never use anyways.
But the fact that it's still available makes it sound like the city / hotel is not worth going.
>4 USD for Cambodian beer?
Not to worry I have my trusty hip flask with me most of the time.
Still pondering if I should just fly there to check out the city. The rooms will be essentially free as I've some family member accounts that have like 15K that they'll never use anyways.
But the fact that it's still available makes it sound like the city / hotel is not worth going.
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
#59
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,681
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/asia/...staurants.html
And a 2008 article from the NYT:
36 hours in Phnom Penh
#60
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Shanghai and Bavaria
Programs: Spire RA, 1865 Voyager, Bonvoy Titanium, FB LP, LH SEN.
Posts: 3,104
Yes, go to PNH - totally worth it. I started the thread quoted above in 2010, and have since returned for almost a dozend, sometimes lenghty, trips, whenever it suited my schedule.