Le Bokor Palace

We arrived at hotel and wanted to go in at receptionist counter, the door is closed but we Meet security guard and he went to find receptionist but receptionist didn’t come and we waited a bout 30 minutes at gate of hotel. We decided to leave and don’t stay here 17 April 2024 at 11:17 AM.

My wife and I just want to explore new place in the coldest weather in Cambodia - Bokor. When we arrived at Le Bokor Palace, we greeted with a cold drink at the restaurant lobby and good view outside of restaurant. It was a great view from my room at the top high of hotel. Great experienced stay in the historical hotel from 1925.

Le Bokor Palace advertises itself as a six star hotel. On the basis of my recent stay this is an absurd claim: it is a run-of-the mill three or four star hotel, located in a magnificent mountaintop setting and housed in an attractively renovated old building. My partner and I were the only guests in the hotel during our two-night weekend stay (apparently not an unusual situation, as a previous reviewer notes the same experience.) The hotel was operating on a skeleton staff, and had apparently cut back on many of its services (including a shuttle to nearby attractions, the customary welcome drink, the minibar, the restaurant menu, and even help carrying bags when we checked out.) The few staff members who were around during our stay (as far as I could tell a front desk clerk, a waitress, a cook (at night) and a security guard) were very pleasant and helpful, and I don't fault them for the hotel's shortcomings. The main problem with this hotel is that it over-promises, under-delivers and claims to be something that it isn't. Guests who expect what the hotel advertises will surely be disappointed. The view from the hotel grounds, however, remains superb.

This was a strange experience I had at this hotel. Not something I would want to reiterate though, and I struggled to come up with a score; 3 or 4 circles? Let’s get one thing out of the way. Their self-proclaimed 6 star category. This is laughable. By international standards, the facilities, comfort, service, are a solid 4 stars, no more. I went there at the height of the latest COVID wave, wanting to escape the noise and heat of Phnom Penh and ended up being the only guest at Le Bokor that weekend. The number of staff had been understandably greatly reduced, and, annoyingly, all activities suspended. I’d come here to visit the national park, but the hotel had no driver to facilitate the visit. Instead they directed me to their sister hotel down the road which offers bicycle rental. Which I did and it was very pleasant. Being the only guest in the hotel was eerie, and quite uncomfortable because the few remaining staff kept hovering around me wherever I went. I constantly felt observed. The most unpleasant part was during the meals, when the waitress was standing a few metres away from me and literally watching eagerly every single mouthful and then rushing to my table to remove the plate while I was still munching. I told her a few times to give me some space but she didn’t understand. This is obviously how she had been trained, and I can’t fault her eagerness to please, even though it didn’t allow me to relax. And the hotel itself? Its location first is fantastic. Perched atop the Bokor hill, its (more or less) landscaped terrace at the back opens up to a spectacular view over the mountain, the sea, and the Vietnamese resort island of Phu Quoc. This is a 1 million dollars view and I guess explains the steep prices charged. Although this terrace is entirely open to the public. More on that later. The building was built by the French in 1920, and restored in 2018. Unfortunately, the Sokha group clearly have no experience in bringing colonial buildings back to their former glory. The restoration was clearly made on the cheap. For once, the addition of an extra floor ruined the gracefulness of the original Art Deco building. Also, the communal parts (corridors, stairwells) all have a strange dated look. No modernisation was attempted there. The use of space is not working either. The dining room is cavernous, and desolate, but no space was devoted to a lounge, or library, or any intimate setting to relax with a book. Sokha should have looked at the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi to see how these things are done properly. The room I was in (Bokor suite) was simple and comfortable. Good amenities, fluffy towels, large comfortable bed. No aircon which was a bit of an issue as it was rainy season when I went there and the room felt a bit damp. Not many facilities otherwise. A lovely outdoor jacuzzi. However, it’s on the side of the terrace open to the public. Which means complete lack of privacy. When I went there in my bathrobe I had to go throu