Raffles Hotel Le Royal
Encyclopedia
Raffles Hotel Le Royal is a luxury five star boutique hotel in Phnom Penh
, Cambodia
. The hotel is located at 92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Daun Penh District. It was first established in 1929, and in its early heyday enjoyed an international clientele comprising globetrotters and adventurers, writers and journalists, royalty and dignitaries.
; the historic hotel was upgraded to fulfill the requirements of a modern world-class hotel with its facilities and amenities, but has an old-world charm through its style and décor.
The hotel was a regular staying place for jetsetters like Charlie Chaplin
, Jackie O
, André Malraux
, and W. Somerset Maugham
. Later, journalists Sydney Schanberg
and Jon Swain
would stay here while they were covering the Khmer Rouge
.
Between 1970 and 1975 most journalists working in Phnom Penh stayed here, and part of the film The Killing Fields
was set in the hotel. It featured in the film as the last refuge for foreign journalists before the Khmer Rouge forced all French nationals into the French Embassy.
in Phnom Penh. Café Monivong is a traditional French café. Elephant Bar has paintings on the ceiling of this watering hole that lend it its name. Guests can order Femme Fatale, the cocktail named in honour of Jacqueline Kennedy, the Airavata, a cocktail of secret ingredients or the Million Dollar Cocktail which gained notoriety in Somerset Maugham's bedside tale, The Letter. Writers Bar is a relaxed laid back bar. Le Phnom Deli is a deli that offers Cambodian cuisine.
Another distinctive feature is the four Personality Suites that take their direction from people who have a close link with the hotel. Prized memorabilia and original artifacts of the famous occupants of these rooms can be found in these rooms. They are named after Jacqueline Kennedy, Somerset Maugham, Charles de Gaulle and André Malraux.
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. The hotel is located at 92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Daun Penh District. It was first established in 1929, and in its early heyday enjoyed an international clientele comprising globetrotters and adventurers, writers and journalists, royalty and dignitaries.
History
The hotel was reopened in 1997, after a careful restoration and refurbishment program by Raffles Hotels and ResortsRaffles Hotels and Resorts
Raffles Hotels & Resorts is a collection of luxury properties located in major cities around the globe. Each hotel is known to have its own distinct personality. Raffles Hotels & Resorts is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a Canadian-based hotel company with over 88 hotels in 27...
; the historic hotel was upgraded to fulfill the requirements of a modern world-class hotel with its facilities and amenities, but has an old-world charm through its style and décor.
The hotel was a regular staying place for jetsetters like Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, Jackie O
Jackie O
Jackie O often refers to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It may also refer to:*Jackie O , an opera by Michael Daugherty and Wayne Koestenbaum*Jacki-O , hip-hop artist...
, André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
, and W. Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham , CH was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s.-Childhood and education:...
. Later, journalists Sydney Schanberg
Sydney Schanberg
Sydney Hillel Schanberg is an American journalist who is best known for his coverage of the war in Cambodia.-Life:Schanberg joined The New York Times as a journalist in 1959. He spent much of the early 1970s in Southeast Asia as a correspondent for the Times...
and Jon Swain
Jon Swain
Jon Anketell Brewer Swain is an award-winning British journalist and writer who was portrayed by Julian Sands in the 1984 Oscar-winning film The Killing Fields...
would stay here while they were covering the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
.
Between 1970 and 1975 most journalists working in Phnom Penh stayed here, and part of the film The Killing Fields
The Killing Fields
The Killing Fields are a number of sites in Cambodia where large numbers of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979, immediately after the end of the Cambodian Civil War ....
was set in the hotel. It featured in the film as the last refuge for foreign journalists before the Khmer Rouge forced all French nationals into the French Embassy.
Special features
The hotel has five distinctive restaurants and bars. Restaurant Le Royal offers traditional Khmer cuisine under a ceiling of lotus and honeysuckle paintings by an Asasax painter and commissioned by His Majesty King Sihanouk. The artwork is based on the ceiling of the Dance pavilion at the Royal PalaceRoyal Palace, Phnom Penh
The Royal Palace , in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is a complex of buildings which serves as the royal residence of the king of Cambodia. Its full name in the Khmer language is Preah Barum Reachea Veang Chaktomuk...
in Phnom Penh. Café Monivong is a traditional French café. Elephant Bar has paintings on the ceiling of this watering hole that lend it its name. Guests can order Femme Fatale, the cocktail named in honour of Jacqueline Kennedy, the Airavata, a cocktail of secret ingredients or the Million Dollar Cocktail which gained notoriety in Somerset Maugham's bedside tale, The Letter. Writers Bar is a relaxed laid back bar. Le Phnom Deli is a deli that offers Cambodian cuisine.
Another distinctive feature is the four Personality Suites that take their direction from people who have a close link with the hotel. Prized memorabilia and original artifacts of the famous occupants of these rooms can be found in these rooms. They are named after Jacqueline Kennedy, Somerset Maugham, Charles de Gaulle and André Malraux.
Literature
See also
- Raffles Hotel Le Royal Official Website
- Raffles Hotels and ResortsRaffles Hotels and ResortsRaffles Hotels & Resorts is a collection of luxury properties located in major cities around the globe. Each hotel is known to have its own distinct personality. Raffles Hotels & Resorts is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a Canadian-based hotel company with over 88 hotels in 27...
- Raffles HotelRaffles HotelRaffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, and one of the world's most famous hotels. The hotel was established by the famous Armenian Sarkies Brothers. Opened in 1887, it was named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, it is...
- Fairmont Raffles Hotels International