Enter the dragon
Sky-high style at Phnom Penh’s leading hotel
Rising powerfully above the bustle of the Cambodian capital, the Vattanac Capital Tower is, at 39 storeys and 188m high, the tallest building in the country. Designed by TFP Farrells, the Hong Kong-based office of British architect Sir Terry Farrell, the distinctive structure is inspired by the curvature of a dragon’s back.
Fittingly, sited at the top of the tower and arranged over its highest 14 floors, is a new hotel from the Rosewood group — a temporary home, recently, to the luckiest members of the Esquire team, who travelled to Cambodia earlier this year for a fashion shoot.
The hotel ticks all the Rosewood essentials: elegant wood interiors, double-height proportions, subdued lighting. The spa and gym on the 33rd floor are open 24/7, with access to a 20m pool (with a view). Dining areas are spacious, service is discreet but attentive. Brasserie Louis serves European and Cambodian breakfasts; steaks and fine wines are offered at Cuts; there’s a Japanese-style robata-yaki grill in Iza; and all-day brasserie fare in The Living Room.
But the jewel in this particular crown has to be Sora on the 37th floor: the sky bar is on a cantilevered terrace offering stunning views across the city — taking in the Royal Palace, the Vann Molyvann-designed Olympic Stadium, the Mekong River and beyond.
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Rosewood Phnom Penh, Vattanac Capital
Tower, 66 Monivong Boulevard, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; rooms from £200 per night;
+855 23 936 888; rosewoodhotels.com