The people behind this Phnom Penh hotel share the places worth pausing for.
A guest reading on a balcony overlooking a pagoda roof, with coffee on the table
Morning coffee, a balcony seat and a distinctly Phnom Penh view.
Some guests arrive in Phnom Penh with a weekend bag. Others need somewhere to feel at home for a few weeks or longer. Bassac Signature Hotel & Residence makes room for both, with hotel rooms, apartments and a three-bedroom penthouse, plus dining and rooftop downtime upstairs.
But where should you pause once you have unpacked? The people who know the hotel best have a few suggestions.
First, slow down
For Nargiza, the hotel’s Operations Manager, the lobby deserves a second look—especially in the afternoon, when sunlight fills the space.
By then, you have finished checking in and hopefully remembered where you put your passport. What first appeared to be somewhere to pass through becomes somewhere to sit for a while.
It is a small pleasure, but holidays could use more of those: an inviting seat, good light and no immediate requirement to be elsewhere.
A guest enjoying coffee on a cream sofa in the sunlit lobby
A quiet pause in the lobby’s afternoon light.
A window onto Phnom Penh
Housekeeping Manager Van Virak particularly values the hotel’s flexibility, with rooms for short visits and residences for guests settling in longer.
In a cosy high-floor apartment overlooking the Independence Monument, it is easy to imagine establishing a routine. Morning coffee comes with a familiar landmark. Elsewhere, colourful city roofs and a distinctive pagoda roof give the outlook its unmistakable Phnom Penh character.
These are views to live with for a while. Even if “a while” is only a weekend.
A bedroom with corner windows overlooking Phnom Penh and the Independence Monument
The Independence Monument becomes part of the everyday view.
Bring your favorite people
For families and friends, the three-bedroom Signature Penthouse makes staying together part of the pleasure.
Shared living and dining spaces leave room for long breakfasts, conversations after dinner and the inevitable debate about tomorrow’s plans. There is also space for different holiday habits.
Someone will want an early start. Someone will need a second coffee before acknowledging the proposal. A little room between them is a luxury everyone can appreciate.
A breakfast table beside an illuminated stone kitchen island in the penthouse
The penthouse dining space, made for gathering around the table.
A round bathtub beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city
A little time to yourself, with the city beyond the glass.
The table to ask for
When lunchtime comes, Navy, the hotel’s People & Talent Manager, knows where to sit: a high table in the corner of the hotel’s Vertigo Restaurant on the 21st floor.
Floor-to-ceiling glass frames Phnom Penh, including the Independence Monument and the traffic below. Navy comes here for lunch, coffee and getting some work done.
“The sunlight gives me a boost of energy without feeling too hot or harsh,” Navy explains.
Bring your laptop if you must. The view will be competing for your attention.
A staff member moving through the sunlit Vertigo Restaurant dining room
Natural light and warm textures inside the hotel’s Vertigo Restaurant.
A restaurant table set with dishes, wine and a cocktail
Another reason to linger over lunch.
Let the rooftop decide
By evening, head upstairs to Vertigo Rooftop Sky Bar & Pool.
Restaurant Supervisor Channa’s favourite moment is sunset. Front Office Manager Dara loves the combination of cocktails, the infinity pool and city views, while Assistant Chief Accountant Thanuth is drawn to the atmosphere as daylight gives way to sparkling lights.
Bassac Signature Hotel & Residence
Address: #30A, Street 29, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: +855 87 654 321
Reservations: res@bassacsignature.com
Website: bassacsignature.com
At a glance
75 hotel rooms and residences for short and extended stays. Three-bedroom Signature Penthouse for families and friends. Rooftop infinity pool. Vertigo Restaurant and Sky Bar. Fitness centre. Selected residences with kitchenettes and washing machines.