Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Friendly, open, international, and bouncing with queer energy and top-shelf gay hotels are all bywords of this fabulous travel destination. Set firmly as an irreplaceable international cultural center and the true heart of Cambodia, Phnom Penh is a true gem of the east – joining the two Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers just as it brings together some of the best aspects of travel hubs all around the world.
Thanks to a mixed and tumultuous history spanning multiple centuries, Cambodia’s capital consists of the perfect fusion between the culture of the Americas, Europe, and its native Asian flare. This fact allows it to serve as an international hotspot for tourists and travelers in general, as well as queer holidayers looking to socialize with one another, explore a wonderful, new perspective on the world, and enjoy the local gay scene.
Not everything impressive in Phnom Penh comes from its historic culture and the geological beauty and diversity of its location. The city is one of the largest queer centers in Asia and, without a doubt, the beating heart of gay Cambodia.
Not only is there a literal smorgasbord of gay-specific bars and clubs to choose from when it comes to the city’s lively and intensely interactive nightlife, but there’s also no shortage of public meeting spots and an all-pervasive feeling of freedom that runs throughout the core of the metropolis.
No matter whether you’d like to take it a little easy and calm to make sure that you enjoy your holiday abroad or if you’re the type that dives right in and immerses yourself in the very heart of the local scene as best and as fast as you can, Phnom Penh has the perfect niche for you, and there is no escape from true enjoyment and letting your hair down.
This disclaimer does not really apply to Phnom Penh thanks to the sheer amount of gay-specific and queer-catering hotels that we had the pleasure of being able to put together for this list, but it always helps to not entirely define your holiday plans on queerness alone, and as such, it still deserves saying.
Although there are some truly wonderful places in the world for queer people to explore, with Phnom Penh being one of them, things that appeal to gay travelers aren’t always necessarily marketed toward them.
We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of them have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to, for, and by queer people in general, as well as being highly rated.
So, suppose you’re ready to enjoy a holiday and experience truly different from that of any city you’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. In that case, it’s about time that we get started and prepare to dive into the top eight gay hotels in Phnom Penh that the international cultural paradise has to offer! Let’s go!
In this article we will cover...
Rambutan Hotel & Resort
There are two Rambutan Resort locations in Cambodia, but for this article, we’ll be discussing the one found in the country’s capital, and that’s Phnom Penh, of course!
Although one may think that this location automatically ranks lower than the other gay-specific hotels on this list thanks to the fact that it is more widely marketed, – as we said at the very beginning of this list – it’s a much better idea to widen your horizons while traveling abroad, and thus the Rambutan Hotel and Resort’s dedication to protecting the LGBTQ+ community is more than enough to allow it to take a position of pride here.
The Rambutan’s list of complimentary services is just as expansive as the paid benefits that its guests are set to enjoy, including free parking if you’re touring the city with a hire car, breakfast served every morning in a wide, open dining room, and – of course – laundry, cleaning, and room service to take just one more layer of stress away from your holiday experience. The rooms themselves are the inspiration for a good fraction of the hotel’s positive reviews, and it’s easy to see why!
There’s also a large outdoor pool with an open sitting area for you to spend your days, but if you’re not interested in just sitting around, then you’ll be glad to know that the Rambutan Resort is only a few minutes walk away from the city’s primary market, the National Museum of Cambodia, and the country’s Royal Palace.
There’s truly no location more central amongst Phnom Penh’s tourist hotspots than the one that this hotel shares with a wide range of nearby eateries and schools, but if you’re looking to see something a bit more far-flung, then there’s always the Rambutan’s tight connections with public transport.
The Birdcage Boutique
Now on to the good stuff – the truly and unequivocally gay hotels of Phnom Penh, starting with the lovely, fashionable Birdcage Boutique. Also known as the Birdcage Cambodia, this location may have only three stars, but when it comes to gay-specific accommodation and to the quality of satisfaction that it provides, you won’t complain or wish for better for a single second.
The Birdcage’s rooms are tasteful, simple, and practical, and the common spaces look nothing short of amazing. Although it is just as much of a budget location as the other non-franchise establishments on this list, the Birdcage manages to hold a top-tier level of class and refinement about itself that fits perfectly to its location amongst the city’s embassies, political consulates, and posh eateries.
The Birdcage is the second hotel on this list and the first of many to have its pool and relaxing seating area, but don’t expect to hear us quiet down about the benefits of a good dip any time soon! There’s nothing more relaxing than being able to spend some time laid back on the poolside in the sun, after all. If that doesn’t sound as amazing to you as it does to us, however, you can also try out the hotel’s very own golf course!
The Birdcage is located a little more than a minute’s walk away from the Independence Monument, which marks the very center of the city, which means that it is within perfect distance on foot from Phnom Penh’s queer center as well. It’s truly a tossup between the gay energy of the hotel itself and the nearby bars for the guests of this hotel, but that’s a decision that you’ll have the privilege of making yourself thanks to the ironic open-mindedness of the Birdcage.
NagaWorld Integrated Resort
Although this hotel takes a step back into the realms of ‘gay friendly’ rather than ‘gay orientated’, it also takes a step forward in luxury up to five stars and a service reputation that flies with full colors – rainbow colors, if you will.
Known throughout the city and the international travel scene as one of the boldest, most elaborate and most exquisite places of accommodation in the entire city of Phnom Penh – which is saying something – the NagaWorld Resort is a true phenomenon, and staying there is nothing short of taking a trip to another world.
Just about everything that made a resort a resort is available here, as well as the higher edges of luxury and refined staying that often give hotels a more exclusive, enjoyable feeling. It’s not expensive either, so this option is on the table for just about everyone!
Live shows and cruise-ship levels of individual venues for your entertainment are the main positive calling cards of this location, but the benefits continue even further than that, on to the actual accommodation aspects of its management.
Some of the many benefits that the NagaWorld Integrated Resort offers to its guests include its expansive indoor and outdoor pools and attached sitting areas, it’s free parking for guests who arrive with cars, its free breakfast every morning, its largely complimentary room service and café services, and – perhaps most impactful of all when it comes to travel plans – its offered airport shuttle service to take you to and fro from the nearby international airport.
Regarding the hotel’s rooms, there are separate living spaces and hot tubs in most suites, as well as grand views and a direct connection to its dutiful, caring, and helpful staff.
SUN & MOON Urban Hotel
The SUN & MOON Urban is yet another hotel to couple amazing services, chic design, and quality-relative rock-bottom prices together to forge a positively astonishing accommodation experience, but there’s nothing about this location that feels cheap in the slightest. Individual rooms have hot tubs, amazing decorations, and spacey bedrooms, and the hotel itself demonstrates its exclusivity thanks to its included golf course and outdoor pool.
The Sun and Moon have seen a career-long influx of positive interest in its food and in-house dining experience, catered to by its very own restaurant. The nightlife at the hotel’s location is nothing short of amazing, too, thanks to the not one, not two, and not three but four bars and clubs that its block is home to.
This lively evening fare is strengthened for queer visitors even further thanks to the fact that the Sun and Moon are officially marketed as gay-friendly, so there is no need to fear discrimination or negative treatment while staying here.
Being in holiday mode means it’s time for fun and relaxation, after all, and there’s no better place to embrace those feelings than amongst the healthy atmosphere and Asian-fusion flair of the Sun and Moon!
If you’re looking for a bit more of a quieter path to relaxation and putting your feet up, however, you’ll be glad to know that the hotel follows the path of most of the other locations on this list by having its own included spa facility.
Another massive plus for the Sun and Moon is the hotel’s offered airport shuttle service, which offers a way for you to get to and fro from the hotel without having to worry about hiring, picking up, parking, and then eventually returning a temporary car while you’re in the city.
Arthur and Paul A&P
This hotel’s classy 1930s façade is hardly even the beginning of its class, its queerness, and its style. As its name and website may give away, the Arthur and Paul is a couple-founded business, but this gay-exclusive hotel isn’t a small, two-person establishment.
The Arthur and Paul have been featured in countless international gay magazines in the past and therefore has worked up quite a reputation for being the hottest, most on-trend, and most central gay hotel in the entire city of Phnom Penh. Now that’s a claim to fame!
But how did everything start, and how does A&P handle itself to this day? Well – Arthur and Paul was the very first gay-specific resort in the entire city of Phnom Penh and is responsible for blazing the way for every one of the locations that came after it.
There’s a large outdoor pool with attached seating areas, a bar for hanging out with fellow travelers and socializing amongst the queer energy of the local scene, and yet another spa for the personal relaxation and tranquility of its guests. The A&P is also pet friendly, which makes it the perfect destination for travelers looking to bring their furry companions along for the ride instead of leaving them at home.
The hotel’s exclusive spa and pool facility is open from 5pm until midnight and is known to have been frequented by several queer celebrities in the past. Suppose you need more evidence that this location is a true gem of the far east. Sightseeing in the general region of the Arthur and Paul A&P is easy, convenient, and just about as glamorous as it gets, so don’t be afraid to dive right into the gay-catered wonders this excellent establishment offers!
THE H Restaurant & Sky Bar
Although this location’s name may not give the impression that it is a hotel at all, the H is this list’s ace card in disguise – packing a unique atmosphere and set of advantages that make it one of the most appealing and affordable places of accommodation in the entire city.
This establishment’s focus is indeed on the part of its premises that belong to the bar and restaurant, but that doesn’t mean that the rooms themselves are left behind in the dust of good food, drinks, and socialization.
The class and modern edge of the H’s spaces aren’t lost at all, and this is even more true when it comes to the hotel’s common spaces. The H is dark, prestigious, and inviting, giving its guests a feeling of class and inclusion from the moment they walk through its doors to when they hand in their key to leave.
Although the hotel itself hasn’t gone down on record as officially standing in support of queer guests, several gay travelers have stayed here in the past and followed it up by being kind enough to leave positive reviews, and as such, it can be safely assumed that the H Hotel Phnom Penh follows the trend set by the rest of the city in being fully welcoming and open for gay crowds!
The Sangkat Boeng Keng Kang Ti Muoy area isn’t one of the main tourist areas of the city, but the district is currently seeing a rebirth, and one can see that clearly in the sheer evolution that even the site of Hotel H itself has undergone in recent years. If you’re ready to jump on new, expanding trends and looking for an exciting, different experience, this is the perfect opportunity for you!
Pride Resort Cambodia
This list of gay hotels in Phnom Penh has had more than its fair share of hotel names that immediately give a sense of the sheer queerness of the location they belong to, but the Pride Resort has to take the cake. Not only is the Pride Resort affordable for all levels of travelers with all kinds of budget sizes, but it also includes a good portion of the special benefits of the establishments that came before it in a much more convenient format.
The Pride Resort’s proximity to the very center of Phnom Penh and the Mekong River that flows through it makes it useful from any perspective, and its status as one of the most important and active hubs of queer activism and event organization in the entire country is a powerful plus for gay holidayers. The Pride Resort is also fully responsible for organizing and administrating the city’s annual pride march!
Thanks to the fact that the Pride Resort is quite often the location for regional gay meetups or charity events, this hooks on to the next part of our overview of the hotel perfectly.
The Pride Resort – funnily enough – is also one of the only hotels in the central region of the city to include an event center that guests can hire, so if you’re looking to hold a birthday party, a wedding, or any other kind of get-together while you’re in Phnom Penh, then this is the perfect gay hotel to do it in!
There’s a pool available for guests to relax next to, an included restaurant and bar ensemble for you to satisfy your food and drink needs or the needs of your tagalongs, and – perhaps most importantly for large gatherings or simply for personal convenience – a free parking lot.
Villa Sovanna Boutique Hotel
It’s been a lovely journey through the amazing city of Phnom Penh, but all things must end, and unfortunately, this list of gay hotels must too. However, what better way to do so than with a stylish, highbrow location brought straight from accommodation heaven?
The Villa Sovanna, or simply the Sovanna as it is sometimes called, is a four-star establishment with a chic design sense, wonderful service, and a grassroots connection to its guests and brand, making it an extremely reliable and comfortable accommodation choice.
Much like the majority of the other hotels on this list, the Villa Sovanna is located just a few minutes walk away from the true center of the city, which means that it also has close connections with Phnom Penh’s gay scene and queer atmosphere.
When it comes to the hotel itself, the spaces of the Sovanna are gentle, well-designed, and comfortable, and as such, if you treasure spaces that are just as aesthetically pleasing as they are useful and private, then you’re just going to love the individual suites of this hotel.
Some on-paper benefits and amenities of staying at the Sovanna include a daily breakfast to start the day, complimentary laundry service straight to and from your room, hot tubs in some rooms, and access to the hotel’s very own restaurant and bar ensemble.
The Sovanna is also home to its golf course, which is another plus point for the hotel if you’re interested in the sport or want to try something new while on holiday. There’s another pool if you’d rather lounge about and allow the hours to slip you by as you make the most of your holiday hours.
Gay Hotel Map Of Phnom Penh
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Phnom Penh? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Phnom Penh! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Phnom Penh.
