The Design of Rosewood Phnom Penh Celebrates Cambodia's Cultural Beauty with Contemporary Luxury

“Rosewood Phnom Penh is an intriguing celebration of a sense of place,” “Its design gracefully draws together the threads of history, nature, culture and modern luxury in Cambodia.”

hotel Managing Director Michael Parker

Designed by Melbourne’s BAR Studio, with two restaurants created by Tokyo-based Bond Design Studio, the interior of the ultra-luxury hotel aims to capture the essence of the country with a blend of Khmer architectural aspects, the country’s French colonial heritage and Cambodian craft techniques, all embraced by a subtle classic-meets-contemporary style.

“The concept is one of a carefully curated, contemporary mansion – one which tastefully weaves together prevailing sensibilities and the refinement of ancient Cambodia,”

Stewart Robertson, BAR Studio director

Influenced by the country’s tropical climate and lush foliage, interiors are cooling, with dark timber, travertine marble and neutral tones interlaced with brass details, smooth leather and shimmering mosaic tiles. The shady retreats in the capital’s old town are replicated in the hues of the décor with rust-red highlights echoing the city’s red rooftops and vibrant Poinciana tree blossoms.

The arrival experience immediately sets the tone for the urban sanctuary. An aged copper canopy shelters the porte cochère, framed with artisanal carved timber panels that merge modern technique and traditional motifs. Guests pass through a series of rammed-earth wall fragments, each rising over six meters high. These were created to capture the spirit of ancient Angkor temple walls overgrown by jungle and also the lush, tropical feel of a colonial manor garden.

Guests enter an intimate and elegant lounge situated on the 35th level, featuring sleek travertine walls framing city views. The hotel’s public areas proceed as a series of fluid, serene spaces, each with unique function and personality, dotted with recreations of Cambodian animal gods and temple guardians as contemporary wire sculptures.

Modern Cambodian luxury in residential-style guestrooms

Contemporary-classic furnishings and tactile materials – dark wood, brass and mosaic – highlight the 175 guestrooms and suites. The residential style includes large, round, window-facing tables that double as dining or work spaces, inviting guests to soak in vistas of the city skyline and Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers, and shelves of art and eclectic accessories to peruse. Fine details represent centuries-old-Cambodian craft techniques, including custom-designed fabric panels and ikat -patterned carpets.

Art and artefacts create a journey

Throughout the public and private spaces of the hotel, an eclectic assembly of Cambodian-inspired accessories and authentic artefacts is reminiscent of the treasured collection of an avid traveler on display in a private home. The work of Hong Kong-based SV Design, the gathering blends contemporary aesthetics with aspects of Cambodian culture, in pieces such as woven baskets, ceramic sculptures, metal artefacts and lacquer, with bronze and silver finishing and unexpected hints of color and modern lines.

Designs for sky-high dining

The design intention for Brasserie Louis was to create a fresh, relaxed space to complement the panoramic 35th floor views from floor-to-ceiling, wrap-around windows. The interior alternates natural light, subtle framework, leather sofas, brass tones and an earth-tone color palette, as the backdrop for savoring French and Cambodian cuisine.

In contrast to the bustling urban exterior of the hotel, The Living Room presents the ambiance of a light-filled residential home, albeit with expansive city views from the its 35th floor outlook. A warm color palette streams easily from day to night with versatile seating for light dining, social mingling to and business tȇte-à-tȇte.

Bond Design Studio designed Iza, the lively Japanese izakaya -style restaurant on the 37th floor. The casual tone of the restaurant is introduced by the whimsical stack of Dassai sake drums and beer tank at the restaurant entrance. Lattice screens of steel, glass and fabric create interplays of light and define dining spaces. The cloth is a naturally dyed local kramma textile – its use subtly references both Cambodian lifestyle and Japanese culture with the characteristic lattice pattern also found in refined Japanese fabric.

Sora, the highest sky bar in Phnom Penh, perches on a cantilevered terrace from the 37th floor. The outdoor terrace juxtaposes sophisticated stainless steel and rattan seating around a central, circular bar, all with the spectacle of the city panorama on display. For the indoor space, Bond Design Studio was inspired by the graceful body movements of a Cambodian Apsara dancer, which is translated into a series of elegant curves with the use of fine wood and metal works. In contrast, the design of the adjacent whiskey library and cigar lounge takes its cue from a Cambodian male dancer, masculine and powerful, in the form of leather seating, dark wood and a 25-seat, hefty wood tasting counter from which to survey the expanse of the capital’s city skyline.