The Okay Boutique Hotel Phnom Penh offers basic rooms on a budget in the heart of Phnom Penh. The standout feature is the rooftop pool with killer views of the Royal Palace and all of Phnom Penh downtown.You’ll have to live with middling service and outdated (but clean) rooms. If you are on a tight budget, the Okay Hotel is a good choice, but for a few bucks more you get much better hotels!
Location: The Okay Boutique Hotel is located on a small alley just behind the Royal Palace in the heart of Phnom Penh. You can reach the Palace and the National Museum on foot in a few minutes, as well as countless bars, restaurants, coffee shops and night clubs, making this a great location to explore Phnom Penh. The ride to the airport is between 45-90 minutes depending on the traffic.Because it’s down a small alley, the ever-present traffic noise of Phnom Penh is not an issue at the Okay Boutique Hotel.
Service: The welcome at the Okay Boutique Hotel wasn’t quite as friendly as at other hotels in Cambodia. I had to wait a while before the front desk processed my check-in, handed me my keys and sent me on my way – no smiles, hotel or city information offered.
Housekeeping cleaned my room each day quickly and thoroughly, restocking supplies and changing towels appropriately. The restaurant staff was rather grim as well, more intend on enforcing the rules than making the stay more enjoyable. They did keep the buffet stocked and tables cleaned efficiently. While the services would be perfectly fine in the US or Europe, among Cambodia’s usually warm and super-friendly service, the Okay Hotel stood out as perfunctory and cold…
Room: My standard room was of good size and held in a traditional Khmer decor. It has dark wood floors, dark wood lower wall panels and white paint, combined with dark wood furniture. You guessed, the room feels a little… dark and gloomy. The furniture is heavy, looked a little worn and doors didn’t open and close properly.
The bed was large with a very firm mattress and basic sheets and pillows. The room is well equipped with coffee/tea facilities, a mini-fridge, TV and a safe – all of it in good working order.
While I could accept the bedroom as “local style”, the bathroom was plain outdated. The floors, bathtub and sink were made of dark concrete with inlaid mother-of-pearl pieces that were old, worn and in poor condition. It was hard to tell if it was the material or just dirty, but three is a reason why a majority of travelers prefer white sinks! The shower has a thin curtain that only covers half the tub when you shower. The sink was tiny, mounted on a broken wooden cabinet with a door hanging of its hinges.
The provided towels were thin and hard and the toiletries very basic, of bright colors and smelling like a chemical accident.
Restaurant & Amenities: The standout feature of the Okay Boutique Hotel is the rooftop pool & bar. You get stunning 360 degree views over the Royal Palace and Phnom Penh’s downtown. The pool is cold and clean, inviting to a refreshing dip after a long day about town. There are plenty of padded loungers to relax and a small bar to serve drinks or food. Make sure to come up here at sun set for million dollar views of Phnom Penh!
The restaurant itself was ok. You can choose from a small selection of pastries, and fresh food and there are some hot dishes including eggs and meats as well. The quality was rather basic and the taste was ok – it’s filling, but won’t win any awards.
The hotel has a tour desk in the lobby to help you with sightseeing trips and a gaggle of tuk tuk drivers hangs out in the alley for convenient, if overpriced rides around town.
Bottomline: The Okay Boutique Hotel Phnom Penh offers well equipped, if outdated room at bargain prices of $40/night during high-season including breakfast and for under $20/night in off-season. The rooms are clean, the breakfast is filling and you get a great pool with killer views in the bargain. If you are on a budget, it’s a good choice. If you are willing to spend a little more, the “sweet spot” of Phnom Penh is in mid-range hotels (like the Blue Lime next door or the Aquarius Urban Resort) that offer much better rooms, service and amenities for just a few bucks more! Check current prices to see your choices!