Budget hotel with million dollar river views: Kampot Riverside Hotel, Cambodia

The Kampot Riverside Hotel commands one of the best locations in quaint Kampot – it sits right on the River with great sunset views and a short walk from downtown. You get basic rooms, a full breakfast and friendly service. If you want to explore Kampot on a budget, the Riverside Hotel is a good choice!

Location: The Kampot Riverside Hotel’s location is the biggest selling point. Not only do you get great sunset views over the river from the communal balcony, you are also within a few minutes walk from the Durian Roundabout, the market and most of the restaurants in town, making it a perfect location for first timers to explore Kampot. You are also a short walk from the bust station to take you to Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville.

Service: The front desk at the Kampot Riverside Hotel was friendly and had my room ready on check-in. They also provided information about town and can arrange tours for you. English is spoken well enough to arrange the things you need. Housekeeping did a thorough job cleaning my room each day, replacing towels and refilling amenities. The restaurant staff was just as friendly and served breakfast each morning correctly, quickly and with a smile.

Room: I had a standard room towards the back of the Kampot Riverside Hotel and it is as simple as can be. You get a queen size bed with a firm mattress (typical for the region) and simple sheets. A heavy wooden closet is in the corner and a padded chair under the window facing the next building. You also have a desk and chair opposite the bed, so you can get some work done.

The room is well equipped with a tiny TV, a fridge, coffee/tea facilities, iron & iron board and even a laptop size safe in the closet.

It always amazes me that a budget hotel in Asia can get all this done, when (supposedly) upscale hotels in Europe or the US that cost several times as much can’t provide these basic amenities!

The bathroom is just as simple, with a shower in the corner, a toilet and a small sink. The shower is small and has a plastic curtain on a rod.

The towels and bathroom amenities are pretty basic as well, but will do the job and you even get a dental kit and comb.

Restaurant & Amenities: An amenity that goes with the great location are the communal balconies on each floor. Even if you booked a standard room in the back, you can hang out on the chairs provided and enjoy a cold beer at sunset with a million dollar view.
The restaurant on the ground-floor serves the included breakfast as well as lunch or dinner. The breakfast is served a  la carte from a menu. I picked the “American Breakfast” that consisted of fresh fruit, crunchy baguette bread, scrambled eggs, bacon and a grilled tomato as well as coffee. While not as rich as a buffet, it gave me a good start into the day!

Bottomline: The Kampot Riverside Hotel has one of the best locations in town and the balconies make the most out of it. The rooms are basic, but well equipped and clean. Service is friendly and the included breakfast is good. At a price of only $30/night the Kampot Riverside is great value, making it a good budget choice in Kampot! You can find the current rates here!


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