Phnom Penh as we imagined it stretches beneath us: a picturesque, low-rise mix of Southeast Asian and French Colonial styles. When the inhabitants of those buildings look back at us here in the Fairfield by Marriott hotel in Chip Mong Tower, they see the future.

This $230 million, 45-story skyscraper was completed in 2022, with the hotel itself opening in March 2023. The finishing touches to the tower are still being made, not least a swanky, five-story shopping mall with direct access from Fairfield by Marriott’s ground-floor lobby. It’s expected to open toward the end of 2024, and will house a range of restaurants and designer shops. A 10^th-floor cinema is also nearing completion, along with 12 floors of office space.

© Fairfield by Marriott Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh’s transformation into a 21^st-century metropolis is happening at breathtaking speed. Before 2012, the city had no buildings more than 100 meters tall. Now there are more than 80, many of which have topped out in the past three years. The main cluster is in the CBD, about 3 miles from Fairfield by Marriott. We can see that rising skyline in haze to our left. The hotel is immediately surrounded by a thriving neighborhood of homes and businesses, though in short time this area is likely to transform. For now, downtown can be reached easily and quickly by tuk-tuk ordered through Grab or PassApp, two local apps similar to Uber.

We’ve stayed in countless hotel rooms and thought we’d seen every variation. But our room here is different. At first look, the standard king room appears totally open plan, with bathroom and bedroom undivided. We realize, disconcertingly, the toilet is visible from the sofa over by the window. Then we discover there’s a frosted-glass partition to slide across, separating the two spaces. Undivided, the room is remarkably spacious. With the partition in place, the frosted-glass provides both privacy and the illusion of openness in both bedroom and bathroom; it’s a clever design solution.

© Fairfield by Marriott Phnom Penh

As with other hotels partially occupying tall buildings, Fairfield by Marriott has a reception (in this case on the 27^th floor) accessed by direct elevator from the private, ground-floor lobby. On the same floor as reception there is also a bar; a retail stand selling snacks and drinks; and the all-day dining restaurant, which opens at 6:30 a,m. for breakfast (a substantial buffet spread, with international and local Khmer options). In the evening, the restaurant offers excellent à la carte dining.

© Fairfield by Marriott Phnom Penh

Here I had my first taste of the Khmer specialty lok lak, a peppery meat dish topped with a fried egg. (In two subsequent weeks in Cambodia, I would never have better.) A ritzier dining and entertaining option is available in the form of The Winds Rooftop Bar & Lounge on the 44^th and 45^th floors. As with the hotel’s other restaurant, The Winds offers local and international dishes, including great steak and French fries. You can sit indoors in air-conditioning or out on the terrace, soaking up the balmy night air with the sights and sounds of the city spread below.

© Fairfield by Marriott Phnom Penh

The same view can be enjoyed from the 28^th-floor infinity pool, and from the adjacent fitness center. One morning, from the side of the pool deck, I gazed down at Railway Street, an active rail track densely lined with a shanty of tin-roofed shops and homes. Later, at sunset, I walked along it. I was initially cautious. Phnom Penh — like many major cities — has a few areas in which you need to be vigilant. But here I was welcomed with smiles, and for a memorable hour I experienced another side of life in Cambodia’s capital.

As the city strides into the future, the culture of older neighborhoods remains as vibrant as ever. Hopefully both sides of this fascinating city will thrive in the years to come. Over the coming decades, the city’s evolution will be witnessed from the high windows of Fairfield by Marriott.

Fairfield by Marriott Phnom Penh

Russian Federation Boulevard
10 Village Sangat Phsar Depou 3, Khan Toulkouk
Phnom Penh, 12304, Cambodia
tel 855 23 626 8888