Independence Hotel by Dara

Knowing little about Sihanoukville, my family booked this place to enjoy a quiet getaway. We later discovered that in the loud, dirty and seedy city, Independence Hotel is a breath of fresh air. As casinos have moved in, Western tourists have started to vacation on the islands. Independence Hotel may be one of the only places in Sihanoukville with a spectacular view (it's angled so you can't see the abandoned skyscrapers), and a clean, safe, family-friendly atmosphere. The multi-layered infinity pool was absolutely incredible, and most welcome, as the waters of the beach were too dirty to swim in. The breakfast buffet was delicious, the gym surprisingly full of new and high end equipment, and the spa offered a nice assortment of massages and treatments, a sauna, steam room, and hot & cold jacuzzis. Our two teenagers enjoyed the ping pong table, pool table, and hiking the vast premises where they saw beautiful flora and plenty of monkeys. Every staff member was kind and courteous. From photos on the wall of the hotel, you can see that the glory days of Independence Hotel may be in the past (Jackie Kennedy supposedly stayed here), and yet there is still much charm. It's a place we are rooting for. If you want a luxury stay for an affordable price, and are fine not leaving the premises, then Independence Hotel is for you.

First time stay at this Iconic 60's Seaside Resort Hotel in Sunny Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The location on a hillside adjacent to Independence Beach was another drawcard. Beautiful scenery from all aspects of the resort made the stay more relaxing and tranquil. The ocean pool was absolutely stunning, especially during sunset and in the early evening. The surrounding tropical rainforests was beautiful as well, with quite a few playful "resident macaques" swinging themselves around throughout the entire resort. The buffet breakfasts in Coral Restaurant were relaxing with a very large array of food, even a la carte breakfast offerings. Staff were friendly and courteous as well. The staffs' level of English proficiency was amazing as was their work practices. It was wonderful to have the golf cart escort when staying in the forest villas as well, made the trek to the restaurant for breakfast even more enjoyable. Will definitely return for another visit. Congratulations to the Management Team. Keep up the good work.

I stayed at Independence Hotel by Dara for three nights and I was very impressed by their service and facilities. The hotel is located in a beautiful area, overlooking the sea and surrounded by lush greenery. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, with a balcony that offered a stunning view of the sunset. The staff was friendly, helpful, and attentive, always ready to assist me with anything I needed. The breakfast buffet was delicious and varied, with a mix of local and international dishes. The hotel also has a beach, a swimming pool, a spa, and a fitness center, which I enjoyed very much. I would highly recommend Independence Hotel by Dara to anyone looking for a relaxing and luxurious stay in Sihanoukville. It was one of the best hotel experiences I have ever had.

Very beautiful place! Nature is amazing! It's one of the best hotel in Cambodia, still.. But very rude stuff.. Especially security They don't ask nothing when they see you at first time, they just can tell you - get out from the beach, from this road, horrible behaviour Another stuff never smile Especially on the breakfast You just wanna to ask what is that, what kind of eggs I can order for my first breakfast When you would like to have just glass of water, they don't wanna give you at the restaurant I mean for 4star hotel that's really no good attitude to the guests Very law level of hospitality, honestly I travel a lot in Cambodia, and everywhere stuff is really friendly, in mini-hotels or big hotels But not here

Positives. It's ok Cleanish Nice pool by the sea Welcome drink Negatives You are away from everything so a bit trapped. It's had it's day in the 60s, I've no doubt it was state of the art at the time but now seems in a time warp. Stained and dated furniture, peeling paint, a damp smell in the room. Over priced for what it is. Breakfast is OK but nothing. The city is absolutely horrible, unless you like seeing half built or lots of empty buildings so do yourself a favour and go to the next place.

60’s chic! Does not look as old as it is. Loved the pools and the workout room. Buffer and room service food was delicious! I highly recommend it

Wonderful stay at The Independence. We were here for two days and the experience was amazing. The property is having a lush green landscape with an infinity pool known as Ocean Pool to relax in the scorchy heat of Cambodia...

This is an excellent hotel for young families. The breakfast range was comprehensive catering for both Asian & European clients even if some of the items were not of the highest quality, it would suit most families. The hotel pools on the sea front were stunning as was the beech by the sea front restaurant. Ideal for the very young and the proficient swimmer. Clean and in good order with toilet facilities are on hand. The hotel rooms were in very good condition. The sea view restaurant cooks all the meal individually and therefor you need to order in advance if you have very young children as you will wait for at least 30 minutes before your food arrives. Some of the dishes were fabulous however you could order the same dish a day later and find it disappointing. I would definitely recommend this hotel for families. A very sad fact is that the hotel staff who we saw worked very hard and were friendly at all times are housed in shocking low standard accommodation blocks on site.

Our non-smoking room was on the 5th floor, but it stunk of cigarette smoke. We opened the window and door, had a lemon grass oil burner delivered to no avail. The entrance to all rooms in the main building is from an open walkway/corridor. Despite the no smoking sign on the 5th floor corridor there were several ashtrays, including one immediately alongside our door. The compressor for our room air conditioner was located just below where the occupant from the adjacent room leant over the balcony to smoke.. The smoke was sucked straight into our room. We moved to the 6th floor; same thing happened (see the photo of the ashtray).We would have checked out, but we had prepaid hotel and flights. The beach was nice but not worth suffering this run down hotel or disgusting city. Just avoid the city it does not feel safe or clean. This was our 3rd and last visit to Sihanoukville.

The hotel need upgrade a lots from bar, play area reception, restaurant etc Room are ok they do not make room every day that I feel a bit disappointed. The service from Concerge, restaurant, bar breakfast are great the service / customer care is very good - not everyone speak English was a bit a problem at night when you try to make arrange things for next day ! The swimming pool the new one was partly renovated but not used as weather was not great.