The Independence Hotel is an historic hotel located 5 km outside of

Sihanoukville Sihanoukville (, ), also known as Kampong Saom (, ) or Preah Sihanouk (, ), is a coastal city in Cambodia and the capital of Preah Sihanouk Province, at the tip of an elevated peninsula in the country's south-west on the Gulf of Thailand. T ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

. The original hotel, completed in 1964, was designed by French architect duo Leroy and Mondet as a conscious landmark to demonstrate the country's optimism following independence from France. A large white edifice perched above the sea, the building was known locally as ''bprahm-bpel jawn'', or "seven storeys", as it was by far the tallest in the country. During this time the hotel's guests included

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...

and

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...

, and the hotel served as a "show piece" for the Royal Family, with

King Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Sihanouk (; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a member of the House of Norodom, Cambodian royal house who led the country as Monarchy of Cambodia, King, List of heads of state of Cambodia, Chief of State and Prime Minister of Cambodi ...

taking responsibility for the hotel's original interior design. The hotel fell into disuse as a hotel under the

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...

, who used it both for target practice and as a base for overseeing the port town of Sihanoukville, camping out in its empty corridors. Dissidents were also reportedly imprisoned in the clover-leaf shaped pool, which was roofed over with bamboo to form a rudimentary gaol. Following the fall of

Pol Pot Pol Pot (born Saloth Sâr; 19 May 1925 – 15 April 1998) was a Cambodian politician, revolutionary, and dictator who ruled the communist state of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 until Cambodian–Vietnamese War, his overthrow in 1979. During ...

, the hotel reopened in 1992 to house

UNTAC The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Cambodia in 1992–93 formed following the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. This was the first occasion in which the UN List of territories ...

forces who were seeking to assist in rebuilding the country, although it is said only half of the rooms were habitable. It later again fell into disuse, and was used as a hide-out for criminals and smugglers. The Independence was finally refurbished and then reopened as a three-star luxury hotel in 2007, following investment by

Canadia Bank Canadia Bank ( ) is one of the largest local banks in Cambodia. The bank was established in 1991 and became privatized in 1998. As one of Cambodia's leading commercial banks, it operates 64 branches across 25 provinces and the capital. It is al ...

. The Cambodia Daily reported, prior to the opening, that "Revamped, refurbished, its grisly memories buried under a new coat of paint, the historic building will once again represent a nation’s optimism."

References

External links

Official hotel site

{{coord, 10.6173, 103.4952, type:landmark_region:KH, display=title Hotels in Cambodia Buildings and structures in Sihanoukville province Hotel buildings completed in 1964