I stayed at the Himawari for 3 weeks in January 2012.
On arrival our greeting at reception was warm and friendly. The staff speak English well and provided us with a welcome drink. Check in was brief and friendly.
Our room was a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 bathrooms, a laundry, a kitchen and a large living room with sofas and newish flat screen TV. The rooms are spacious with comfortable beds and large clean bathrooms. Each bedroom has a TV with satellite reception. We received a complimentary fruit basket and were provided with teas and coffees in a welcome pack. The view from our room was large coconut palm trees above the pool area and to the junction of 2 rivers behind the hotel. There is a daily buzz of activity of boats and ships going about their business.
The rooms could use a renovation, the enamel coat on the bath tub in the main ensuite was peeling off. In some areas the carpet was frayed or had holes in it. The furniture is a looking a little old and the TV's in the bedrooms are also quite old but effective. The DVD player in our lounge was not functioning properly.
The kitchen is a good sized and well equipped. There is an electic stove with a microwave but no oven or dishwasher. There is dishwashing materials provided but if you dont feel like washing up the staff will do it when they do their daily clean. The hot water system in the kitchen was a mystery to me, a brief shot of scolding hot water would come out and then quickly turn to cold water. If you want some more hot water, turn off the tap and repeat.
The ground floor is an open aired reception area that also contains the restaurant, gym and pool. The pool area is fabulous with a good sized (20 metres?) pool and an excellent kiddie pool. The pool area is shaded by umbrellas and coconut palm trees. There is also a kids playground (no fence to contain them and prevent them from going in the pool though) and a hot tub.
The gym looks ok to me as a non going gym type person. They have running machines, bikes, free weights and nautalus machines and a couple of TV's. Our room included gym membership and I think this applies to any guest.
The restaurant served a breakfast buffet with the ubiquitous omelette guy, french pastries and asian fare. The coffee is excellent. The staff at the restaurant are attentive, friendly and display initiative.
Overall, I rate this hotel highly. If you are planning a long stay in Phnom Penh or you are travelling with kids and prepared to pay a little more for some space and a good pool then I would recommend the Himawari. If you are travelling on a budget and plan to spend more time out of the hotel then there are probably better options around.
Room Tip: Pool side rooms have a good view but are a little noisier.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
