Raffles Cambodia Marks the Holiday Season with Elegance and Warmth  Christmas and New Year festivities come to life in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Raffles in Cambodia will celebrate the holidays with a host of extraordinary dining experiences and memorable festivities at its two historic hotels that blend Raffles’ signature elegance with the warmth and timeless traditions of the season.

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap and Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh will each present a distinctive calendar of events, inviting guests and the local community to mark Christmas and ring in the New Year with style and sophistication.

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor kicked off the season with its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 28. Guests and the local community gathered in the hotel’s gardens for an evening filled with live performances, traditional carols and the special moment when the grand Christmas tree came alive with thousands of twinkling lights.

The luxury hotel, now in its 93rd year, transforms into a spellbinding fairytale inspired by Hansel and Gretel this holiday season. Glittering lights, evergreen wreaths and whimsical decorations evoke the enchantment of a gingerbread forest, turning every corridor and courtyard into a living storybook where elegance meets holiday wonder. At the heart of the lobby stands a life-size gingerbread house, welcoming guests into a world brimming with seasonal spirit.

Throughout December, numerous special festive experiences are on offer. Young guests can join the hotel’s pastry chefs on Dec. 13 for a fun-filled gingerbread-making class, crafting and decorating their own edible creations. On Dec. 18, the hotel will host an event to celebrate a new art collection on display featuring works inspired by Khmer royalty and the hotel’s iconic Royal Doorman. The evening includes an exclusive gin tasting, artist meet-and-greet and wine-and-canapé reception.

The grand lobby will resonate with the voices of the Children’s Choir of Siem Reap on Dec. 21, while a festive afternoon tea—reimagined with seasonal flavours and holiday sweets—is served daily amid the shimmering décor. For those seeking rejuvanation, the Raffles Spa offers a restorative Holiday Ritual throughout the month, including a luxurious body polish followed by a Traditional Swedish Massage.

The hotel has also announced several extraordinary dining experiences. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Executive Sous Chef Dorn Doeurt will present a refined seven-course tasting menu at 1932, weaving Cambodia’s rich heritage into innovative dishes made with the finest local ingredients. Café d’Angkor offers a special four-course festive menu of international seasonal specialities, while an extravagant Christmas Day brunch is highlighted by roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham, live jazz and optional free-flow wine, cocktails and Champagne.

The season builds to a crescendo on New Year’s Eve with Siem Reap’s most spectacular poolside soirée, featuring exquisite cuisine, mesmerising performances by Phare Circus and a breathtaking fireworks display welcoming 2026.

Throughout the festive season, the iconic Elephant Bar will pour traditional Glühwein and handcrafted holiday cocktails made with rare spirits and seasonal artistry.

Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor’s “Christmas Escape Package” includes a stay in newly renovated luxurious accommodation, daily Champagne breakfast for two, and access to the exclusive Raffles Resort Programme.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal

The legendary Raffles Hotel Le Royal, now in its 96th year, opens its doors to a season of memorable celebrations that blend signature elegance with the genuine warmth of togetherness. From heartwarming family moments to refined gastronomic journeys and dazzling New Year festivities, every experience is crafted to create lasting memories.

The festive calendar begins with fun-filled hands-on workshops at Le Phnom 1929. On Dec. 7, guests craft personalised Christmas cards, gift labels and tree decorations. A Decorate Your Home Floral Series on Dec. 7 teaches professional techniques for stunning holiday arrangements to take home, while little ones (and the young at heart) decorate gingerbread men with the pastry team on Dec. 14 and Dec. 21. On Dec. 21, the Writers Bar hosts a refined Festive Afternoon Tea accompanied by live Christmas carols.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal will host several exclusive dining experiences this festive season. Throughout December (except Dec. 25), a sophisticated three-course festive set lunch showcases seasonal ingredients and brasserie classics at Le Phnom 1929. Christmas Eve brings a lavish buffet with free-flow drinks at Le Phnom 1929 alongside an intimate five-course dinner at Restaurant Le Royal.

Christmas Day unfolds with a grand lobby brunch of fresh seafood, live carvery, artisanal cheeses, hand-crafted desserts and the voices of a children’s choir, followed by an opulent dinner buffet of oysters, premium seafood, roasted lamb, foie gras and decadent sweets.

New Year’s Eve offers a range of celebrations: a gastronomic five-course dinner at Restaurant Le Royal, a lavish buffet at Le Phnom 1929 with premium roasts and live entertainment, and an exciting Countdown Party at Empress Room featuring a live DJ, signature cocktails, free-flow Champagne and gourmet bites beneath the stars.

The luxury hotel’s “Magical Festive Escape” stay package, valid through Jan. 31, 2026, includes daily Champagne breakfast, a complimentary 60-minute spa treatment for two, daily afternoon tea, a room category upgrade (subject to availability) and early check-in/late check-out until 4 p.m. (subject to availability).

Throughout the holidays, The Raffles Spa offers a 90-minute Le Royal Signature Khmer Massage with a complimentary Festive Negroni at Elephant Bar—and a second treatment brings 30% off, along with another cocktail.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal looks forward to welcoming guests to a season of cherished traditions, refined indulgence and joyful memories in the heart of Phnom Penh.

For more information on Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, please call +855 23 982 598 or visit www.raffles.com/siem-reap/. For Raffles Hotel Le Royal, please contact +855 23 981 888 or visit www.raffles.com/phnom-penh.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal Welcomes 2-Michelin-Star Chef for Exclusive Dining Series Chef Pascal Favre d’Anne will prepare special meals at Restaurant Le Royal from Nov. 16-18

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The historic Raffles Hotel Le Royal is set to welcome celebrated French Chef Pascal Favre d’Anne, the recipient of two Michelin stars, for a series of exclusive meals in November.

Chef Pascal was awarded his first Michelin star in 2008 for Le Favre d’Anne restaurant in Angers in northwestern France and his second Michelin star in 2016 for another restaurant of the same name. His cuisine is inspired by his global travels, particularly in Asia, and highlights fresh, locally sourced ingredients prepared with distinctive French cooking techniques.

At Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Chef Pascal will serve exclusive 5-course set dinners on Nov. 16, 17 and 18, priced at $88++, and special 3-course set lunches on Nov. 17 and 18, priced at $42++. All meals will be served at Restaurant Le Royal and include an optional wine pairing. Guests can also discover the Louis XIII Cognac Experience, which is served tableside from a decanter.

Some highlights from Chef Pascal’s sumptuous set menus at Raffles Hotel Le Royal include scallops with radish, herring roe, matcha tea and truffle oil; steamed Mekong River lobster with Cointreau orange liqueur and shell bisque; seared sea bass with carrot and lemon confit; and crusted veal filet with ceps and celery ravioli; among others.

“Chef Pascal’s two Michelin stars speak for themselves, underscoring his extraordinary culinary talents, and we are delighted to welcome him to Restaurant Le Royal as we continue to redefine high-end gastronomy in Cambodia,” Raffles Hotel Le Royal General Manager Dennis de Groot said.

More recently, Chef Pascal has been overseeing the opening of the new Halles Gourmandes d’Angers in northwestern France, where he has a Cuisine du Marche concept store. He is also the culinary ambassador for Cointreau, the world-famous orange liqueur produced in Angers, and he is involved in a highly respected culinary school, the Angers Campus Gastronomic.

Chef Pascal’s fine-dining experiences at Raffles Hotel Le Royal will mark the third culinary event at the hotel this year featuring Michelin-starred chefs. In March, the hotel welcomed French Chef Patrice Hardy of the two-Michelin-starred Le Palme d’Or at Hotel Martinez in Cannes and the one-Michelin-starred La Brettonnière in Boulogne-Billancourt. And in June, two-Michelin-star Chef Thierry Drapeau and Vietnam Iron Chef winner Chef Sakal Phoeung prepared a series of special “four-hands” dining experiences at Restaurant Le Royal.

Seating for Chef Pascal’s meals at Restaurant Le Royal is limited and advanced reservations are required. For inquiries and reservations, please contact Raffles Hotel Le Royal at Tel: 023 981 888 or email: dining.leroyal@raffles.com.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal’s Iconic Elephant Bar Launches ‘World Gin Tour’

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia  — The iconic Elephant Bar at the 90-year-old Raffles Hotel Le Royal has launched a new “World Gin Tour” showcasing highlights from one of Southeast Asia’s most diverse and thoughtfully curated gin collections.

The yearlong “World Gin Tour” spotlights select labels from Elephant Bar’s collection of more than 150 distinctive gins from around the world. Whether classic concoctions or modern inventions, Elephant Bar’s expert bartenders can make them all.

Each month will introduce a new special cocktail menu featuring refreshing drinks made with a different country’s gin, in addition to a “gin masterclass” that includes cocktail flights for two hours highlighting the featured gin (priced at $28). Upcoming stops on the tour include Australian gin (February), Spanish gin (March), Cambodian gin (April) and Irish gin (May). The “World Gin Tour” kicked off in January with French gin. Each stop on the tour begins with an exclusive, one-night “bar takeover” featuring guest mixologists.

Guests are invited to fill up their “gin passes” and win exciting prizes. The pass consists of 12 stamps. Those who get six stamps will receive a complimentary Elephant Bar gin masterclass; nine stamps wins a complimentary bottle of Elephant Bar Dry Gin; and 12 stamps earns a cocktail tailor made by the guest to be featured on Elephant Bar’s menu for one month.

With its rich wood accents, colorful ceiling frescoes and historic photographs on the walls, Elephant Bar is a long-time institution in Phnom Penh. Wicker chairs and leather sofas bask behind high French windows and arched colonnades in true colonial style. Among the bar’s guests over the past 90+ years have been Charlie Chaplin, Somerset Maugham and Jacqueline Kennedy, who sipped the first Femme Fatale—now a signature cocktail at Elephant Bar.

Elephant Bar was recently nominated for Cambodia’s Top 30 Bar Awards.

Voted the No. 1 hotel in Cambodia by readers of the US-based travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler in its annual Readers’ Choice Awards in October, Raffles Hotel Le Royal originally opened in 1929. The hotel features 175 rooms and suites that underwent a full refurbishment as part of a meticulous one-year restoration project in 2019.

For more information or to make a booking, call 023 981 888 or email dining.leroyal@raffles.com.

ABOUT RAFFLES

Raffles Hotels & Resorts boasts an illustrious history and some of the most prestigious hotel addresses worldwide. In 1887, Raffles Singapore set the standard for luxury hospitality, introducing the world to private butlers, the Singapore Sling and its enduring, legendary service. Today, Raffles continues this tradition in leading cities and lavish resort locales, enchanting travellers with meaningful experiences and service that is both gracious and intuitive. Connoisseurs of life choose Raffles, not merely for its aura of culture, beauty and gentility, but for the extraordinary way they feel when in residence with Raffles. Each Raffles, be it Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, Warsaw, Jakarta or the Seychelles, serves as a venerated oasis where travellers arrive as guests, leave as friends and return as family. Raffles is part of Accor, a world-leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,100 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries.

Creating a Cocktail for Cambodia

Following in Raffles’ grand tradition of concocting exotic new cocktails, Mr Kong Len, the bar captain at the iconic Elephant Bar in Raffles Hotel Le Royal, brings us the “Fifth Pillar”.

While infusing locally sourced orange skin and homemade orange bitters with Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin for 15 days, Kong roasted a blend of rock salt, kaffir lime leaves, and orange zest. All the ingredients were then shaken and strained into a chilled martini glass.

Kong said he was inspired to support Cambodia’s orange and lime farmers, and wanted to create a drink that offers the zesty twang of citrus with the refreshing botanicals of gin.

The Elephant Bar first opened in 1929; early guests at the bar included Charlie Chaplin and W. Somerset Maugham. And it was here in the 1960s that the Femme Fatale was created especially for the visit of former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Happy Hour at the Elephant Bar, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, is daily from 4 pm to 9 pm with 50% off selected drinks.

Patrons may be sated with the knowledge that a percentage of proceeds from sales of the Fifth Pillar is donated to a local NGO, Sunrise Cambodia, which supports children and struggling families in rural Cambodia.

ABOUT RAFFLES     

Raffles Hotels & Resorts boasts an illustrious history and some of the most prestigious hotel addresses worldwide. In 1887, Raffles Singapore set the standard for luxury hospitality, introducing the world to private butlers, the Singapore Sling and its enduring, legendary service. Today, Raffles continues this tradition in leading cities and lavish resort locales, enchanting travellers with meaningful experiences and service that is both gracious and intuitive. Connoisseurs of life choose Raffles, not merely for its aura of culture, beauty and gentility, but for the extraordinary way they feel when in residence with Raffles. Each Raffles, be it Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, Warsaw, Jakarta or the Seychelles, serves as a venerated oasis where travellers arrive as guests, leave as friends and return as family. Raffles is part of Accor, a world-leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,100 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries.

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