Where to Stay in Sihanoukville - Top Picks for Best Value Hotels

In 1990’s Sihanouk aka Snooky, was known as hippie shelter but at present it is one of the most favoured seaside places in South East Asia visited by tourists from all over the world.

Snooky is still under development but even now there are plenty of accommodation alternatives compliant with any requirement.

The town boasts a variety of hotels, guesthouses, hostels, bungalows, available to meet you budget and needs.

The first reason people keep coming here is of course its beaches: Victory, Independence, Sokha, Ochheuteal/ Serendipity and Otres washed by the Gulf of Thailand. They all differ so here are some tips to make it easier for you to choose the location for staying.

Victory Hill & Victory Beach

Starting with the budget-saving options the Victory Hill area is on top here either literally or metaphorically. It is a little offshore and isolated from downtown hustle and bustle. So obviously you will have to drive a bike or use a tuk-tuk to get into the grounds but going down to the Victory Beach takes no longer than 3 minutes.

Rooms start at USD4 but can end up at USD70. Dada Guesthouse or Backpacker Heaven with a swimming pool and free Wi-Fi do the rooms from USD2- USD3 with private bathroom and a/c, hot water, fridge, and sometimes even cable TV.

Independence Beach

To the south of Victory beach there’s another beach with no less proud name obtained after 4-star 7-storey Independence Hotel Resort and Spa overlooking the surroundings offering a room for USD120 and higher.

But no worries, there is less-costly lodging as well. For example, Platinum Hotel at 19 Mithona Road on the way to Independence Beach. Here you will have a/c, hot water, cable TV, fridge and free Wi-Fi for USD18 only. The beach itself is clean enough and relatively quiet. A perfect choice for a family vacation.

Sokha Beach

Next goes fancy Sokha Beach owned by Sokha Beach Resort. For you to know what I’m talking about here; the sand is being regularly groomed. It’s a private upscale beach under security surveillance with neatly arranged beach chairs and grass umbrellas. But nonetheless you will be able to snick inside bribing the guard (USD1- USD2) and have a nice swim.

Ochheuteal Beach & Serendipity Beach

As opposed to all above Ochheuteal Beach with its northern part aka Serendipity Beach is the most popular and tourist-inhabited beach in town. It’s the Mecca of backpackers and respectable businessmen. This hotspot locates everything to your liking: clubs, restaurants, bars, beach shacks and huts serving seafood BBQs, cheap drinks and arranging non-stop parties.

Due to its constant occupancy and frequent attendance it’s extremely easy to find a place to stay starting from budget and mid-range hostels and ending up with classy top hotels. They all are concentrated along the streets parallel to the beach up to the middle of the hill area and perpendicular from the pier at Serendipity Road up to the Lions Monument on the circle.

It’s difficult to single out a particular place. Tastes differ as they say. Speaking about Utopia or Monkey Republic being both dorms and a guesthouses which by the way start at FREE and finish with USD10 will be probably filled up at any season. Invito Cambodia’s furnished fan and a/c rooms with cable TV, hot water, and free Wi-Fi run around USD5-USD30. Suits at top-tier Holiday Villa Nataya gets you all the luxury of a prestigious resort for USD40-USD120. All of them are on Serendipity Rd.

Otres Beach

Further to the south of Ochheuteal there’s a stretch of Otres Beach. It is subdivided into Otres 1 (same old bars and shacks) and Otres 2 (more secluded part). Lots of restaurants and bars facing the sea at the near end have lodging facilities so you can rent a mid-range bungalow with standard amenities just 10 meters away from water. Everythang Guesthouse at the very beginning of Otres Beach 1, dorm – USD4; bungalow – USD12.

Solitude lovers will find Otres 2 perfect for staying and hanging out. It still has some bars but not so massed up. The two nicest hotels distinguishing Otres 2 from the rest of the area, Tamu Hotel (brand new with USD100 room a night) and Secret Garden less expensive than its neighbour take the central point of Otres’s far end.

A strip of Cambodian-run beach shacks have simple and cosy bungalows/ guestrooms in the backyards with garden setting for affordable money. Near the Secret Garden you will find Castaways Beach Bar offering bungalows for USD12-USD20 (USD10 upon long-term condition) right at the coastline.

That’s pretty it. So, grab your staff and get going.