Top Banana Guesthouse
Popular backpacker haven
What we say: 
Top Banana Guesthouse is situated on the top floor of a three-storey building on the corner of Pasteur (Street 51) and Street 278. It's a bit tricky to find, requiring you to climb up several steep, metal staircases that wind around the building, adding to the feeling once you're up there that you're hidden away from the chaos of the city with a bunch of like-minded friendly travellers. With a shaded and breezy rooftop terrace, this is a great place to escape the midday heat. The common area has a book-swap library with plenty of easy fiction reading material as well as several handy Southeast Asia guidebeooks, a computer, a fish tank, couches and a single hammock. There's also a TV with a DVD player, and if you turn left on the adjacent street 51, there's a shop selling DVDs for $1.50 each. Travelfish users rave about this being a top spot for meeting people and hanging out, and the staff here go all out to make this a top backpacker spot. The clean rooms, however, are basic, a bit cramped, and in need of a fresh coat of paint, The private air-con rooms look like they've been updated more recently and are more spacious. The location is handy to the Independence Monument and a bunch of restaurants. This is a fine, friendly alternative to the lake.
Check rates around Phnom Penh best price guarantee!Contact details:
Corner St 51 & St 278, Phnom Penh. T: (012) 885 572Email them at: topbanana_guesthouse@yahoo.com
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What we were quoted
| Type of room | Low season | High season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dbl fan private b'room | 7 USD | 7 USD | $8 with hot water |
| Dbl air-con private b'room | 15 USD | 15 USD | |
| Dbl fan share b'room | 6 USD | 6 USD | |
| Sgl air-con private b'room | 13 USD | 13 USD |
Added to Travelfish on: 25th September, 2005
Last visited or updated on: 20th May, 2009
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Read Top Banana Guesthouse reviews
Rated 3.5 out of 5
Based on 13 ratings and 13 reviews
Lovely but loud
Top Banana is a fantastic place to stay if you're going to stay up and party all night. The staff is extremely friendly; I'd booked a room with two single beds and they wrote it down as two double beds; they gave it to me for the price of two singles, which was great. Very clean and safe; nice decor. The music was bumping until well after midnight, however! A bit pricey compared to other guesthouses.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by vermillion25 (Total reviews: 11) on
Good choice for the Flexible
When I made my decision, it was important to me to get something more than just a room. I wanted a common area (Top Banana has 2) and a restaurant for when I need food right there & then without shlepping my bones through this heat and having to turn down moto taxis at every turn, and all of that in a good area, which is what you get here. I paid $8 for room # 11, Takeo. Without aircon, it was too hot for human dwelling in April but as a former Bangkok resident I'm used to it. Had an interesting issue when I woke up one night with ants crawling out of my pillow and the rather drunk only staff member still up (and partying) at 2:30 am simply threw it down onto the street, lol. I had not seen that type of customer service before. Thought it a bit weird that hot water was $0.50 for a cup but oh well. I would return. Loved being able to watch a movie and just hanging out.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by mrdome (Total reviews: 2) on
Cheap, Basic, Backpackerville
Located in a good area with lots of restaurants and cafes around. The rooms were everything you would expect for the price - clean and basic, no frills. Place has a good atmosphere if you are looking to meet other backpackers and has a common area where there are usually people hanging around. The rooms off the common area may be noisy. We paid $13US for a twin with AC in April 2010
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by simonandsheena (Total reviews: 16) on
Good Value
Stayed in a double room which was spacious and clean and good value at $7. The location was good, the streets are jam packed with restaurants and expats so you have to search a bit for a cheap bite! Head up to Independence Monument in the evening to see how some local famililes spend their time. When we stayed at Top Banana there were a lot of long term guests which does create a bit of a cliquey atmosphere up on the roof terrace but there is so much to do in Phnom Penh we didn't spend much time there anyway.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by Sheenastar (Total reviews: 9) on
Useless
What is the point of making a booking if the guesthouse does not honor it? I made a booking for 3 rooms by email and followed it up with a phone call and then reconfirmed the booking on email. I gave a time we were going to arrive and when we turned up they did had given our rooms to someone else. Did the man in charge apologise for this mess up. No, he just smiled and said gave rooms away. Not a good way to run a business in my opinion. It looked overated as far as I could tell anyway.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by tuktuk82 (Total reviews: 1) on
How come hostel = ****?!
I was still haunted by the terrible experience of staying at Top Banana. The room we stayed was filled up sewage smell from the toilet, no ventilation at all. Staffs seems more concern about their own pleasure instead of their guests' feeling, we barely slept, suffered by noise and yell... Beware of one of the staffs who overcharges you to hire him as a tuk tuk driver. He'd like to ask for US20 for 2 persons/day(9am-5pm). It's indeed ridiculous to pay this amount to wander around such a small city centre. They just want to hunt for the money in your pocket!
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by rac226 (Total reviews: 1) on
A disappointment
My partner and I stayed here for our first two nights in Cambodia, and unfortunately it was very disappointing. The rooms were nice enough and clean, but the staff were rude and really just didn't seem to care about their guests.... We barely slept there either, because their chill out/bar area stayed open into the early hours of the morning... Some of the other people staying were really loud and management did nothing to stop it. It is cheap I guess, but if you want sleep maybe choose something different. Also - we had dinner there on our first night and it was terrible. I ordered noodles and it was just like a packet of 2 min noodles with a fried egg on top! Overall, really disappointed, because the place has a lot of potential with the right management.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by jessZaw (Total reviews: 1) on
Basic but clean
We stayed in a double air con room which was really big - it actually had two double beds, it was basic but clean. The only problem was that it was on the second floor so we were away from everyone else and in order to get to the room you had to climb the stairs to the third floor and then walk back down another flight on the other side of the building. The rooftop terrace was really lovely though the crowd was a bit cliquey.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by lulupepper (Total reviews: 2) on
Nice and neat
Stayed here a few nights and met some wonderful people. Staff were helpful and the rooms were very clean and affordable.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by tony85 (Total reviews: 3) on
Great room, vibe not so much
Great room, great price but vibe did not live up to the expectation/reviews. However, the owner was away so maybe that had something to do with it. Also a young child there (relative I think), and I don't want to be too critical as perhaps she is a little autistic or similar, but she will just repeatedly kick/hit you (doesn't hurt but annoying); steal your beer and spit into it, and if her mum is not around to tell her off, what are you meant to do? We left the rooftop repeatedly when this occurred, so this means that the chill out zone upstairs is sometimes not that relaxing! As stated there might be a reason behind it and I feel bad for advising the above but if you are looking for the chilled out vibe it is good to know. We were really happy with the room though and staff were nice. Pretty good location near Independence Monument and close to Russian Market and Tuol Sleng. Definitely one of the cleanest and best value rooms I have had.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by celianz (Total reviews: 11) on
Best place!
While all the guesthouses I stayed in while traveling around Cambodia were okay, Top Banana was just outstanding. Great staff, great location, clean and cheap. As soon as you arrive you will be a part of a family of both Western backpackers and Cambodians who will take you out and show you around. The only place to stay while in Phnom Penh! Really…
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by Jona (Total reviews: 1) on
I found my new home
I came to Top Banana with the intention of staying two nights, and ended up staying nine. It is the best guesthouse I have ever stayed in. Management is determined that you get everything there is to get out of Phnom Penh, so every night they arrange events and bring you out on the town or periodically they throw massive parties in the common room. The atmosphere of the guesthouse is chilled out, with ambient music playing, good food, and an air that creates instant friendships between travellers. The guesthouse slogan is 'you never walk alone' and it is true.
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by PatrickG (Total reviews: 1) on
Wonderful place
To me, this place is one of the only guesthouses which have kept the 'backpacker spirit'. Be prepared to meet a lot of friendly people from all around the world, play chess, eat great food and listen to good tunes! Another thing nice in Top Banana is the proximity of three key places: the Zombie bar downstairs (rock, cheap beer and strong pastis) ; the Setsara Thai restaurant, in front of the Zombie bar (amazing Thai and French dishes, friendly service, nice decor, good tunes); and the Boom Boom Room, next door to Zombie (CD, DVD, mp3 and clothes shop).
Top Banana Guesthouse reviewed by marco (Total reviews: 7) on