Bright Lotus 1 Guest House
Great choice, very good value
What we say: 
The Bright Lotus Guesthouse is in a fabulous location, if you don't mind the noise of the traffic, just across from the National Museum and behind the FCC. It has spotless rooms with air-con, TV, private bathrooms with hot water and shared verandas that are a nice place to stand and look out over the city, with museum and the park in front of it. The porches however are not large or nice enough to spend any time lounging on. Across the street is Fortune Pho and a few doors down is the popular D's Books chain, selling cheap photocopied versions of popular books. Staff are friendly, with good English proficiency and willingness to help you navigate the city. We've had a couple of reports of them not answering queries by email, so if you're after a reservation, you may need to telephone them. Because of its proximity to so many popular tourist sites, the tuk tuk drivers hanging out on the corner here tend to be extra aggressive and quote inflated prices, so walk away for a bit to secure a fair price.
Check rates around Phnom Penh best price guarantee!Contact details:
#22 Street 178. T: (023) 990 446Email them at: sammy_lotus@hotmail.com
What we were quoted
| Type of room | Low season | High season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dbl air-con private b'room | 16 USD | 16 USD | $22 for a larger room |
Added to Travelfish on: 15th March, 2004
Last visited or updated on: 20th May, 2009
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Read Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviews
Rated 4 out of 5
Based on 21 ratings and 21 reviews
Good choice
After looking around a bit we found this one much better than others. Clean room with air-con was US$18. Location is great as there are many good restaurants close to it.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by enjoytravel (Total reviews: 3) on
Nice enough for the price
As already written the location is the best thing about this place. The price was reasonable and the rooms were clean. The staff were polite but not particuarly friendly, but if your after a clean place to stay within walking distance of the river its good choice.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by michaels57 (Total reviews: 4) on
Great value and location, responsive staff
I have stayed here twice once in 2007 and the last time in 2008. I plan to return here again in Dec 2009. My reservation was booked through email and confirmed that way, but I did make a skype call to them to make sure just in case. Both times I arrived by plane very late as instructed in my resv at night (about 1 am) and the night guard had my room keys ready. I paid $15 USD for a room with one bed and $17 for a room with two beds when a single room was not available. Good bathroom with new tile, Aircon, desk and Cambodian TV with a hanging wooden closet cabinet. Drapes to limit light and privacy were clean and fresh smelling. I found the staff friendly but not chatty, and they returned politeness and a smile in the same manner. Other poster's comments about them not smiling should be taken with a grain of salt - just cause you have a lot to smile about maybe they don't!!! My room was always clean and cleaned daily, I had a room on the top floor which has a shared table and a sitting area on the balcony overlooking the National Museum. It really is a hike up 6 flights of stairs but besides your first and last trek with your bag (they WILL help if you ask) it is merely just good exercise! The location is very convenient just a block off the river with lots of good and reasonably priced restaurants nearby. Food in their restaurant is just fine and they have good coffee as well.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by Katmanpu (Total reviews: 2) on
Not very friendly!
18 bucks a night - they would not haggle one iota! We stayed because we were hot and tired, and then lazy the next day.... The room was musty and the towels smelled like death the moment water touched them - we left ours outside! Really great location saved the experience a bit - but overall very unimpressed for the price.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by jessieo (Total reviews: 4) on
good value for money
Very clean guesthouse, rooms cleaned every day. Splendid view from terrace and good location. Good restaurant with terrace. A lot of streetnoise. Most of staff cannot smile and looks uninteressed but can be helpful. After all a good place for staying, good value for money and very safe.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by cpieters (Total reviews: 1) on
Decent hotel
Great location opposite the Museum and Royal Palace. Also close to the river. Our room was clean, noisy even though it was on the third floor (NO LIFT). The front terrace was the best part of the hotel.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by Ramblergirl (Total reviews: 8) on
Not bad but not great
We were here for two nights, and found it ok. The room was nothing special, but clean. The location is really good. The only disappointment really was the staff. They weren't terrible, just clearly didn't want to be there and weren't interested in dealing with guests. Overall, an ok place to stay, but don't expect a lot of laughs.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by jeremy_vernon (Total reviews: 4) on
Great location but very noisy
Great location with excellent views but impossible to sleep with noise from bars / construction work outside and some blaring music which started at 4.30am without fail every day. We still don't know where it came from. Decent sized rooms & nice & clean. 18$ for an en suite a/c room though which is a bit pricey for the accommodation you get in comparison to other places in PP. Maybe better when the construction / drainage work outside is done.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by kl82 (Total reviews: 6) on
Not worth it
Though the location was excellent and the view outstanding, the rest of our experience at Bright Lotus 1 fell short of our expectations. The room was dark, the bed was uncomfortable, and worst of all the staff were unfriendly. After travelling Southeast Asia for 9 weeks and falling in love with Cambodia, our time here was quite dim.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by chrisandbrian (Total reviews: 4) on
What's that smell?
Stayed here just recently (beginning of August 08) and we were rather disappointed. We've been backpacking for months now and know the ups and down of rooms and certainly aren't picky, but Bright Lotus left a bad taste with us. The staff couldn't seem to muster the energy for even the weakest of smiles and while the location is ideal, the room left much to be desired. We both sleep soundly on bamboo floors, but this bed was a nightmare, plus the pillows were murderous. The room was dark and had one of those off-putting smells that are a combination of a lifetime of mildew and the scent of a backed-up toilet. On the upside both the fan and AC did their job; however, we didn't need either since we had no blanket or sheets, just a silk decoration the size of a handkerchief. Oh well, the riverfront is lovely and the location ideal, but for the money ($18/night) we have come to expect a lot more.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by chrisandbrian (Total reviews: 4) on
Great location
Stayed there 03/2008 and cost $22 for a corner double room with private balcony. Room is not fancy but adequate, clean and plenty of hot water. Can walk to National Museum, Royal Palace. One block from riverfront and lots of places to have a beer. Staff helped arrange bus tickets easily. Would stay there again.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by jennette (Total reviews: 13) on
Lovely location, really good rooms
First off, the location is great - just a stone's throw away from the National Museum and the Royal Palace (where the Silver Pagoda also is at) and there is a park nearby as well. Just a block off is Sisowath Quay Avenue's riverside restaurants and bars where you get a varied selection of food and drinks. It also has its own restaurant downstairs. Breakfast was good according to other people who were staying there but we didn't try the fare. The room rates are now higher ($18 for double with A/C is the cheapest) but it's good value. I wish it were cheaper though, since we had a really cramped bathroom - it was located right under the stairwell, so you can just imagine how they moulded the water closet to the shape of that. Other than that, we were in a quieter area, we had hot water, the room was clean, the bed comfy, we had A/C and cable TV, windows, good lighting and a nice view of the museum and palace at night. The staff were very accommodating and answered all our queries on transportation and such. They do laundry and bus reservations and tour bookings as well. You pay a dollar extra for bus pick up but that's about the same you pay after haggling with a tuk tuk driver to take you to the bus station, so it actually saves you the trouble.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by milkfish08 (Total reviews: 5) on
Highly recommended
Stayed four nights and couldn't have been happier. Walked in off the street with no booking and got a twin room on the third floor. Steep stairs but worth the effort. Staff friendly without being too pushy. Laundry was cheap and well done. Position perfect! Would recommend to anyone of any age.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by forgandi (Total reviews: 2) on
Great view from the top floor!
We stayed here after arriving in Cambodia. We were on the 5th floor which is a bit of a hike with packs, but worth it. The room was good, clean, bathroom good also. The best bit though was the view -- the royal palace and national museum are just across the road. And you could spend hours watching the chaotic traffic below you at the junction.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by wemaybesometime (Total reviews: 7) on
Best Phnom Penh choice
This place is underrated, in our opinion. You can't beat the location! What a great view of the beautiful Nat'l Museum (and a lovely park!), and one block from Sisowath Quay, the riverfront. The Rising Sun, an excellent English-style pub/restaurant is right next door, and we ate there daily. They have food at the BL as well, and breakfast is good. The staff is fine, the rooms are clean and surprisingly quiet. We were VERY happy there, and wanted to stay there again on our way out, but this time they didn't respond by email. If you want to stay here, email a couple weeks ahead of time and make a reservation. All in all, a HIGHLY recommended place, and I will stay here again next time I'm in Phnom Penh. We paid $15 for a double room with AC, en-suite.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by wearetherobot (Total reviews: 4) on
Guesthouse closed upon arrival - had made booking!
I called a made a booking about five days in advance with arrival on 17.December 2006. When I arrived the guesthouse was closed, they did not ask for telephone number when making booking say it is too expensive to call back. Also they did not ask for e-mail, which would not be expensive to use. Inconvient to arrive with all my bags from the airport and find guesthouse closed when having a confirmed booking.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by uffe (Total reviews: 5) on
Nice place, great location
Really enjoyed two nights at the Bright Lotus. The staff were helpful and friendly and the room was very clean and comfortable. Paid $22 for a twin room with en-suite and a/c. Can't comment on the restaurant as we didn't eat there but by all accounts it looked very nice. The usual pack of tuk tuk drivers awaits you outside the hotel -- but you get that everywhere in Phnom Penh! Great location two minutes from the Royal Palace, National Musuem, Mekong, FCC etc.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by luciehayes (Total reviews: 5) on
Really nice
The rooms at Bright Lotus were great value. Perfect location and view, though the food is overpriced. Good laundry service. Some rooms are noisy. Comfortable.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by aliciaontheroad (Total reviews: 4) on
So worth it...
I had to spend just one night in Phnom Penh to catch a bus to northern Cambodia, so I thought I'd splash out... It was worth it! Got all of my laundry done in half a day, booked my ticket through them, ordered food and had it in my room while crashing in front of the telly...! Rooms are super clean, there's hot water, satellite TV. What more can you ask for?
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by bonbongirl (Total reviews: 5) on
Bright Lotus is a definite bright spot
Very clean rooms, inexpensive, speedy and well done laundry service. Traffic noise can be a problem but it goes with the central location. Can be a long trek up to a room, but the upper corner rooms is the best. Nice outdoor restaurant on the street in front.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by dplast (Total reviews: 1) on
My favourite
Bright Lotus is my favourite Phnom Penh guesthouse I've stayed there many times. Immaculate rooms, quality food, friendly ambience and great location.
Bright Lotus 1 Guest House reviewed by peaceofangkor (Total reviews: 4) on