Sihanoukville’s hotel sector to see 1,000 new rooms in 2018

With the number of visitors to the province markedly on the rise, 1,000 new hotel and guesthouse rooms will be built this year in Sihanoukville to meet rising demand for accommodation.

Taing Sochetkrisna, director of Sihanoukville’s tourism department, said the province current 10,000 hotel and guesthouse rooms are insufficient to host the rising number of visitors, particularly during weekends and festivals.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Chinese businesses have been leasing entire hotels to run casino operations, he explained.

“To meet demand, investors have been investing in budget, mid-range and luxury hotels in 20 different locations.

“By the end of the year, we expect 10 new hotels and 1,000 new rooms.

“Besides these new hotels, the construction of a number of 5-star hotels may finish this year or the next, with each hotel having 500 to 600 rooms,” he added.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon has repeatedly called for more investment in Sihanoukville’s hospitality industry to make more rooms available to visitors.

Khou Tangchay, a receptionist at New Beach Hotel and Restaurant, an establishment in Sihanoukville that has 35 standard rooms, said the number of visitors to

the city is on the rise.

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