Chivas Shack and Guesthouse Phnom Penh

A letter that I received today from Cambodia on the Chivas Guesthouse in Phnom Penh; One thing that the letter doesn't state is that things change and when people let us know we do change information on the site to keep it as accurate as possible. Chivas Guesthouse in Phnom Penh was being managed by a friend of mine obviously this is not the case anymore and a common tactic that I have seen is the Khmers will bring in Western's to get a business started then they take over and the level of service in most cases drops off dramatically.

Sorry that you had a bad experience!
And Thank you for bringing it to our attention.


Hi Fred,

I stayed for a week in the Chivas Shack Guesthouse and it was not what
is stated on your website. Firstly, the $3 Hostel Room is a dorm, no
A/C, no bath. There is no Visa Service and the bus ticket service put
me on a 1960s bus to Sihanoukville when I could have got a 2006
vintage bus with hostess for $2 cheaper. They told me that there would
be a room or share room for me in Sihanoukville but I couldn't get in;
they had not phoned to check. The Khmer food is way over priced and
they have no idea how to cook western food, and I had breakfast there
that was basically crap for $3.50 which consisted of a badly cooked
egg and toast, no coffee, where as, I could have gone down the street
and gotten croissants, filtered coffee - as much as I could drink,
poached egg and fruit for $2.50.

There is no Happy Hour, no cheap beer. The staff and manager are
Khmer, and same in Sihanoukville.

I spent 24 hours fixing their computer for which they gave me one cup
of coffee. I shared my cakes and sweets with the staff from the New
Zealand Bakery and they shared zero with me.

The bathroom was a mess to say the least with a bucket under the
handbasin to catch the water.

The rooms started at $6 and were just hastily put together ply wood walls.

I could see, and learned, that Sihanoukville Guest House was an orgy
of drinking and drug taking, the smell of marijuana was intoxicating,
and rubbish all around.

Some how your site and link is still No. 1 on google. Good SEO but
that does not make it a good location to stay.

There are many much better and more friendly Gusthouses within a short
walk, fortunately. I know, I live and work in Phnom Pehn.


Yours sincerley,

Rodney H