Raffles Hotel Le Royal

Situated in the heart of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, the Raffles is a complete oasis. The hotel has a long history including a visit by Jackie Kennedy back in the ’60’s.

The Raffles brand is all about hospitality and making you feel at home. The decor is always influenced by local design and customs, which in this case was quite colonial to suite the historical nature of the buildings.

Needless to say, there was plenty to shoot. Its always a bit overwhelming in large hotels as the attention to detail is phenomenal. Small, silver plated elephants sit on carved wooden chests within a towering lobby filled with buddhas and masks. The easiest solution I found was to walk around shooting for a full day, wandering from area to area and back again, as each time your eye picks out a new detail or angle.

Plus, in hotel filled with businessmen and families, different areas get filled with people at different times. You have to be pretty flexible and of course discreet.