Mekong Hotel

Almost empty, old, and cheap, with a sleepy, quiet, almost ghostly feel. I loved that mystical Cambodia-in-the-90s vibe. If you want boring Western luxury, sterile walls, and fancy details, this place probably isn’t for you.

At $15 a night, this place was bearable, but I’ll avoid it next time if I can. The WiFi only worked on the ground floor, where you had to sit on hard wooden chairs, and there was no hot water. I usually stay at a nice, newer guest house for $12, but it was full.

At $8 a night for a fan room this dirty, it feels like a rip-off. I’ve stayed here five times over the past five years, but this time the place was really, really filthy. The towels and pillowcases must have been white years ago. Every morning housekeeping asks, “Clean room?” when I leave, and they clearly don’t know what cleaning means. In more than 40 years of travel, this is one of the dirtiest hotels I’ve stayed in. Look at the pictures.

The room WiFi didn’t work, and the hygiene was awful. Nothing seemed to have been cleaned: the towel had already been used, the sheets were dirty, and there was blood on them. Disgusting. Avoid!