KOH RONG, Cambodia 25 April 2018: Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen officially declared the five-star Royal Sands Koh Rong, opened at a ceremony attended by 530 guests and VIPs on Monday.
Costing USD 40 million, the property is the first up-scale resort on the island that lies off the coast of Sihanoukville.
Construction at the island’s Sok San beach took more than two years to complete
Details of the official opening ceremony were reported by Khmer Times.
The resort is a joint venture between local conglomerate Royal Group and Thai travel industry veteran Luzi Matzig, who is chairman of Asian Trails a leading destination management company in Southeast Asia.
Koh Rong, the largest Cambodian island, lies 22 km east of , or a 45-minute transfer by the resort’s own ferry launch.
“Matzig told the Khmer Times he and his partners have invested USD 40 million in phase one of the project that stands on 7.2 hectares of land.
In a Q&A with TTR Weekly, earlier this year, Matzig predicted that the island would ultimately catch the attention of more investors, leading to the arrival of international chains.
According to the Khmer Times report, Prime Minister Hun Sen, said the presence of the resort is proof that investor confidence in the kingdom is at an all-time high.
“It proves that Cambodia doesn’t have any political crisis. Cambodia is moving on the right path. We enjoy strong economic growth and a robust investment inflow,” the premier said.
The new resort is likely to lure tourists who have visited beach resorts in neighbouring countries and are looking for a new travel experience.
At present, Agoda.com posts a rate for the resort of THB 9,062, before service and tax, down 64% from THB 25,233.
The Royal Group was granted a 99-year lease in 2008 to develop Koh Rong into a world-class ecotourism destination.
Last year, Cambodia welcomed 5.6 million tourists, a 11.8% increase compared to 2016. Sihanouk province attracted close to 2 million visits but half of them were domestic tourists.
(Source: Khmer Times)
