Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh Helps Nurture Next Generation Of Hospitality Stars

Luxury hotel will provide resources and training under MOU with Cambodia’s NIEI

Dr. Tan Kosal, the director of NIEI, and Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh GM Juan Mercadante at the MOU signing event at the hotel last week

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia ( 2022) - Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is nurturing the next generation of Khmer hospitality personnel via a new collaboration with Cambodia’s National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (NIEI).

The property, the newest international branded luxury hotel in Cambodia’s capital, today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the NIEI. Through the agreement, which will span the next two years, the hotel will provide resources, workshops, training, technical and curriculum consultation to NIEI in order to develop candidates. It will also offer internships to NIEI students to help build their skills in key areas of hospitality.

“One of Cambodia’s most potent attributes is the natural hospitality of its people,” said Juan Mercadante, the general manager of Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh. “By refining skills through internships at our hotel, we can really maximize this human capital and offer these students invaluable experience and opportunities to grow their careers.”

The new arrangement between Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh and the NIEI is in line with the Hyatt RiseHY initiative. RiseHY is a new global program designed to pair the hospitality industry’s career opportunities with young people who need them. As part of the initiative, Hyatt hotels around the world will commit to hiring 10,000 Opportunity Youth – people ages 16 to 24 who are neither in school nor working – by 2025.

According to the International Labour Organization, more than 40 percent of the world’s young people are either unemployed or living in poverty.

“We understand the challenges young people face, and Hyatt hotels are uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. Hospitality is one of the few industries where entry-level opportunities often lead to fulfilling, life-long careers that can change the trajectory of someone’s life,” said Malaika Myers, chief human resources officer, Hyatt. “With the launch of RiseHY, Hyatt hotels will harness the power of technology in ways our industry has never done before, to scale career opportunities, bringing awareness to hospitality careers and setting up candidates for success from the start as it expands training programs as a path for employment.”

Staff from Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh and NIEI celebrate the new arrangement linking the hotel with the skills institution

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is the newest international branded luxury hotel in Cambodia’s capital

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh Goes Underground With New Bar

Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh Goes Underground With New Bar

Metropole Underground opens as the city’s first subterranean venue

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (June 2022) — Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh has applied a new facet to the destination’s vibrant bar scene with Metropole Underground: the first subterranean bar in Cambodia’s capital.

Inspired by the louche, chic vibe of early 20th Century Paris, Metropole Underground is a unique addition to the famously lively bar scene in Phnom Penh.

Discreetly located in the basement of the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, the city’s newest international branded luxury hotel, the sophisticated space offers premium drinks, light gourmet bites, and nightly live entertainment spanning bands and DJ beats.

The bar, which like the rest of the hotel, is designed by award-wining Singapore-based SCDA Architects with interiors by leading Thai firm PIA Interior, is inspired by the glory days of Parisian art-deco.

The metro system in the French capital was a major inspiration for the bar, with replicas of cast iron detailing from the original Paris Metro integrated into the space and transformed into sculptural and decorative elements. 

The result is a compelling blend of European and Khmer influences.

“Phnom Penh is widely known for the vibrancy of its bar scene. Therefore we are proud that we can add something new to the mix with Metropole Underground,” said Herman Kemp, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh. “The design team has done a marvelous job and we’ve got a great roster of live entertainment for guests to enjoy. When you step down into the basement it’s really like entering a different world.”

The new Metropole Underground completes a compelling lineup of options for revelry at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh.

Indeed, with its range of bars encompassing everything from an intimate speakeasy-style cocktail spot to one of the city’s most exciting rooftop venues, the property is one of the best places in Phnom Penh to let down your hair.  

As conceptually intriguing as Metropole Underground is The Attic, an old-world speakeasy-style bar tucked away in the eaves of the Colonial House — a lemon-colored royal villa dating back to 1900 that is a centerpiece of the property. The bar specializes in handcrafted cocktails and grand cru wines.

Another social hotspot is FiveFive Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, spanning the rooftop on level 14. From here, guests will be treated to grilled seafood and meats, refreshing cocktails, and energizing DJ performances whilst soaking up inspiring views of the Royal Palace, the Mekong River, and the city skyline.

“We are adding different things to the table in terms of nightlife,” added Kemp. “As the city’s newest international branded luxury hotel, the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, is ready to play its part in a post-pandemic renaissance.”