HoSkar Night Phnom Penh 2025: Linking Industry Leaders in Cambodia's Hospitality

HoSkar Night Phnom Penh successfully hosted its fourth networking event on June 4, 2025, at the Rosewood Hotel. The event brought together key leaders from the real estate and hospitality industries to connect with owners, developers, operators, and designers.

Following a successful HoSkar Night event held in Bangkok, this gathering in Phnom Penh focused on fostering relationships and sharing insights into the future of Cambodia's hospitality sector.

Mauro Gasparotti, Senior Director and Head of Southeast Asia Hotel Advisory at Savills Hotels, as well as the founder of WeHub and the HoSkar Night series, shared his thoughts with B2B Cambodia on the importance of networking in the industry:

We have many different types of events, and HoSkar is one where we focus mainly on the networking aspects of the business. We created this platform for people to connect—owners, developers, operators, and designers in real estate and hospitality. It’s a moment for everyone to come together, establish business connections, and catch up with old friends.

Alongside networking opportunities, the third edition of HoSkar Night Phnom Penh also introduced the ‘HoSkar Seminar’, dedicated to specific topics relevant to the market. This initiative brought together both foreign and local speakers to discuss trends and foster deeper engagement within the industry.

Key presenters included:

• Bousserind Comson – Director of Hotel Intelligence – APAC, HotStats, who presented on “Cambodia Hospitality Market: A Look at the Numbers”
• Uyen Nguyen – Associate Director, SE Asia, Savills Hotels, who spoke about “Branded Residences – Global Trends & Asia Focus”
• José Cláudio Silva – Design Principal, 10 Design, who presented on “Key Design Trends Transforming Hospitality Developments”

HoSkar Seminar Insights 2025

During her presentation, Bousserind Comson shared that the hospitality industry’s revenues have grown across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, despite there being a slight slowdown in recent months.

Regarding Cambodia's hospitality market, she highlighted significant revenue growth that outpaces other Southeast Asian regions. From January to April 2025, occupancy increased by 7 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. She also noted that Phnom Penh saw a 12 per cent rise in total revenue per available room (TRevPAR) and a 30 per cent increase in gross operating profit per available room (GOPAR).

Uyen Nguyen explained that a branded residence refers to a property associated with a well-known brand – typically a hotel brand. Developers use the brand for marketing and sales in exchange for a licensing fee.

She noted that branded residences come with strict requirements regarding location, market positioning, and developer standards. While buyers pay a premium, they receive a high-quality product with superior finishes, facilities, and professional management. These properties are often considered trophy assets with strong rental return potential.

Examples of global branded residences include The Ritz-Carlton (by Marriott), Four Seasons, Accor, and the Asia-rooted Banyan Tree.

On the design side, José Cláudio Silva, Design Principal at 10 Design, a Singapore-based firm with projects across Asia, shared insights on their current work. The company is involved in a concept design for Sun Group’s development on Hon Thom Island in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, as well as the Park Royal hotel project in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Commenting on the Siem Reap project, Silva noted:

“The new hotel will offer a very curated experience. It's a tight, urban site, but we believe we’ve brought some uniqueness to the design. It features a rooftop pool overlooking both the city and the river.”

“As hospitality designers, we always aim to create a sense of ‘wow’ – something surprising in each project. For us, hotels are about creating memories. That’s always at the heart of every design we do,” he added.

The presentations were also followed by two panel discussions:

• A ‘Developers Panel’, focused on: Cambodia Real Estate, Hospitality & Branded Residences;
• And another panel discussion which covered: Cambodia’s Hospitality Market – What’s Going On Out There?

David Richard, Senior Director of Hospitality Investment & Development at Canopy Sands Development, shared with B2B Cambodia that the HoSkar Developer Session brought together a standout mix of industry leaders:

The panel on branded residences, hospitality market updates, and design trends sparked thoughtful conversation and insightful perspectives. We're glad to have supported the event with Savills and WeHub — it’s important to keep driving these discussions forward, especially as interest in destinations like Cambodia and Sihanoukville continues to grow.

Speaking with B2B Cambodia, Gasparotti also shared his optimism about the Cambodian market:

“I’ve been doing business in Phnom Penh for quite some time, in various roles and with different companies. I love Cambodia. I love Phnom Penh. I strongly believe in the potential of this market.”

“There’s a lot of business to be done, and a lot of good business people here. Every time we host an event, it’s well received by the community. We enjoy it and look forward to continuing,” he concluded.
 

Stay tuned for more key takeaways from HoSkar Night Phnom Penh 2025 panel discussions.