The Royal Sands Koh Rong hotel on Monday marked its official launch as the first luxury resort on Cambodia’s most visited island.

Prime Minister Hun Sen presided over the inauguration of the hotel, which has been open since December, and features rooms priced at more than $300 per night, as well as gourmet dining and a swimming pool.

The venture is a joint project between Asian Trails and tycoon Kith Meng's Cambodian conglomerate Royal Group, which also manages the Cambodiana Hotel in Phnom Penh.

Royal Group received a 99-year lease from the government to develop Koh Rong in 2008, and the company’s plans have occasionally put them in conflict with local authorities and residents of the island.

Updates to follow