Cambodia’s second InterContinental Hotel is advancing works on its $77 million project in Sihanoukville.

Tous Saphoeun, deputy secretary-general of Pannasastra University’s architecture faculty, who is also on the architect team of the five-star hotel development, told Post Property late last week that the external structural foundations had been completed with works now underway on designing the interior component.

The 17-storey luxury hotel which spans 3 hectares is being developed by the Thai Boon Roong Company, the same firm spearheading the 133-storey Twin Trade Center in Phnom Penh.

The InterContinental hotel in Sihanoukville will comprise 476 rooms, a swimming pool, restaurants and a conference hall that can hold 500 guests.

Lao Heng, a four-star hotel owner in Sihanoukville, said that while the new hotel should be a big drawcard for attracting tourists to the coastal city, he added that overall tourist numbers to Sihanoukville needed to first pick up.

“I’m still worried about the amount of tourists as there are not that many yet,” he said.

“If there are more flights connected to this province this will help with the tourist numbers and also bring more development.”

However, Luu Meng, co-chairman of the government private sector working group on tourism, said Sihanoukville was marching forward in all areas of development with tourist numbers also improving.

“There are more flights from Vietnam, Thailand and China connecting to Sihanoukville which has been beneficial,” he said.

“However, Cambodia in still lacking in a range of capabilities, therefore we need more training on hotel management and hospitality.

“The services at restaurants and hotels in Sihanoukville are just acceptable now, but we need more professional companies here to improve the hospitality services,” he added.

Speaking on a completion timeframe for the InterContinental, Saphoeun said it would be at least another three years until the hotel would be ready to open for the public even though the project has been in the works since 2012. Saphoeun attributed the lengthy development timeframe to construction barriers, unforgiving weather and a lack of skilled labour workers.

Sihanoukville currently has 78 hotels with about 4,000 rooms to accommodate incoming visitors.

The hotel is located in LekBey commune of Mitapheap district in Sihanoukville.