I lived in Phnom Penh for several years and have stayed at the Independence Hotel since 2013. Just for the fun of it, I have tried other hotels in the area over the years. Independence Hotel remains to be my favorite, in spite of its flaws. I just wish they’d give me a discount for guest loyalty; other hotels do it. When I arrived at the hotel, I was told I would be staying at the 7th floor, possibly because just a week previous I stayed on that floor. Because rooms on the 7th floor are smaller and have no separate rain shower, I asked for a different room. They said they had only one other room available: an upgraded room on the 2nd floor. I guess I could live with a view with trees instead of ocean for one night. They welcomed me to take a look. The room was indeed, huge and beautiful, but the view was horrible: A wall and hotel roof! Who wants to look at a wall and a roof??! It was unsightly to say the least.
An end unit room is great above the 2nd floor, but anything below that is not worth what they charge and should only be offered for $50 year round. I settled for the room on the 7th floor. (See my review for the 7th floor on June 11, 2018.).