YANGON HOTELS

Interested to know if anyone has been to Yangon recently, and if so, which hotel they opted for? Heading there early in 2017 and currently booked in at the Shangri-La but noticed that The Strand will have reopened by then and was considering a switch. Looking in the US$260-400 per night range – so not considering the Governor’s Residence. Any feedback of recent visits much appreciated.

Yangon hotels are in short supply – there’s a bit of a Wild West atmosphere, and prices are whatever outrageous sum they can charge. A few months ago I stayed at the Savoy in Yangon, which was by Yangon standards a reasonable price. Classic, old hotel with views of probably the most fabulous wat in Asia, but then the centre of town is busy and very noisy, and you cannot see the water for the big ugly warehouses. The Strand is much more peaceful, especially if you ask for a pool view room. Great restaurant in the hotel and reasonably priced by any standards for good French-style cuisine. Book a table for dinner on the old classic “days of the Raj and colonies” balcony overlooking the pool. The Strand is far nicer and in a better location.

Over the last eight years I’ve been involved in developing Myanmar Tourism. I visit the country four or five times a year, have stayed at all the major hotels in Yangon and I’ve visited most of the other worthwhile sites whether they be three-, four- or five-star.

My recommendation for business travellers is the Parkroyal – it is centrally located, always clean and tidy, offers reliable, high-speed internet, well-trained staff, excellent pool and gym, well-designed meeting rooms and comparatively well-priced room rates. The Shangri-La, having been recently refurbished, is overpriced and overcrowded (especially at breakfast times when you often have to wait for a seat). The Strand is located in a remote corner close to nothing of interest (also no pool). The Governor’s Residence is way overpriced and really just designed for tourists going on a “Road to Mandalay” river cruise.

There are other choices such as the Savoy (slow internet – old rooms), the Sedona – not too bad as a business hotel. The new Melia will open this month and that looks really good, however the room rates appear very high. There’s also the Novotel, but again that’s just a tricked-up Ibis (overrated and overpriced). For first-time visitors wanting a real feel of traditional Burma, I highly recommend the Kandawgyi Palace. It’s superbly designed and placed in a luxurious tropical garden setting looking out over the lake. Business travellers from Thailand may be familiar with the Chatrium brand. That’s also a great business hotel but it is quite isolated – you need a car (taxi) to go anywhere.