Yangon and Myanmar Hotel Recommendations Sought
 

Any recommendations for comfortable hotels in Yangon ? PLEASE don't suggest the Strand - $450 a night would blow my budget, (but it would be nice to know just how much they discount.....).

Any other hints on getting the most from a 4-day break will be very welcome.

For the best location ,the "Traders" is right in the middle of the city and is also the tallest building in Rangoon (sorry I prefer the old name !). Its part of the Shangri-la hotel chain.

For the best value for money, The Grand Plaza Parkroyal do sometimes offer very attractive rates.

The Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon is not to be missed and is worth visiting twice, in the morning and in the evening. Instead of spending all 4 days in Rangoon, maybe you should spend 2 days in Bagan which is truly amazing.

Thanks, but I've done it before and I'd poke my eyes out with a stick before I put up with the hassle, heat and expense again. "Trophy" tourism is best left to National Geographic.

But Traders sounds just fine for Yangon - thanks again.

The Nikko Hotel seems to be nice too (nice pool area) and usually someway cheaper. Someone told me that the Sedona Hotel is the only 5-star (?) in Yangon which isn't a government-owned hotel if you want to prevent that. The Kandawgyi Palace Hotel has a nice location at the Royal lake and offers some very nice suites.. but you souldn't be afraid of snakes ;-).

About a year ago i was able to get the Strand for a little above 200 USD. Great hotel, very charming, very personal. One of the nicest places i have ever been.
Sorry for not recommending this one.

I was there in winter (end of december) and it was COLD! Around 5 C during the night on the inle lake, overwater bungalow, no heating, open to the water. It was COOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD.

I have stayed at the Sedona earlier this year. While the hotel was very nice, where it failed was service.

I called them a few days earlier to inform them that our flight from Bagan had been rescheduled to an earlier time but they failed to turn up at the airport to pick us up at the correct time.

During check-in they refused to believe that I had prepaid my room rate through their SIN HQ and was not allowed to go up to our rooms. Even a faxed copy of the credit card payment was not good enough and they wanted to reconfirm with their SIN HQ which was not possible since it was late in the evening. I had to knock some sense into the duty manager that she could check with their HQ the next morning but I needed a room to sleep !

The porters were also very aggressive on insisting that they should carry our bags which were mere cabin sized bags !

Nice rooms and breakfast was good.

Queen's Park Hotel
132 Anawrahta Road (corner of Bo Myat Tun Street)
+95 1-296 447; fax: +95 1-293 596
[email protected]

My understanding is that the hotel is not affiliated with the government.

I think I paid US$15/night, cash, including breakfast (November, 2004). Air con. Western, ensuite bathrooms. HBO (!) No credit cards (same as everywhere else in Myanmar).

Good location a bit to the east of downtown Yangoon. Good hotel restaurant. Friendly staff. Cheap laundry. US$3 to/from airport. Also close to 50th Street Bar and Grill (under same management as Foreign Correspondents' Clubs in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh).
Rich

Don't give up on the Strande. I was there last summer (off-peak, yes) but the walk-up rate was less than $200. I don't think anyone ever pays the rack rate you quoted.

There's also the Governor's Residence, which is part of PANSEA-Oriental Express. I haven't been there but I've heard very nice things about it form others.

Is there public transportation from the airport to the Traders Hotel? How much is a taxi these days to the hotel?

I never noticed but there is probably a city bus. However, I don't think you would want to ride it. The buses are extremely crowded and would be difficult with luggage. Taxi should cost only 5-6 USD and they are plentiful.

I took a cab everywhere also. Around $5 from airport to the downtown. Stayed at www.governorsresidence.com and got the rates cheaper than what they listed on their website. Had an amazing time there. Traders and Summit Park View seems boring compare to it. Hotels listed on trip adviser website and their reviews are spot on, btw.

How did you get a better rate? I'm interested in staying here in January.

Also, I'd be appreciative of hotel recommendations in Bagan, Mandalay, and Inle Lake.

It was by pure luck. Like someone else posted above, walk-in rates are sometime cheaper for some hotels. When I got out from RGN, I told taxi to take me to the Traders (which is in downtown) but while we were on the way, I asked the driver to take me to hotels that are not in a high rise building and has more of a local character. That was how I ended up at GR. Traders is one of those big chain, multistory, business hotels that you see in every other city centers. It is dull and nothing special about it. But, GR (Stand too?) has a lot more uniqueness and cool factor to it. Very last day, I didn't go anywhere but chill at the hotel. I was blown away by the fact that hotels like GR even exist in country like Myanmar. Then, I found the reviews on TA when I left the place, d'oh! :o http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...n_Rangoon.html

Never been to Bagan, Inlay or Mandalay yet. I was at Ngapali and stayed here, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...t-Ngapali.html

EDIT: I've been told Savoy is also pretty sweet and not in a 20 something floors building. But, not located in downtown so you'll need to take a taxi for anywhere you want to go. And, Inya Lake if you want to stay by the lake.

I'm still in search of the best possible hotels in Inle Lake and Pagan without resorting to a Tay Za owned property (Aureum Palace, Bagan and Myanmar Treasure Resort, Inle Lake).

Long ago when I was at Inle Lake there was a hotel on stilts out in the lake called the Golden Princess (I think)...of course this could now be one of those hotels you listed above.....

The Thiripitsaya in Bagan was also a nice hotel.....