The Strand Yangon

Author John Murray in his 1911 ‘Handbook for Travellers in India, Burma and Ceylon’ declared The Strand as “the finest hostelry East of Suez”, a title it has enjoyed for more than 100 years.

Built in 1901 and acquired soon after by the Sarkies brothers, famed for the likes of Raffles in Singapore and The E&O in Penang, The Strand Hotel remains one of Asia’s most enduring and awe-inspiring Colonial landmarks.

Like the hotel’s 1989 restoration, which remained true to its architectural past under renowned hotelier Adrian Zecha, in 2016 once again The Strand emerges from a programme of thoughtful refreshments.

The beloved chandeliers, charming ceiling fans and authentic period furnishings, which have long served as the backdrop to this singular meeting place of famous explorers and raconteurs, remain.

Past meets present among strategic upgrades including advanced air-conditioning and in-room technologies, as well as in the extensive staff training to ensure flawless personalised service which lives up to this grand and glamorous setting

In February 2019, The Strand Yangon has become the first hotel in Myanmar to receive a commemorative blue plaque from the Yangon Heritage Trust in acknowledgement of its significance in the historical and cultural heritage of Yangon.

The Strand Yangon is the 27th building or historical site in Yangon to be commemorated by a blue plaque. The Blue Plaque Project is supported by the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) and implemented by the Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT).

Suites
Polished teak floor to high-pitched ceiling, each of The Strand’s 32 suites have been elegantly ushered into the 21st century with vintage inspired textiles, original artwork and calming neutral hues.

All retain their timeless enchantments and lacquer craftsmanship for which Myanmar is renowned, while modern technologies and state-of-the-art communication systems bring this classic Grande Dame resolutely into the present.

Near floor-to-ceiling windows welcome Yangon’s abundance of natural light during the day while The Strand’s dedicated, English-speaking butlers attend to guests’ needs around the clock, providing tailored attendance whether it’s through in-room dining, recommending places to visit or assisting guests throughout their stay.

Strand Suite
One of a kind and measuring 200m2, The Strand Suite centres on the hand carved four-poster bed, adorned with the finest Scottish linen, as well as a private sitting room and an intimate study, poised between the dark polished teak floors and high Victorian ceilings.

Wrap yourself in the finest Egyptian cotton bathrobes and towels, all the while enjoying the enormous double bathroom.

The generous living area is the perfect venue to host an evening cocktail with your guests, before dinner within your private dining room, capable of hosting 10 guests with a private kitchenette and attendant butler to compliment the dining experience.

The palatial Strand Suite is an oasis of calm from the bustle of Yangon, adorned with Myanmar antiquities and handcrafted rattan furniture, a small distraction from the floor-to-ceiling windows and teak flooring throughout.

Executive Suite
Our Executive Suites, overlooking the Yangon River, allows for the perfect escape, enjoying the sheer spaciousness and sense of comfort within this 65m2 haven.

Each Executive Suite boasts a well-appointed sitting room, reflecting The Strand’s distinguished past, with guests pampered with handwoven cotton bedding, a spacious bathroom with a double basin and a deep soak bathtub complete with bespoke amenities.

After a relaxing bath, wrap yourself in our luxurious Egyptian cotton bathrobes and towels.

Deluxe Suite
One can easily imagine Noël Coward taking inspiration from our Deluxe Suite, each a generous 60m2 and extending to a spacious sitting room while enjoying High tea or relaxing after a day of sightseeing.

Black and white photographs reflect The Strand’s distinguished past, handwoven bed linen, a spacious bathroom with a double basin and a deep soak bathtub complete with bespoke amenities.

After a relaxing bath, wrap yourself in our luxurious Egyptian cotton bathrobes and towels. Relax in the freshly upholstered chairs in the sitting room of your Deluxe Suite, adorned with Myanmar antiquities and freshly cut flowers.

Superior Suite
Somerset Maugham would appreciate these generous 55m2 Suites, where lacquer fans whirl from the high ceiling, and the latest technology ensures a seamless connection to the modern world.

Black and white photographs reflect The Strand’s distinguished past, handwoven bed linen, a spacious bathroom with a double basin and a deep soak bathtub complete with bespoke amenities.

After a relaxing bath, wrap yourself in our luxurious Egyptian cotton bathrobes and towels. Relax in the freshly upholstered chairs in your Superior Suite lounge, sun filled and finished with freshly cut flowers.

Restaurants & Bars
The Strand Hotel offers guests a variety of dining experiences, whether you join us for a sumptuous breakfast, a light lunch or even our renowned Strand High tea, our selection will definitely tempt your taste buds.

A range of dishes are on offer, and our selection ranges from traditional Myanmar food, handmade pastries to a fine dining experience guided by our Chef de Cuisine’s numerous travels around Myanmar, sourcing ingredients and recipes that have been used for centuries.

The Strand Cafè
An oasis of calm amidst the bustle of Yangon, The Strand Café offers guests the perfect setting to indulge in a leisurely breakfast, a set business lunch or enjoy the renowned Strand High tea.

The Strand Café is open throughout the day, and offers a wide selection of typical Myanmar dishes, often with a modern European flair, as well as some of the classic dishes that are so popular with the weary traveller.

The dining room features original teak-framed windows, with polished flooring throughout, and lacquered fans hang from the high ceiling.

Reminiscent of a bygone era, with vintage photographs adorning the walls, reflective of the country’s Colonial past, embraced by the warmth and kindness so synonymous of the people of Myanmar.

The Strand Café High tea, offering guests a selection of classic sweets and savouries, as well as some traditional Myanmar delicacies, is available daily from 14h30-17h00. The Strand Café, 06h30-22h00 daily.

The Strand Restaurant
A French native, Chef Xavier Fauvel was born in Normandy, and moved to Nice in the French Riviera at a young age, a place which shaped his style of cooking.

Chef Fauvel brings with him a flair for creating seasonal menus fusing classic French cuisine with the delicate spice of South-East Asia and influence from his extensive travels.​

Seating up to 45 diners, as well as a private dining room for 10 guests, The Strand Restaurants offers classic European cuisine, pairing high quality imported ingredients with the varied organic produce found in Myanmar.

The restaurant can seat up to 60 guests for private functions and Chef Fauvel can create a special canapé, lunch or dinner menu according to guest’s requirements.

Sarkies Bar at The Strand
The century-old Strand Hotel, overlooking the Yangon River has been a famous venue since 1901, and has played host to many a thirsty traveller, explorer and celebrity alike, and the names of Noël Coward, Rudyard Kipling and Orson Welles are worth a mention.

In honour of the Sarkies brothers, the original owners and founders of the hotel, The Strand has created Sarkies Bar at the Strand, offering the perfect environment to enjoy afternoon refreshments, sip on an evening sundowner or enjoy a cocktail before dinner, mindful of the rich heritage and history synonymous with this Yangon landmark.

Sarkies Bar at The Strand offers a wide selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as an array of cocktails and a comprehensive wine list, allowing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing drink in this historical Bar.

We are also showcasing some of the finest single malt whisky selections available within Myanmar, where guests can sample a variety of International malts, under the guidance of our barmen who will gladly advise according to your choice.

Every Friday and Saturday savour the weekend with Happy Hour from 5-9pm. Opening daily from 10.30 am – 11.30pm

Facilities & Services
Take the time to relax. Step back and look at the world with fresh eyes and just live in the moment. Linger by the poolside then gently glide through the water with a few laps. Get pampered in one of our two therapy rooms.

Or really pick up the pace and enjoy an invigorating workout session in the fitness room. At The Strand Hotel, your time is yours alone, the kind you take to fully savour each instant.

Swimming Pool
Escape the bustle of the city, and experience an oasis of calm as you relax alongside our swimming pool facilities set amidst a tropical garden, and enjoy the sun as you revitalise with a refreshing drink or cocktail, and snacks from our all-day menu.

Therapy Rooms
Soaring colonial ceilings, polished wooden floors and Burmese antiques create a unique sense of place inside The Strand’s therapy rooms. Intimate yet spacious, the 2 therapy rooms can be booked exclusively for single or couple’s therapies.

The therapy rooms at The Strand Yangon offer a comprehensive treatment menu, including a Traditional Myanmar Massage and a Signature Strand Massage. The Strand Spa, 10h30 – 19h00 daily

Fitness Room
The Strand Fitness room makes staying in shape a highlight of your travels. The well-spaced, all-new facility is ideally arranged for energising workouts with an invigorating garden view.

Concentrate on raising your fitness with everything on hand, from complimentary fresh towels to drinking water and fresh fruit baskets to refuel after the session.

Events
The Strand Hotel offers state-of-the-art tailored meeting room and conference facilities, with seating arrangements for 14 delegates, comfortable in their proficient surroundings. The Strand Hall offers capacity for as many as 700 delegates.

Our 24-hour Business Centre offers a full range of facilities to ensure your event is a seamless exercise away from the office, taken care of by our team of dedicated staff on-hand to assist you should you require.

The Strand Hall is the perfect venue for your special day, whatever the occasion, and we will gladly assist you in every aspect of ensuring the day is a memorable one, down to the finest detail.

The Strand Restaurant as a unique venue for a special event or private function, such as a half day meeting, press release or celebratory lunch. The restaurant can seat up to 60 guests for private functions and Chef Périé can create a special canapés, tea break, lunch or dinner menu according to guest’s requirements.

The Strand Hall
Two hand-carved teak stair cases lead to Yangon’s most elegant Grand Hall, adorned with chandeliers, teak flooring throughout, tastefully decorated in a neutral colour palette and reflective of a bygone era of ballrooms and debutantes.

With vintage European chandeliers hanging from 25-foot ceilings and polished indigenous teak floors. The Strand team is available to assist you in every stage of planning your special day, offering a range of packages tailored to your exact requirements, whether you choose a traditional Myanmar or Western wedding.

Our experienced team will cater to all your needs from flower arrangements to the finer details such as place cards, decorations and any additional extravagance you might require to ensure your special day is truly memorable.

Meeting Room
The Strand Hotel offers state-of-the-art tailored meeting room and conference facilities, with seating arrangements for 14 delegates, comfortable in their proficient surroundings.

Modern facilities allow delegates to conduct presentations and conferences for a varying number of attendee’s, ensuring 24-hour business centre access and wireless internet throughout.

The Strand Business Centre is capable of delivering the finest conference facilities for the duration of any meeting, with our Strand team on-hand to provide any assistance should it be required. The adjoining still room provides conference guests with refreshments throughout the course of such an event.

Yangon
We are privileged at The Strand by the treasure trove of 19th century and early 20th century British colonial architecture alongside us on Strand Road, including notably well preserved heritage buildings like the Custom House, the Central Post Office and the British Embassy.

Explore beyond our three storeys of Victorian colonnaded charms on foot or by traditional trishaw. Just a few steps brings you back in time among crumbling facades rich with history, vintage automobiles still in use and crowded buses which elsewhere went out of service long ago.

Buddhist practitioners too are ubiquitous here, with monk dressed in brown robes and nuns in pink, especially around the shimmering Shwedagon and Sule Pagodas. In the shadows of both, real Yangon thrives.

Sightseeing
Of all the spectacular pagodas in Yangon, and indeed the entirety of Myanmar, the gilded, bell-shaped Shwedagon Pagoda located near the Kandawgyi Lake at the centre of the city is considered the most sacred for Myanmar Buddhists.

In fact, Myanmar is often called the ‘Golden Land’ precisely because of the shimmering golden spires of Shwedagon.

Also worth a visit to deepen your understanding of Myanmar’s longstanding traditions and rituals, the octagonal golden Sule Pagoda which dates back over 2,000 years and according to legend was the onetime home of a powerful nat, as local spirits are known.

Located in the heart of downtown, Sule has served as a focal point for modern Myanmar politics as well. To the west of Sule sit the exotic street food stalls, gold stores and bountiful fruit markets of Chinatown.

Priceless to us is the 100 to 300 Kyat per person Yangon Circular Train, a 3-hour journey which loops from downtown Yangon through residential neighbourhoods, some which appear as they stood when the country achieved independence from Britain six decades ago and most rarely visited by tourists.

Memories are made sharing the wooden bench on this under the radar ride with monks, locals and yes, their chickens.

Holiday Advice
The capital of Myanmar (formerly Burma), Yangon is a city steeped in colonial charm with tree lined-avenues and stupendous pagodas.

Shaped by its British colonial past and the local Myanmar Buddhist religion, Yangon is a rich mixture of culture and heritage. Like nearby neighbour Thailand, Myanmar is home to a wide variety of ethnic groups.

Framed by spectacular 19th Century architecture the city offers travellers a unique glimpse into the past. Peeling buildings, stunning colonial masterpieces, vintage cars and crowded buses that elsewhere went out of service long ago give Yangon a truly distinct feel.

Among the many sites, robed monks are ubiquitous within the city. Men dress in brown and women in pink, while people largely wear the traditional garb and sarongs.

Whilst travelling through the city, Yangon opens up to reveal a rich treasure trove of shops and markets. At the closed-in Bogyoke Aung San Market (or Scott Market) everything from silk cloth to local handicrafts and jewellery can be found.

Myanmar is especially known for its exceptional gems, jade and lacquers as well as its traditional style of art. Amongst the local delicacies on offer, it is worth to sample the local food types from spicy Burmese to Shan and Indian.

Of all the spectacular pagodas in Yangon, and indeed the entirety of Myanmar, is the gilded, elevated Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred pagoda for Myanmar Buddhists, near the Kandawgyi Lake at the centre of the city. Myanmar is often called the ‘Golden Land’ because of the shimmering golden spires of Shwedagon.

Yangon Highlights
Make time to visit Yangon’s two most popular pagodas, Shwedagon Pagoda and Sule Pagoda, at the heart of the city and witness how the locals perform religious proceedings at this magnificent octagonal golden pagoda dating back 2000 years.

Visit Karaweik Palace on Kandawgyi Lake which is a three-storey modern structure built in the shape of the mythical Karaweik bird that includes a ceremonial hall.

Art & Culture
The irrefutable Buddhist soul of Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda with its shimmering gilded stupa is the most recognizable monument in Myanmar. Legend dates Sule Pagoda to an even earlier era. Located in the heart of downtown, Sule has served as a focal point for modern Myanmar politics.

To the west of Sule, visit the exotic street food stalls, gold stores and bountiful fruit markets of Chinatown. For a historic introduction to this fascinating country, the National Museum exhibits Burmese royal regalia and cultural relics, as well as the home of Aung San, father of Burmese independence.

Opened by renowned local artist Min Wae Aung in 1989, New Treasure Art Gallery centers around his stark canvases of Myanmar’s monks and nuns while promoting young local artists. Find our other favourite, River Gallery adjacent to The Strand, showcasing the works of Myanmar’s leading contemporary artists.

Golf
Invigorating active pursuits offer another perspective on modern Myanmar. Four scenic courses dot the landscape around our city, making it an unexpected haven for serious golfers:

• the 18-hole Yangon Golf Club established in 1909 and considered Yangon’s best greens due to its attractive layout amidst tress and rolling hills;
• the Gary Player designed 18-hole Pun Hlaing Golf Club located 45 minutes away;
• the well manicured 18-hole Royal Mingalardon and Yangon City Development Committee Golf Club with 36 holes suitable for players of all levels.
• Or allow us to help you arrange two wheels around town and beyond on guided bike tours suitable for cyclists of all levels.

Website: www.hotelthestrand.com

Rooms: 32

Price: from 250 EUR per night