Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon
A high-end pool eight minutes from Shwedagon Pagoda
About this hotel
What sets this property apart from the market-adjacent five-star towers on this list is the straight run to Shwedagon Pagoda, eight minutes by taxi rather than the longer crossings needed from hotels near Bogyoke Aung San Market. The outdoor pool runs the full high-end treatment, loungers spaced for privacy rather than packed tight, and the hot tub sits within the same deck rather than a separate wing, so moving between the two takes seconds. Multiple bars and restaurants mean the evening does not require leaving the property once the pool closes for the night. The spa rounds out a stay built around treating Shwedagon as the day's centerpiece and the pool as the recovery afterward.
- Outdoor pool
- Hot tub
- Spa
- Fitness center
Our take
This suits travellers planning Shwedagon Pagoda as a serious half-day visit and wanting a high-end pool to return to afterward. Guests who value spaced-out loungers over a crowded deck will notice the difference here. Anyone on a budget or wanting to be closer to Bogyoke Aung San Market should look at one of the market-side hotels on this list instead.
- ✓Visit Shwedagon Pagoda in the late afternoon, the gold catches the light best before sunset
- ✓Book the pool after the temple run, loungers are easiest to find in early evening
- ✓Try the spa the same day as the pagoda visit, it is built for exactly that recovery
Why we love it
- Outdoor pool with spaced loungers
- Hot tub on the same deck
- Eight-minute taxi ride to Shwedagon Pagoda
- Multiple bars and restaurants
Why guests love itWe planned Shwedagon Pagoda for late afternoon exactly as recommended and came back to a pool deck that never felt crowded, loungers spaced out rather than shoulder to shoulder. The hot tub afterward eased the legs from all the walking at the pagoda. Multiple restaurants meant we never had to leave for dinner. A high-end, unhurried stay built around the temple visit rather than the market district.