The Strand Hotel Yangon
A 1901 landmark with a pool behind the butler suites
About this hotel
The pool here reads as a private courtyard amenity rather than the centerpiece of the stay, which suits guests who booked the Strand for its personal-butler suites and colonial teak corridors first and the water second. Unlike the open sundecks at newer Yangon towers, this pool sits low and shaded, cooler to the touch even in the hot season, and rarely more than a handful of guests deep. The hot tub is a short walk from the pool, part of the same quiet courtyard rather than a separate spa floor. Bogyoke Aung San Market is a nine-minute taxi ride, and evenings settle into the hotel's own dining room and bar rather than pulling guests out into downtown.
- Outdoor pool
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Spa
Our take
This suits travellers who want colonial-era Yangon done properly and treat the pool as a bonus rather than the main event. Couples celebrating an occasion will get the most from the butler service and the quieter courtyard setting. Anyone travelling on a tight budget or wanting a big resort-style pool deck should look elsewhere on this list, since both the room rate and the pool footprint here are modest for the five-star tier.
- ✓Book a pool-facing room if the courtyard view matters, not all suites face it
- ✓Take the hot tub late morning, before the shade moves off the pool deck
- ✓Walk Strand Road at sunset rather than taking a taxi, the colonial facades are the point
Why we love it
- 1901 colonial building on Strand Road
- Shaded courtyard pool
- Hot tub steps from the water
- Personal butler service
Why guests love itThe pool was smaller than the room rate suggested, but the shade over it meant we could actually use it at 2pm without frying, unlike the wide-open decks we tried elsewhere in the city. Butler service handled a late check-in without fuss. Dinner at the in-house restaurant ran long and unhurried, which suited us. Worth it for the building alone, the pool is a quiet extra rather than the reason to stay.