In the colonial heyday of this elegant Victorian hotel, gentlemen in white dinner jackets and ladies in flowing gowns sipped cocktails on the shaded verandah as the sun went down, enjoying a welcome respite from the tropical heat of Myanmar.
The legendary Strand Hotel was one of the great watering holes of the British Empire. Just like Raffles Hotel in Singapore or the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, the 107-year old Strand remains a national landmark.
The Strand was built in 1901 by the Sarkies brothers, Armenian refugees from Turkey who founded a chain of luxury hotels in the region, including Raffles, the Oriental, the
Majapahit in the Indonesian port of Surabaya, and the Eastern & Oriental in Penang, Malaysia.
In the 1920s and '30s, it became a favorite hangout of famous writers, British officers, celebrities and even royalty. Luminaries such as Rudyard Kipling, W. Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Noel Coward, George Orwell and Lord Mountbatten were all regular customers. More recently, it has accommodated the likes of Mick Jagger and Oliver Stone.
Completely renovated in 1990, its teak floors are polished and gleaming, the antique chandeliers sparkle in the spacious and luxurious reception rooms and the quintessential colonial icon — the ceiling fans — gently rotate above tables surrounded by rattan chairs in the cozy cafe.
Before World War II, the Strand was reserved for "whites only," but during the Japanese occupation of Burma — as Myanmar was formerly known — it became an army barracks. It received its first Burmese guests only after the war.
But since the early 1990s, the property was acquired by Adrian Zecha, the founder of Singapore's exclusive Aman Resorts chain, and renovation began.
The Strand reopened in 1995 as an all-suite, top-of-the range boutique hotel. Its teak and marble floors, mahogany furniture and canopied beds complement original pieces, like period bathroom fixtures.
But unlike the other grand old hotels in the region, the Strand's restoration remained true to its architectural past, and it has no new wing, and no swimming pool or tennis courts.
"We came to the Strand because of its old-world romantic charm," said Tomas Llobet, from Brussels, Belgium, who was celebrating a wedding anniversary with his wife, Victoria. "We wanted to be in a place with a lot of historic character, properly renovated without huge concessions to modernity."
The ghosts of the British colonels would approve of their choice.
The legendary Strand Hotel was one of the great watering holes of the British Empire. Just like Raffles Hotel in Singapore or the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, the 107-year old Strand remains a national landmark.
The Strand was built in 1901 by the Sarkies brothers, Armenian refugees from Turkey who founded a chain of luxury hotels in the region, including Raffles, the Oriental, the
Majapahit in the Indonesian port of Surabaya, and the Eastern & Oriental in Penang, Malaysia.In the 1920s and '30s, it became a favorite hangout of famous writers, British officers, celebrities and even royalty. Luminaries such as Rudyard Kipling, W. Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Noel Coward, George Orwell and Lord Mountbatten were all regular customers. More recently, it has accommodated the likes of Mick Jagger and Oliver Stone.
Completely renovated in 1990, its teak floors are polished and gleaming, the antique chandeliers sparkle in the spacious and luxurious reception rooms and the quintessential colonial icon — the ceiling fans — gently rotate above tables surrounded by rattan chairs in the cozy cafe.
Before World War II, the Strand was reserved for "whites only," but during the Japanese occupation of Burma — as Myanmar was formerly known — it became an army barracks. It received its first Burmese guests only after the war.
But since the early 1990s, the property was acquired by Adrian Zecha, the founder of Singapore's exclusive Aman Resorts chain, and renovation began.
The Strand reopened in 1995 as an all-suite, top-of-the range boutique hotel. Its teak and marble floors, mahogany furniture and canopied beds complement original pieces, like period bathroom fixtures.
But unlike the other grand old hotels in the region, the Strand's restoration remained true to its architectural past, and it has no new wing, and no swimming pool or tennis courts.
"We came to the Strand because of its old-world romantic charm," said Tomas Llobet, from Brussels, Belgium, who was celebrating a wedding anniversary with his wife, Victoria. "We wanted to be in a place with a lot of historic character, properly renovated without huge concessions to modernity."
The ghosts of the British colonels would approve of their choice.
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IF YOU GO
STRAND HOTEL, YANGON, MYANMAR
DETAILS: The hotel is at 92 Strand Road in Yangon, Myanmar. Room rates listed on the hotel's Web site begin at $550. http://www.ghmhotels.com/
STRAND HOTEL, YANGON, MYANMAR
DETAILS: The hotel is at 92 Strand Road in Yangon, Myanmar. Room rates listed on the hotel's Web site begin at $550. http://www.ghmhotels.com/
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