Strand Hotel, Yangon
The Sarkies brothers’ riverfront palace – with Raffles and the E&O, one of the three great grand hotels of colonial Asia, restored to its teak-and-marble glory.
At a glance
- Type
- Hotel
- Period
- 1901
- Style
- Victorian colonial
- Location
- Strand Road, Yangon, Myanmar
- Coordinates
- 16.7676, 96.1622
- Founders
- Sarkies Brothers
Overview
The Strand opened in 1901 on Rangoon’s riverfront as the flagship of the Armenian Sarkies brothers, hoteliers of Raffles in Singapore and the Eastern and Oriental in Penang – the triumvirate of grand hotels that defined luxury east of Suez. Three storeys of colonnaded Victorian gravity face the Yangon River where the mail steamers once docked.
History
Kipling-era passengers, viceroys, and Somerset Maugham took its fans and gin slings; the Japanese occupation stabled horses in the lobby; Burmese socialism nationalized it into genteel decay beloved of writers seeking the past. A 1993 restoration and 2016 renewal returned the teak floors, the Sarkies Bar, and the butler-staffed suites, making the Strand the emblem of Yangon’s unmatched colonial streetscape.
Architecture and Design
The arcaded facade shelters a lobby of black-and-white marble, rattan, and ceiling fans; Burmese teak, lacquer, and contemporary Myanmar art furnish the 31 suites. The Strand Cafe’s high tea and the bar’s signature sour preserve rituals a century old.
Cultural significance
The Strand anchors the Yangon heritage ensemble – the largest surviving colonial downtown in Asia – and its revival models the conservation-led future Burmese heritage advocates urge for the city. Its guest book is a literary history of travel in the East.
Visiting today
Non-residents may take high tea or a bar evening; the surrounding Strand Road and Pansodan Street offer the great walk of banks, courts, and shipping offices from the imperial port’s heyday. Check travel conditions for Myanmar before planning.
Getting there
The hotel faces the Yangon River jetties downtown, ten minutes from Sule Pagoda; taxis are the practical transport.
Sources and resources
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