The Strand Hotel

The Strand Hotel stands at 92 Strand Road in Kyauktada Township, Yangon, Myanmar, close to the Yangon River waterfront and the old colonial business district. It opened in 1901 and was developed by the Sarkies brothers, an Armenian family from Persia who also created Raffles in Singapore and the Eastern and Oriental in Penang. The hotel was built in the Edwardian colonial style, a three-storey building with a symmetrical façade, arched verandas and high ceilings, and it quickly became the leading hotel in Rangoon, then a major port of the British Empire. During the early 20th century its guests included travellers, merchants, officials and writers, and its name is linked with authors such as Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and George Orwell, though the exact stays vary in accounts. The hotel was damaged during the Second World War and was used for other purposes in the postwar decades, including a period under state ownership, when it declined. A major restoration in the early 1990s reopened it as a luxury hotel, returning the lobby, tiled floors, teak woodwork and period furniture to their earlier appearance. Today the public areas, including the lobby, the Strand Bar and the tea lounge, are the main heritage experience for non-guests, with historic photographs and period details. The curatorial approach is not that of a museum: the building's history is shown through its continuing use. It is one of the best surviving examples of the downtown heritage zone along Strand Road, near the Customs House and the former Port Trust offices. Visitors commonly call for afternoon tea or a drink to see the interior, and dress is smart casual. The hotel's preservation is supported by commercial operation, with ongoing maintenance of its colonial fabric. Prices for refreshments are in line with a luxury hotel in Myanmar and are usually quoted in US dollars or kyat.