No.92 Strand Rd, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)
The Strand Hotel opened its doors in 1901, in the midst of the colonial period, and very soon gained international fame as the "best hotel east of Suez." It was conceived by the renowned hoteliers, the Sarkies brothers, who turned their attention to Myanmar in 1892, identifying Yangon (then known as Rangoon) as the perfect location for the latest addition to their portfolio of luxury hotels, which at that time included the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang and the Raffles in Singapore. At that time, Yangon was the third largest port of the British Indian Empire and a regular stop for steamships. Aviet and Tigran Sarkies developed plans to build the first hotel in Rangoon to meet the needs of the growing number of international travelers coming to Southeast Asia.
Determined to find the perfect location, the brothers began their 10-year search for the ideal property, dreaming of acquiring a plot on Strand Road, near the harbor. A wooden boarding house with 12 rooms, offering a beautiful view of the river and direct tram access, caught their attention only for them to first learn that the property was not for sale. It took nine years of negotiations, but finally in 1901 the brothers reached an agreement with the owner to purchase and renovate the boarding house.
The new Strand Hotel had 60 rooms and was three stories high, with each floor surrounded by a high veranda to keep the rooms cool. The Strand Hotel soon earned a reputation as the "best hostel east of Suez" and hosted members of international royal families, ambassadors, and celebrities of the era such as George Orwell, Sir Noël Coward, Rudyard Kipling, and Earl Mountbatten, all of whom exchanged stories of adventures over a glass of Strand Sour at the bar.
In 1905, after a brief stay at the Strand Hotel, writer and artist R. Talbot Kelly noted: "Half an hour after landing I found myself very comfortably settled at the Strand Hotel, assigned a spacious bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. Its large enclosed veranda, which practically served as a lounge, gave me plenty of breathing space; and, given the latitude of the location, the table was excellent and varied." During World War II, the occupying Japanese military authorities approached the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Japan's leading hotel brand, to take over management of the Strand Hotel in a situation similar to that of the Oriental in Bangkok. From 1942 until the end of the war, the hotel was renamed the Yamato Hotel. The Strand had a colorful past, often described as a journey from wealth to poverty, struggle, and back to wealth, but it always remained the heart of Rangoon society and an integral part of Myanmar’s history.
After the war, in 1949, the land on which the hotel stood was sold to Messers Steel Bros & Co. for 10,500,000 rupees. The new owners invested much-needed funds into the Strand, and the hotel was renovated once again. From 1958 to 1963, the Strand Hotel was the venue for the annual Rose Ball, a charity event organized by Lady Gore Booth. “The ballroom was filled with the most beautiful roses,” said Monica’s aunt Mia Maung, a British lady who married the son of a Burmese judge back in 1937.
In 1989, Burma officially changed its name to Myanmar, and the capital Rangoon was renamed Yangon. After decades of neglect, the Strand Hotel was also put up for sale. Renowned hotelier Adrian Zecha fell in love with the Strand, its service, and staff. When the opportunity arose, he stepped in to help and bought the hotel together with Burmese businessman Bernard Pe Win and the government of Myanmar.
The hotel was renovated from top to bottom. Then Myanmar Hotels International (MHI) was established to manage the 50/50 joint venture between the government, Strand Hotel International, and a group of foreign investors led by its chairman, the late Anthony Goh. Today, his son Kenneth Goh is the chairman of the board. After a major renovation and a $10.5 million investment, The Strand reopened on November 4, 1993, restored to its original splendor.
More than a century later, Yangon’s finest hotel remains at the forefront of luxury hospitality in Southeast Asia.
Throughout its long history, the Strand Hotel has been patronized by members of royal families, nobility, explorers, adventurers, artists, writers, and other distinguished personalities visiting Myanmar (Burma). The hotel’s guestbook lists names such as George Orwell, Sir Noël Coward, Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham, Edward, Prince of Wales—the future Edward VIII, King of the United Kingdom, George Tupou V, King of Tonga, Edward Norton, Doris Geddes, Sir Mick Jagger, Anthony Bourdain, Maria Ludwika Paleta, Baz Luhrmann, Jimmy Carter—the 39th President of the United States, and many others...
Kipling wrote a number of poems, stories, and factual descriptions of Burma, the most famous of which is his poem "Mandalay."
https://famoushotels.org/books/the-strand-yangon
https://www.historichotelsthenandnow.com/strandyangon.html
https://www.hotelthestrand.com/
