Belmond Governor's Residence

While the long white wall that signals the entry into the Belmond Governor's Residence isn't much to look at, the real treats lie inside the property, where lush greenery and serene lily ponds dot the grounds. The small open-air lobby is furnished with nice rattan and teak sofas, fine wood, decorative vases, and a traditional gong, which the bellboy rings in honor of all guests upon check-in. A wooden walkway leads from the lobby, past lush greenery and a lily pond, and transforms into stone paths that meander through the beautiful grounds. An expansive lawn, complete with resident geese and ducks, is skirted in green trees and tropical plants. The lovely turquoise swimming pool sits adjacent to the atmospheric old teak house that houses the restaurants and bars. Overall, elegant interiors have an Old World, colonial vibe, while their open-air designs and surrounding greenery give the spaces a breezy, tropical vibe. The hotel attracts travelers that are willing to spend money for class and comfort, from couples to families and traveling friends. 

The Belmond Governor’s Residence is located on the west side of Yangon’s downtown, on a quiet tree-lined street that's home to many embassies. It's a pleasant escape from the nearby main streets which are clogged with traffic throughout the day. Though the downtown area and tourist sights like Shwedagon or Sule Pagodas are not within walking distance, the hotel does have free bicycles for guests to use, and there are plenty of cheap taxis waiting outside; the drive downtown takes about 10 minutes. There are a handful of decent restaurants nearby, like Padonmar, a traditional Burmese eatery with a lovely garden that is popular with tourists, but if you want bars and nightlife, you’ll need to head downtown. It’s about a 35-minute drive to the airport, traffic dependent, while the Yangon Central Railway Station is a 12-minute drive from the hotel. 

There are 49 rooms and suites to choose from at the hotel, all of which feature fine hardwood floors and plenty of space. The color scheme is bright and simple, with white walls and warm wood tones complemented by just a few pops of red and black. Like any luxury hotel worth its salt, there's a lot of carved hardwood throughout, include teak desks, bannisters, tables, and the like. Large sofas, or settees in the Governor's Rooms, provide extra space to sit and enjoy the tranquil setting. Everything is well kept, and authentic details are tastefully deployed in subtle ways so that rooms have a classy, polished ambience.

All rooms have modern amenities like flat-screen televisions with cable channels, tea- and coffee-making facilities (with a selection of real tea leaves and gourmet coffee provided), safes, air-conditioning, and free minibars stocked with beer, soft drinks, canned coffee, and Red Bull, as well as free snacks, all replenished daily. Bathrooms in most rooms have walk-in rainfall showers as well as large terrazzo bathtubs, plus a selection of high-end toiletries is provided. Governor's Rooms only have walk-in showers. Unfortunately, none of the rooms have balconies or terraces, although there are plenty of peaceful places to sit throughout the lush hotel grounds.

The standard Deluxe Rooms and highest category Junior Suites have similar layouts, although the suites come with Lavazza coffee machines and espresso capsules. They also have separate living room areas, along with two TVs and double vanity sinks in the bathrooms. Governor's Rooms are a bit of a letdown, as they are more expensive than Deluxe Rooms, but don't have terrazzo tubs. The design of these rooms is slightly different, with large gold-lit headboards above the beds and antique Chinese cabinets housing the minibar and safe.

The highlight here is the fan-shaped swimming pool that's surrounded by a lovely sundeck lined with shaded loungers. An adjacent grassy lawn provides a spot to sunbathe in. Sunbeds even come with bamboo hats for guests to use. There's plenty of space in the water and on land, especially given the small size of this hotel. 

The hotel's restaurants are housed in a classic teak building by the pool. Mandalay offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and serves free buffet breakfasts as well as a la carte international and Asian dishes for lunch and dinner. The Burmese Curry Table restaurant serves up traditional Burmese curry buffets cooked over charcoal burners on a romantic open-air wooden deck that overlooks the pool. For drinking, the Mindon Lounge and Kipling Bar offer signature cocktails, fine wines, top notch teas and coffees, and even a selection of high end Cuban cigars to go with the colonial features like old gramophones and early Yangon photos (when it was still Rangoon) that adorn the walls. 

Other features include a small one-room spa for massage treatments, a souvenir and boutique art shop in the lobby, and a gourmet pastry and food shop, but there's no fitness center. Bicycles are available free of charge for guests' to use. Some of them are good quality mountain bikes, and the resort even provides helmets for guests. Wi-Fi is free throughout.