Savoy Hotel Yangon

The Savoy Hotel Yangon looks like an elegant private home from the outside, which says something about what guests can expect from this lovely boutique property. It has a white exterior and brown shutters topped by a red-tiled roof and small palm trees front the building, all helping to set the scene. The interiors are even more attractive, as the corridor leading into the lobby is full of Southeast Asian antiques such as horse and warrior statues, traditional musical instruments, and eye catching art pieces. The main lobby area has a checkerboard marble floor and stylish rattan chairs on which to relax. Plants and bright flowers go with the plentiful natural light that comes in through the windows. This is one of Yangon's classiest stays and the clientele tend to be those who prefer a small and homey spot as opposed to some of the bigger hotels with lots of facilities. Given the small size, there is plenty of personalized attention here, and the romantic vibes draw lots of couples. 

Savoy Hotel Yangon is located just north of Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon's most holy landmark, as well as the city's top tourist attraction. It's only about 10 to 15 minutes on foot to the famed structure. The Savoy sits at a heavily trafficked intersection, with plenty of taxis available for transport, as well as lots of restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. It's a good 30 minutes or more to the airport from here, and downtown is about 15 minutes away by car if the notorious traffic isn't too bad. It's a pretty central location for all parts of the city, and the rooms are well insulated from traffic noise outside. 

There are 30 rooms at the Savoy Hotel Yangon and all of them have classic colonial style with a modern finish. Decor includes hardwood floors, Myanmar antiques, and fine furniture in the form of wicker chairs and teak desks. The art that's been added to the rooms gives them their classic personality, including handsome floral lithographs and woven silk tapestries. Both ceiling fans and air-conditioners keep rooms cool. Rooms feature modern amenities like flat-screen televisions, cable channels, electronic safes, minibars, and hot water kettles for making free tea and coffee. All rooms also come with free Wi-Fi and have balconies.

While the majority of the rooms at the hotel are Deluxe, there are six Executive Suites that are particularly gorgeous. These suites have separate living rooms, vintage colonial lounge chairs made of fine teak and rattan, and extra televisions. The immense bathroom has a classic clawfoot bathtub to go with a separate walk-in rain-shower, as well as double vanity sinks. Still, bathrooms in the Deluxe Rooms are handsome as well, with walk-in showers that have rainfall showerheads, plus wooden floors and sharp wooden vanities with black granite countertops and contemporary fixtures. Half of the rooms in both categories have lovely garden pool views, while the remaining rooms look out at the city streets.

Features at Savoy Hotel are elegant and refined, though things like a fitness center are missing and keep this from being quite the luxury property that it bills itself as. One of the nicest features is a lovely swimming pool set in a garden courtyard that's surrounded by bougainvillea flowers. Sun loungers sit under handmade Shan lacquered umbrellas on a wooden deck, and there is a small pool bar on one side of the water. There's also a tiny spa here, with just one bed for massage treatments.

The real draw at the Savoy are its fine dining and drinking options. Le Bistro offers upscale French dining, serving both lunch and dinner, with tables set up by the pool, as well as an indoor dining area in an artsy room, with tables set on wine crates and French bric-a-brac on the walls. Upstairs from here is Kipling's, where hardwood floors and art pieces complement the tables that look out on one side over the swimming pool, and on the other to the golden spire of Shwedagon Pagoda, which is illuminated at night, and makes for a romantic dining experience. The menu is a mix of Asian and European. Kipling's is the site of the hotel's free breakfast buffet for guests that includes a variety of hot and cold international items. The blue-walled Captain's Bar retains a colonial air. There's a piano for live music, and that bar serves up signature cocktails, fine wines, and local beers. 

The hotel can provide many other standard services for a property in this category, including private car services and babysitting services. Wi-Fi is free and the hotel's concierge and front desk are staffed around the clock. Tours and excursions can also be booked.