On November 15, The Strand Yangon in Myanmar will officially reopen after a restoration project that brought the historic hotel into the 21st century.
Originally opened in 1901, the hotel’s original architecture was restored, from the teak paneling to the antique beds and marble flooring. The updates came in the form of modern air conditioning and in-room technology.
The Strand Restaurant brings in a new executive chef – Christian Martena, who also owns a restaurant in Bangkok. It will reopen on December 1 for dinner four nights per week and will serve a menu of classic Mediterranean plates with locally sourced ingredients.
Chef Martena will also oversee the casual eatery Strand Café, which is open all day for lunch, coffee, and desserts. The Strand Café is the home of the famous Strand High Tea.
The hotel’s bar, frequented by the likes of Sir Noël Coward, Orsen Welles, and Rudyard Kipling, has been renamed The Sarkies Bar at The Strand Hotel in honor of the hotel’s founders, Aviet and Tigran Sarkies. The brothers are also responsible for many of the finest colonial hotels in the region, such as Raffles in Singapore and the Eastern & Oriental in Penang.
The Sarkies Bar has been updated to have a more club-like atmosphere with leather seating and a long menu of single malt whiskies and signature cocktails.
During the hotel’s closure The Strand’s service team – including their famous butlers – underwent additional service training with new operations manager Mark Murraybrown.
Additionally, The Strand has launched their very first cruise ship, a 28-cabin river cruise named The Strand Cruise. It voyages the Ayeyarwady River, where its inaugural trip was 10 months ago.
To celebrate its reopening, The Strand Yangon is offering a ‘New Era’ package, offering guests booking a Superior Suite for two nights or more for stays from November 15, 2016 to April 30, 2017 a complimentary upgrade to a Deluxe Suite, as well as return airport transfers, High Tea for two, a bottle of wine in room on arrival, and a savory Myanmar menu for two at The Strand Café.