One of Southeast Asia’s most enduring landmarks, The Strand Yangon reopens on Nov 15 after a restoration project that elegantly ushered the luxury heritage hotel into the 21st century. 

The six-month renovation saw local artisans restoring such original architectural detail as the teak panelling and antique bedsteads, traditional Myanmar lacquer ware and marble flooring. 

Next to Yangon River, the hotel’s 31 rooms’ and suites’ traditional décor has been retained, complete with vintage-inspired textiles and original artwork. New additions include modern air conditioning systems and the latest in-room technology. 

“The Strand Yangon was one of the first luxury colonial outposts in Southeast Asia, founded in 1901 by famous hoteliers the Sarkies brothers, and it remains one of the region’s most architecturally beautiful landmarks,” The Strand Hotel & Cruise vice president Olivier Trinquand said. 

With high vaulted ceilings, sparkling chandeliers and museum-quality black and gold lacquer panels from Bagan, The Strand Restaurant welcomes a new executive chef Christian Martena, who was trained at some of Europe’s most famous Michelin-star kitchens before running his own acclaimed restaurant in Bangkok. Martena has spent the last few months travelling around Myanmar to source top-notch produce and spices from suppliers and remote farming communities. Open on Dec 1 for dinner four nights a week, The Strand Restaurant will offer a seasonal menu of classic Mediterranean dishes enhanced by local ingredients.

Martena will oversee the food concept throughout the hotel, which includes the Strand Café, providing a respite from Yangon Road, with all-day coffee, pastries or a light lunch of Western or traditional Myanmar cuisine. Another highlight is The Strand Café, known for the famous Strand High Tea. The spread has been added with new traditional local delicacies.    

The hotel’s bar, which has for over a century been Yangon’s epicentre of social life and gathering place for adventurers and explorers such as Sir Noel Coward, Orson Welles and Rudyard Kipling, has been renamed The Sarkies Bar in honour of the hotel’s founders Aviet and Tigran Sarkies. The brothers were responsible for many of the region’s colonial hotels such as Raffles in Singapore and Penang’s Eastern & Oriental. With leather seating and an extensive new menu of cocktails and single malt whiskies, the teakwood-panelled bar has been given a glamourous “club”-style look. 

“This latest project has preserved the heritage of the hotel and honours the Strand’s part in Myanmar’s history, whilst creating a more relaxed, refined and glamorous setting for 21st century travellers and explorers,” said Trinquand.

“We are delighted to continue our investment in reviving the Strand name in Myanmar, having successfully launched our 28-cabin ship, The Strand Cruise on the Ayeyarwady River just over ten months ago.”

With superior suites starting at US$334  (RM1,397) per room per night to celebrate its reopening, The Strand Yangon is offering special “New Era” packages for guests  staying at a superior suite for two nights or more, between Nov 15, 2016 and April 30, 2017, a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe suite (subject to availability) along with return airport transfers, high tea for two, a bottle of wine on arrival and a Myanmar degustation menu for two at The Strand Café.