design et al are delighted to announce that The Strand Yangon have been shortlisted for Hotel Under 50 Rooms – Global Award in The International Hotel and Property Awards 2018.
The Strand Yangon was one of the first luxury colonial outposts to open in South East Asia, founded in 1901 by the famous hoteliers, the Sarkies brothers, and it remains one of the most architecturally beautiful landmarks in the region. In November 2016, The Strand Yangon entered a new era as it reopened after a six-month restoration project that saw the luxury heritage hotel ushered elegantly into the 21st century. The renovation project preserved the heritage at the heart of the hotel and honoured the Strand’s part in Myanmar’s history, whilst creating a more relaxed, refined, and glamorous setting for contemporary travellers and explorers. Local artisans meticulously restored every original architectural detail of The Strand Yangon, from the teak panelling and antique bedsteads, to traditional Myanmar lacquer ware and marble flooring, whilst giving the hotel a complete upgrade and contemporary twist through the latest technology, a refreshed colour palette and subtle decorative details.
Modern day travellers appreciate that colonial doesn’t have to mean fussy Victorian décor. The colonial era was about comfort and grace; social gatherings and exploration; discovering new cultures and sharing ideas; collecting stories and sharing experiences from travels. The design team set about creating a beautiful setting for all this to happen. Yangon has an abundance of historically and architecturally significant buildings, over 180 at the last count, yet The Strand Yangon is the only such heritage building to operate as a hotel. The aim of the design concept was to preserve the personality and heritage of the Strand while creating Myanmar’s first true luxury urban resort. This meant keeping all the architectural details that makes the hotel so unique, while carrying out a complete facelift to return it to its former glory. The hotel wanted to create a space their guests wanted to be in, with a perfect balance of areas for social gatherings as well as quieter spots for seclusion seekers.
The hotel sits in a prime location in the heart of the colonial downtown of Yangon, and has a rich heritage and beautiful architecture, so the plans for the renovation project focused mainly on upgrading infrastructure, enhancing the colonial architectural details with subtle modern accents, creating strong gourmet culinary experiences and, long term, becoming the country’s first luxury urban resort with the addition of a pool, spa and gardens in November 2017.