The Strand Yangon

The Strand opened in 1901 on the road that gives it its name, facing the Yangon River, and quickly became one of the fabled addresses of the East alongside its Sarkies Brothers siblings in Singapore and Penang. The three-storey Victorian building survived war and decades of isolation, and careful restoration has returned its teak floors, rattan fans, lacquerware and cool white colonnades to something close to their original register. With only a few dozen suites, it feels more like a grand private residence than a hotel.

Every room is a suite, styled with four-posters, Burmese teak and deep verandah-shuttered windows, and each floor is attended by its own butlers, a system the hotel has made its signature. The Strand Bar remains one of Southeast Asia's great rooms for a slow gin, its walls thick with a century of stories, while the Strand Café serves high tea beneath whirring fans. Sule Pagoda, the colonial banking quarter and the sprawling Bogyoke market are all nearby, and the golden mass of Shwedagon Pagoda is a short drive north.

The honest caveat is context: Myanmar's political situation has made tourism a complicated proposition, and travellers must research current government advisories and the ethics of visiting before booking. For those who do come, The Strand offers heritage of a depth that money elsewhere simply cannot construct.