ekscrunchy

I've read the TA reviews; both properties get great reviews although there is some mention of noise at the Savoy. The Savoy is less expensive and seems to have a better location.
Swimming is important to me; both hotels have pools--are they both suitable for lap swimming?

I would love to hear pros and cons of both hotels; planning to visit next February. Please tell me why you made your decision and if you were pleased with the hotel you chose.

I ruled out the Strand due to lack of pool. (I did stay here long before they fixed it up, and will plan to visit while we are there)

Any particular rooms to request at either hotel?

Many thanks.

Craig

eks - We stayed at the Savoy at both the beginning and end of our Myanmar trip for a total of 3 nights. We opted for suite rooms since they were so inexpensive. At the beginning of our stay, our room faced the pool and at the end, our room faced the front lawn of the hotel. Both rooms were on the 2nd (top) floor. The room facing the lawn was a bit noisier than the one facing the pool but it did not keep us from sleeping or anything like that. The pool was decent-sized, certainly large enough to do laps - also pleasant to sit around while eating breakfast. There is a photo of it on Tripadvisor. I thought the location was excellent as Yangon's premier attraction, the Shwedagon Pagoda is practically right next door and the other important temples are nearby.

The Savoy is definitely a 4-star, not a 5-star hotel. That being said, service is very good and the hotel is very comfortable.

ekscrunchy

Thanks, Craig! I am leaning toward the Savoy. My friends are light sleepers but I will advise that the interior pool-facing rooms will be a good bet! I think we could also get suite rooms for less than the price of the GR rooms.

Did you let the agency book the hotel for you and if so, did you have to pay in cash? Or can you pay the hotel directly with credit cards, if you book through an agency?

Femi

I also stayed at the Savoy. No noise problems that I remember. I would stay there again. The decision for me came down to choosing between the Strand and the Savoy. I could find no reason to justify the expense of the Strand. I don't know much about Governor's Residence, except that I am usually happy with Orient Express properties.

Craig

When the agency books the hotel for you, you pay the agency - in cash ($US) only. Agencies such as Santa Maria do get preferred rates so you probably will not do as well to book directly. If there are incidental expenses such as dinner at the hotel restaurant, you pay the hotel directly. The Savoy accepts credit cards but charges an additional 10% or so over what your cost would be using cash.

moremiles

I can't comment on the Savoy but I did just stay at the GR in Feb. and it was my favorite hotel in Burma. The pool is large enough for laps and the water is a perfect temp. I loved the atomsphere at night when they put lit candles in the pool and ponds around the outdoor dining area and the 1920's era teak structure is lovely. The food was also quite good-they have a European chef from what I remember so it was a nice fusion cuisine. My room was large with a sitting area similar to a junior suite.

ekscrunchy

Dilemma!

MM: Many thanks for the response, and for not berating me for asking about pools in Burma!

When you say the water was a perfect temperature, do you mean warm enough to swim? I hope that the hotels in Yangon do not have a cooling system that makes the water as cold as it was in my hotel in Bangkok, and at the Sheraton in Saigon!!

Hanuman

Eks,

I've yet to see a hotel with a "cooling system" in S.E. Asia. It was probably cool because the air temperature was cool.

moremiles

A perfect temp for me is not ice cold! It was comfortable but refreshing, not difficult to get into at all.

ekscrunchy

Hanuman: I realize that people think I am loony saying that there is a cooling system. But I did investigate this a bit and it seems as if there is such a thing. How else could you explain cold water at the Peninsula in Bangkok last January. Same with Sheraton in Saigon, where the nighttime temps did not drop much below 80F. They told me that they cooled the water! It was freeing! In Saigon! On TA I have read complaints about the pool water in a couple of southern Thai resorts being too cold to swim.

I do not want to get into any disputes here, but I would like to learn more about this subject. If I knew an appropriate person at one of these hotels I would call and ask for more details.

"Not difficult to get into" is ideal. What is not ideal, for me, is when it IS difficult to lower yourself into the water.

So the Savoy is looking like the place to stay in Yangon!

Hanuman

Eks,

Don't worry no disputes here. I have a pool at my house in Bangkok and it's normally too cold to swim in during December - January.

ekscrunchy

Hanuman: It is probably good that your pool is too cold then because otherwise I might ask you to let me swim there!!

If you know anyone at any of those hotels who might know about these things, maybe you can ask them and we can get to the bottom of this perplexing question. I think that only the very upscale hotels do this..

By the way, do you think it will be blazingly hot in Bangkok/Yangon in late February-first half of March?

Craig

Eks, we have been in Bangkok in late February/early March for the last 3 years - it's always hot and humid enough to work up a sweat after a 5 minute walk and it does not cool down much at night.

In late February 2007 we were in Myanmar. The weather in Yangon was similar to Bangkok - hot and humid. However, the weather in Bagan was hot and dry (not particularly uncomfortable) and the weather at Inle Lake was cool in the evening/early morning and warm to hot but dry during the day.

ekscrunchy

Craig, thanks. I suspected as much for Bangkok and Yangon. I am a little anxious about the heat, especially for my friends. Bangkok is early January last year was hot but certainly not debilitating. The problem occurs when it is just so hot that you find yourself foregoing a chance to explore and prefer to remain at the hotel! We will have to get an early morning start in Yangon. I should warn my friends about this now!!

How foolish, on a scale of 1 to 10, will I look if I wear my African safari hat in Yangon?

I do think that one gets used to the heat day by day...I always feel the hottest on the first few days after arrival.

Hanuman

It's blazingly hot and humid right now!!!! After a rather cold and prolonged, by Thai standard that is, we are having one hell of a hot March.

Hanuman

Oops... I meant to write "After a rather cold and prolonged WINTER, by Thai standard that is, we are having one hell of a hot March.

Hanuman

Just remember that I'm having lunch at the Pen next week and I can dip my hand to check the temp of the pool and then go to my condo down the road and compare the temperature with the water at the pool there. I could even check the Pen's pool temperature with those of the river which should be easier. Not very scientific but it should do!

Kathie

We will await your report, Hanuman.

ekscrunchy

Yes, we will await!

But remember, I said it was too cold in early January!

So you must, in the interest of research, interview the pool maintenance person.

Bring a tape recorder!

Ask to see temperature charts!!!!

Check for empty ice cube trays!

Hanuman

Ok I've got a small amount of sodium pentathol which I can use with the pool man. If that failed I will use the waterboarding technique with the water from the Choa Praya river - the pool man will talk! I will check the information obtained with the security cam video from January and I will stream everything live from the webcam on my laptop.

You will have your answer!