5 Best Hotels in Mandalay, Myanmar

A stone's throw from Mandalay Hill and a short jaunt to the royal palace, this Thai-owned big-box hotel offers easy access to Mandalay's main sites. What it lacks in local character this hotel makes up for in amenities, which include nicely manicured grounds with an enormous pool with swim-up bar, gym, and tennis courts. The buffet breakfast is an excellent spread and is served from quite early, so guests heading out for sunrise can still grab a bite. Rooms are on the smaller side but comfortable and quiet, with strong air-conditioning and decent Wi-Fi service. The bicycles for hire are in good condition.

Set right along the river, this hotel offers a nice alternative to the luxury behemoths and boxy city hotels. Separating the hotel from a river is a large, busy road, so the views are best appreciated from the hotel's rooftop, where you can take in the sunset with a complimentary cocktail in hand (free drinks for happy hour is the best deal in Mandalay). Rooms are simple but tastefully decorated in local style, well-proportioned, and have comfortable beds. City facing rooms can be noisy and earplugs are recommended. From the hotel, it's a straight shot along 22nd Street to Mandalay Palace.

Though it looks a bit tired, this budget hotel (by Myanmar standards) with its neatly tended gardens and swimming pool offers respite from downtown Mandalay. Bungalow-style rooms are decorated with old-fashioned but good quality, sturdy wooden furniture; bathrooms are functional, with hot water, but leave something to be desired. Short power outages are the norm not just here but at hotels across the city, so you'd do well to pack a flashlight. Staff are friendly and work hard to meet guests' needs, organizing cabs or trishaws (tricycle rickshaws), one of which you'll need to reach the palace and downtown restaurants.

Swimming pools at budget hotels are far and few between, and Mandalay City delivers on that front. It's a basic hotel where there are often brownouts, no elevators, and where rooms facing the nearby mosque are quite loud during the morning prayers. Some rooms, while clean, are quite small, and a couple with a lot of luggage will find themselves knocking about. On the plus side, the breakfast buffet is excellent and for lunch and dinner travelers are within walking distance of a handful of small Indian and Chinese restaurants. Mandalay Palace is also within walking distance, though visitors may prefer to hop a cab to the palace and then walk further up to Mandalay Hill.

Idyllic and full of local flavor, this resort is a ways from downtown but is a real oasis. Rooms are all rich, gleaming teak which lends visitors the feeling of bunking down inside an upscale tree house. Though rooms are well-proportioned, some bathrooms are teeny. Rooms on the main road are noisy, and some rooms' walls are on the thin side. The expansive grounds are lush and lovingly manicured, and the pool, after a hot day at Mandalay Hill and the Royal Palace, is a dream come true. The breakfast spread is served outside under the trees; around dinner time, there's a marionette show and dance performance.