3 Best Hotels in Mandalay, Myanmar

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.