The Strand Hotel was constructed during the historic reign of the United Kingdom’s famed Queen Victoria, who sat on the British throne from 1837 to 1901.

The Strand Hotel has stood as a celebrated cultural landmark in Yangon, Myanmar, since 1901. Originally a 12-room boarding house, the building was converted into a magnificent three-story hotel by the famous Sarkies Brothers. During the 1880s, the Sarkies created a number of luxurious hotels throughout Southeast Asia, including the prestigious Hotel Raffles. Interested in capitalizing upon their success, the brothers decided to delve into the untapped potential of Myanmar’s fledgling tourist industry. The Sarkies settled on creating a new hotel in the country’s capital city, which was then known as Rangoon. When the Sarkies discovered a lovely wooden boarding house overlooking the local Yangon River, the men knew that they had finally found their new destination. Thus, The Strand Hotel was born.

It quickly became popular, especially among British expats who called the city home. In particular, the hotel’s bar, The Strand Sour, was the choice meeting place for these residents to gather and reminisce. Many illustrious people traveling from abroad also lodged at the hotel during this time, including George Orwell, Richard Kipling, and the future King Edward VIII. The good times came to an abrupt end, however, when the Japanese conquered the country in World War II. Until the end of the war, the Japanese would operate the building as the Yamato Hotel. But it quickly reverted back to private ownership afterward, resuming its place at the center of Rangoon’s social scene. The hotel was soon the site of a spirited charity event called the “Rose Ball,” in which the upper crust of the city’s population regularly attended every year.

Unfortunately, The Strand Hotel began to fall into disrepair. The Burma Economic Development Corporation bought the site in an attempt to fix its dilapidation. It was not until the 1990s that the hotel received a new lease on life. Prominent hotelier Adrian Zecha fell in love with The Strand Hotel, and joined with businessperson Bernard Pe-Win to purchase the building. Together with a group of investors, the two men reached an agreement with the Myanmar government to restore the site. After completing an extensive series of renovations, the hotel was ready to reopen in 1993. The Strand Hotel is once more a fabulous tourist destination in Myanmar.