Strand Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Strand is a Victorian
-style hotel
located in Yangon
, Myanmar
(Burma), built in 1896 by Aviet and Tigran Sarkie, two of the Sarkies Brothers
. The hotel, which opened in 1901, which faces the Hlaing — or Yangon — River to its south, is one of the most famous hotels in Yangon and Southeast Asia, and is managed by the General Hotel Management. The hotel is named after its address, at 92 Strand Road.
with a clientele of exclusively whites
. The Sarkies Brothers sold The Strand to Rangoon restaurateur Peter Bugalar Aratoon and Ae Amovsie in 1925. In 1941, during World War II
, following Japanese occupation
of Burma, the hotel was used to quarter Japanese troops. The following year, the Strand's ownership was transferred to the Imperial Hotel
in Tokyo
. For the first time in 1945, since the Strand's establishment, the Burmese became part of the hotel's clientele. After Burma achieved independence in 1948, the hotel was neglected by post-colonial governments. In 1962, Strand Hotel was bought by the Burma Economic Development Corporation, which poorly maintained the hotel. After the 1988 coup d'état
, the Strand was sold in 1989 to Bernard Pe Win, a Burmese businessman, who formed an alliance with Adrian Zecha
and a group of investors who formed the Strand Hotel International. It has since been renovated extensively, and is now owned and operated by General Hotel Management.
The Strand reopened in 1995 as an all-suite, top-of-the range boutique hotel. Its teak and marble floors, mahogany furniture, and canopied beds complement original pieces, like period bathroom fixtures. But unlike the other grand old hotels in the region, the Strand's restoration remained true to its architectural past, and it has no new wing, and no swimming pool or tennis courts.
The hotel is listed on the Yangon City Heritage List
.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
-style hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located in Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma), built in 1896 by Aviet and Tigran Sarkie, two of the Sarkies Brothers
Sarkies Brothers
The Sarkies Brothers were a group of brothers of Armenian ethnicity. They created a dynasty that has influence throughout the region.They were best known for founding a chain of luxury hotels throughout Southeast Asia...
. The hotel, which opened in 1901, which faces the Hlaing — or Yangon — River to its south, is one of the most famous hotels in Yangon and Southeast Asia, and is managed by the General Hotel Management. The hotel is named after its address, at 92 Strand Road.
History
During the colonial period, The Strand was one of the most luxurious hotels in the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
with a clientele of exclusively whites
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
. The Sarkies Brothers sold The Strand to Rangoon restaurateur Peter Bugalar Aratoon and Ae Amovsie in 1925. In 1941, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, following Japanese occupation
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
of Burma, the hotel was used to quarter Japanese troops. The following year, the Strand's ownership was transferred to the Imperial Hotel
Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
The Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, was created in the late 1880s at the request of the Japanese aristocracy to cater to the increasing number of western visitors to Japan. The hotel site is located just south of the Imperial Palace grounds, next to the previous location of the Palace moat...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. For the first time in 1945, since the Strand's establishment, the Burmese became part of the hotel's clientele. After Burma achieved independence in 1948, the hotel was neglected by post-colonial governments. In 1962, Strand Hotel was bought by the Burma Economic Development Corporation, which poorly maintained the hotel. After the 1988 coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
, the Strand was sold in 1989 to Bernard Pe Win, a Burmese businessman, who formed an alliance with Adrian Zecha
Adrian Zecha
Adrian Zecha is an Indonesian hotelier who is best known as the co-founder of Regent International Hotels and founder of Aman Resorts.-History:...
and a group of investors who formed the Strand Hotel International. It has since been renovated extensively, and is now owned and operated by General Hotel Management.
The Strand reopened in 1995 as an all-suite, top-of-the range boutique hotel. Its teak and marble floors, mahogany furniture, and canopied beds complement original pieces, like period bathroom fixtures. But unlike the other grand old hotels in the region, the Strand's restoration remained true to its architectural past, and it has no new wing, and no swimming pool or tennis courts.
The hotel is listed on the Yangon City Heritage List
Yangon City Heritage List
The Yangon City Heritage List is a list of man-made landmarks in Yangon, Myanmar, so designated by the city government, Yangon City Development Committee. The list consists of 188 structures , and is largely made up of mostly religious structures and British colonial era buildings. The list is...
.
List of some guests and their date of stay
- Mr. Pierre CardinPierre CardinPierre Cardin Cardin was known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical...
September 22, 1995 - Oliver StoneOliver StoneWilliam Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
July 23, 1997 - Mr. Alexander DownerAlexander DownerAlexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
October 3, 2000 - Mr. Keng Yam Tony Tan December 31, 2002
- Mr. David RockefellerDavid RockefellerDavid Rockefeller, Sr. is the current patriarch of the Rockefeller family. He is the youngest and only surviving child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and the only surviving grandchild of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. His five siblings were...
January 14, 2003 - Sir Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
(Michael P. Jagger) December 24, 2003 - Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
- Lord MountbBattenLouis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of BurmaAdmiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
- Somerset Maugham
- Prince EdwardEdward VIII of the United KingdomEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
External links
- The Strand Homepage