56YANGON
Beautyland Hotel II HOTEL $
(Map p 42 ; %240 054; http://www.goldenlandpages.com/
beauty; 188-192 33rd St; r $8-24;a) A convenient
location near central Yangon’s attractions,
restaurants and internet shops, and exceed-
ingly tidy rooms with friendly and confi dent
service make this one of the better budget
choices in central Yangon. The cheapest
rooms don’t have windows while the more
expensive front-side rooms boast heaps of
natural light, so depending on your budget,
look at a few.Panda Hotel HOTEL $$
(Map p 46 ; %212 850; http://www.myanmarpandahotel.
com; 205 Wadan St; r $33-45; ai) One of the
more appealing hotels in this price range is
this 13-storey high-rise west of the city centre.
It has bright and enticing rooms with excel-
lent bathrooms. It’s in a peaceful residential
area, but is close enough to downtown to be
worthwhile. Popular with tour groups.May Fair Inn GUESTHOUSE $
(Map p 42 ;%253 454; [email protected]; 57
38th St; s/d $12/15;a) This family-run inn has
freshly painted rooms that are a little spar-
tan but ever reliable. It’s more equipped to
deal with the traveller looking for tranquillity
rather than a party, and it has a loyal clientele
of returnees for a good reason. The compli-
mentary breakfast is served in the small com-
munal area. Only US$ dollars accepted.Ocean Pearl Inn HOTEL $
(Map p 42 ; %297 007; http://www.oceanpearlinn.com; 215
Bo Ta Taung Pagoda Rd; s/d/tr $13/18/23;a) A
paint job and rooms washed and polished
by a team of cleaning addicts make the
Ocean Pearl one of the tidiest choices in the
budget range (admittedly not much of an ac-
complishment in Yangon). Another perk is
free airport pickup – mention it when book-
ing or look for the Ocean Pearl sign when
you arrive in Yangon.Queen’s Park Hotel HOTEL $$
(Map p 42 ; %296 447; http://www.qpyangon.com; 132
Anawrahta Rd; r/ste $15-33/32-36; ai) Unusu-
ally for a hotel in this category, the rooms are
more appealing than the dowdy reception
area – though only by a little. The staff are
sweet, and slow days mean easy discounts.White House Hotel HOTEL $
(Map p 46 ; %240 780; white [email protected];
69/71 Kon Zay Dan St; s/d $8-15/14-20;a) The pos-
itives in this long-running backpacker joint
are the generous breakfasts, rooftop ham-mocks, cold beer, expansive views and useful
travel desk. The negatives are a thigh-burning
number of stairs, small and sometimes win-
dowless rooms and basic bathrooms (both
shared and private). Kon Zay Dan St is located
between 26th St and 27th St.Tokyo Guest House HOTEL $
(Map p 42 ; %386 828; tokyoguesthouse.yangon@
gmail.com; 200 Bo Aung Kyaw St; s/d $9/14;a)
Highlights at this friendly budget hotel are
the sunny terrace with views and the room
cleanliness. Lowlights are the fact that said
rooms are windowless and very cramped.Some more centrally located budget and
midrange options:
New Aye Yar Hotel HOTEL $$
(Map p 42 ; %256 938; http://www.newayeyarhotel.
com; 170-176 Bo Aung Kyaw St; s $25, d $30, ste
$30-35; ai) This good-value high-rise has
avoided the tropical rot that has struck
down so many of its cousins.
Eastern Hotel HOTEL $$
(Map p 42 ; %293 815; http://www.myanmareasternhotel.
com; 194-196 Bo Myat Tun Rd; s/d $15/20; ai)
The 40 rooms here are utterly unremark-
able, but are clean and boast amenities
such as satellite TV, hot water and fridge.
Cherry Guest House HOTEL $
(Map p 42 ; %340 623; 278/300 Mahabandoola
Garden St; s $8-12, d$14;a) One of the few
new places we encountered on this re-
search trip, the Cherry looks its age and
its 13 rooms have wall-mounted flatscreen
TVs. It’s located on the 4th floor of this
(relatively) quiet street – look for the
street-level sign that says ‘Guest House’.
Golden Smile Inn HOTEL $
(Map p 46 ; %373 589; [email protected];
644 Merchant St; r $14, with shared bathroom
$12; a) Located up a slightly scary stair-
way, the Golden Smile is rather dark and
dank, and is not much of a bargain, but
its popularity and the communal balcony
make it a good choice for those who em-
phasise socialising over comfort.
Garden Guest House HOTEL $
(Map p 46 ; %253 779; 441-445 Mahabandoola
Rd; r fan $5, air-con $6-12) The location steps
away from Sule Paya is great (if rather
noisy), but we suspect that the boxlike
rooms, which don’t have windows and
need a paint job, will have you spend-
ing most of your time in the communal
areas.