lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

56YANGONBeautyland Hotel II HOTEL $(Map p 42 ; %240 054; www.goldenlandpages.com/beauty; 188-192 33rd St; r $8-24;a) A convenientlocation near central Yangon’s attractions,restaurants and internet shops, and exceedinglytidy rooms with friendly and confidentservice make this one of the better budgetchoices in central Yangon. The cheapestrooms don’t have windows while the moreexpensive front-side rooms boast heaps ofnatural light, so depending on your budget,look at a few.Panda Hotel HOTEL $$(Map p 46 ; %212 850; www.myanmarpandahotel.com; 205 Wadan St; r $33-45; ai) One of themore appealing hotels in this price range isthis 13-storey high-rise west of the city centre.It has bright and enticing rooms with excellentbathrooms. It’s in a peaceful residentialarea, but is close enough to downtown to beworthwhile. Popular with tour groups.May Fair Inn GUESTHOUSE $(Map p 42 ;%253 454; maytinmg@gmail.com; 5738th St; s/d $12/15;a) This family-run inn hasfreshly painted rooms that are a little spartanbut ever reliable. It’s more equipped todeal with the traveller looking for tranquillityrather than a party, and it has a loyal clienteleof returnees for a good reason. The complimentarybreakfast is served in the small communalarea. Only US$ dollars accepted.Ocean Pearl Inn HOTEL $(Map p 42 ; %297 007; www.oceanpearlinn.com; 215Bo Ta Taung Pagoda Rd; s/d/tr $13/18/23;a) Apaint job and rooms washed and polishedby a team of cleaning addicts make theOcean Pearl one of the tidiest choices in thebudget range (admittedly not much of an accomplishmentin Yangon). Another perk isfree airport pickup – mention it when bookingor look for the Ocean Pearl sign whenyou arrive in Yangon.Queen’s Park Hotel HOTEL $$(Map p 42 ; %296 447; www.qpyangon.com; 132Anawrahta Rd; r/ste $15-33/32-36; ai) Unusuallyfor a hotel in this category, the rooms aremore appealing than the dowdy receptionarea – though only by a little. The staff aresweet, and slow days mean easy discounts.White House Hotel HOTEL $(Map p 46 ; %240 780; white house@mptmail.net.mm;69/71 Kon Zay Dan St; s/d $8-15/14-20;a) The positivesin this long-running backpacker jointare the generous breakfasts, rooftop hammocks,cold beer, expansive views and usefultravel desk. The negatives are a thigh-burningnumber of stairs, small and sometimes windowlessrooms and basic bathrooms (bothshared and private). Kon Zay Dan St is locatedbetween 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 arethe sunny terrace with views and the roomcleanliness. Lowlights are the fact that saidrooms are windowless and very cramped.Some more centrally located budget andmidrange options:New Aye Yar Hotel HOTEL $$(Map p 42 ; %256 938; www.newayeyarhotel.com; 170-176 Bo Aung Kyaw St; s $25, d $30, ste$30-35; ai) This good-value high-rise hasavoided the tropical rot that has struckdown so many of its cousins.Eastern Hotel HOTEL $$(Map p 42 ; %293 815; www.myanmareasternhotel.com; 194-196 Bo Myat Tun Rd; s/d $15/20; ai)The 40 rooms here are utterly unremarkable,but are clean and boast amenitiessuch as satellite TV, hot water and fridge.Cherry Guest House HOTEL $(Map p 42 ; %340 623; 278/300 MahabandoolaGarden St; s $8-12, d$14;a) One of the fewnew places we encountered on this researchtrip, the Cherry looks its age andits 13 rooms have wall-mounted flatscreenTVs. It’s located on the 4th floor of this(relatively) quiet street – look for thestreet-level sign that says ‘Guest House’.Golden Smile Inn HOTEL $(Map p 46 ; %373 589; myathiri@gmail.com.mm;644 Merchant St; r $14, with shared bathroom$12; a) Located up a slightly scary stairway,the Golden Smile is rather dark anddank, and is not much of a bargain, butits popularity and the communal balconymake it a good choice for those who emphasisesocialising over comfort.Garden Guest House HOTEL $(Map p 46 ; %253 779; 441-445 MahabandoolaRd; r fan $5, air-con $6-12) The location stepsaway from Sule Paya is great (if rathernoisy), but we suspect that the boxlikerooms, which don’t have windows andneed a paint job, will have you spendingmost of your time in the communalareas.