Strand Hotel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Strand Hotel (also known as 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 River to its south, is one of the most famous hotels in Yangon, and is managed by the General Hotel Management.

[edit] History

During the colonial period, Strand Hotel was one of the most luxurious hotels in the British Empire with a clientèle of exclusively Whites. The Sarkies Brothers sold Strand Hotel 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 clientèle. 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.

[edit] Notes

Andrews, Jim. "Tiffin Time Again", The Irrawaddy, 2006-01. Retrieved on December 18, 2006.
Falconer, John; Daniel Kahrs, Elizabeth Moore, Luca Invernizzi (2001). Burmese Design and Architecture. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9-6259-3882-6.