Rosewood Yangon

Yangon


Opened in late 2019, this luxury hotel has breathed life back into one of Yangon's most impressive colonial buildings. The exterior looks grand and the teak floors and walls of the Courtroom Bar recall the building's original 1930s role as the New Law Courts. But this is no slavish heritage revival – expect contemporary styling and a youthful vibe.

The plush rooms facing Strand Rd open on to a block-long corridor framed by a row of classical columns – all very grand save for the traffic noise; you might prefer the hush of an internal courtyard room instead. The rooftop pool and bar, not open at the time of research, promises to be one of the prime locations for taking in the city skyline.

Designed by Thomas Oliphant Foster, and completed in 1931, the building has also served as the Police Commissioner's Office and the Yangon Division Office. What the Rosewood fact sheet won't tell you is that under both the Japanese in WWII, and the military regime in the 1960s and ’70s, prisoners were tortured here.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yangon attractions

1. Customs House

0.08 MILES

The red-brick Customs House, built between 1912 and 1916 and designed by John Begg, one the Raj's principal architects, is still functioning for its…

2. Yangon Stock Exchange

0.09 MILES

Looking like a giant vault, this monumental neoclassical structure was originally built in 1937 to house the Reserve Bank of India. In December 2015 it…

3. Yangon Divisional Court

0.13 MILES

This ailing, pastel-coloured building is one of the oldest masonry structures in Yangon, dating from around 1900. Its original use was as the Currency…

4. Mahabandoola Garden

0.13 MILES

A green breathing space in the heart of downtown Yangon, this park provides lovely views of surrounding heritage buildings, including City Hall, the High…

5. Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank

0.14 MILES

This 1930s building designed by Thomas Oliphant Forster and Basil Ward is one of Pansodan St's grandest buildings. It originally housed the National Bank…

6. Yangon Heritage Trust

0.14 MILES

The small gallery of historic photographs here gives an idea of how downtown Yangon used to look. There's a great view of lower Pansodan St's grand…

7. Inland Waterways Department

0.14 MILES

This building was once the headquarters of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company and has weathered the passage of time well. Cross the road to admire its upper…

8. Myanma Port Authority

0.15 MILES

This grand building is a landmark on the Strand with its striking square corner tower and bas-relief sculptures of ships on the facade. For a brief time…