SOFITEL MYAT MIN

Rating: Luxury

Perched on the eastern bank of Inle Lake, and flanked by the low-lying mountain range behind, this 101 suite property is testament to the AccorHotels group’s growing influence and success in Myanmar. Granted, the style’s very contemporary and won’t appeal to everyone’s taste, but that’s not to say it feels out of place. If Indonesia can have its Alila Uluwatu, Thailand can have its COMO Point Yamu and Vietnam can have its Banyan Tree Lang Co, why shouldn’t Myanmar have its Sofitel Myat Min? For us, this property is an embodiment of up-and-coming Myanmar, a Myanmar in which modernity and one of the world’s richest traditional cultures combine.

Sofitel Myat Min has five room types; Luxury Room (Garden View), Junior Suite, Prestige Suite, Opera Suite and Presidential Suite. At 60m2, the Luxury Rooms are exceptionally spacious and will perfectly suit those looking to stay somewhere special on a budget. At a whopping 75m2 and breathtaking views of Inle Lake, the Junior Suite would be our all round suite of choice. If money’s not an object, feel free to upgrade to the Prestige or Opera Suite, but please note that this will cost considerably more and the Prestige Suite only has a partial view of the lake.

As with most lake side properties in the Inle Lake region, due to the secluded nature and distance from Nyaung Shwe (the closest town centre), dining out tends to be a long winded costly affair. That should not be a cause for concern at Sofitel Myat Min however, seeing as it has two restaurants, one of which (The Backyard, a restaurant that specialises in organic fine dining fusion dishes) is the most sought after dining spots in the region.

Another, slightly unexpected highlight of staying here, is enjoyng a foot massage whilst watching the sun set slowly over the opposite side of the lake; better yet, you can even enjoy this with a signature cocktail in hand!

As of 2018, this was Tour Mandalay’s favourite contemporary five star option in Myanmar.

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