The Loft Hotel

The Loft's simple exterior doesn't hint at its impeccable interiors, which blow away most of the competition when it comes to style in Yangon hotels. The four-story building is new, but doesn't stand out, and a simple single wooden door leads into the entrance. Once inside the lobby, one is greeted by light brown fine wood floors and handmade brick walls, a recurring motif throughout the hotel. Other decorative details include designer lights, Southeast Asian tapestries, fine art on the walls, and plush armchairs in the long corridor that leads back from the front desk into the hotel. The look is impeccably contemporary, and blends rustic, sleek, and classic elements into a cohesive whole. There's also a zen-like garden out back, combining pebbles with flowering potted plants and ferns. As it stands, there's not much else like this hotel in Yangon, though that's sure to change as the country continues to open itself to tourism. Given the subtly romantic style here, most guests are couples, though the location draws plenty of business travelers as well.

There are loads of restaurants to choose from in the neighborhood -- both street food and regular sit down places -- and shops are in close proximity as well. The Loft is only a 10-minute walk to downtown -- and 15 minutes to Chinatown -- plus the Yangon Central Railway Station is just a couple of blocks away. Shwedagon Pagoda, the city's top pilgrimage and tourist spot, is a 10-minute taxi ride from here. The only real drawback is that the hotel is located on a narrow one-way street which has bumper to bumper traffic most of the day, making hailing a taxi challenging. Fortunately, the hotel rooms are back from the street and have well insulated windows so there isn't much noise. Expect a 35-minute drive to the airport, though that can fluctuate significantly with traffic.

There are only 32 rooms at The Loft, and all of them are exceptional. Rooms feature handmade brick walls, fine timber floors, and lighting that is strategically angled so as to never be harsh. The higher category Junior Duplex and Duplex Suites give the hotel its name. These two categories feature upstairs lofts for the bedrooms and separate living areas downstairs. There are imported designer lamps from Italy and handmade Japanese tables as well, which all work together to make these rooms feel a welcome step above most others in the city.

Even the standard Deluxe and Junior Suite rooms are chic, spacious, and have mammoth black-and-white photo prints of ethnic hill tribes from around Myanmar, all taken by the head of the hotel. All rooms come with electronic safes, large flat-screen TVs, electric hot water kettles, and minibars. Higher-category rooms also include Illy coffeemakers. Wi-Fi is fast and free in all rooms. 

Most of the rooms have views of the street or garden out back, with a lot of ugly concrete or construction in the background. The only exception to this are the top-of-the-line Duplex Suites, which have a rooftop balcony off of the loft that's set with lounge chairs and is a good vantage point for taking in the surrounding streets. Bathrooms are expectedly sharp as well, with trendy tilework in shades of gray, black, and white, plus vessel sinks, contemporary fixtures, and walk-in rainfall showers. 

The Loft is a small boutique hotel, so it isn't loaded with facilities. The hotel is home to one of Yangon's better dining destinations, Alex's Gastro Bar & Restaurant. The space is done with plush purple sofas by the windows that look out onto the street. This chic venue serves up French-infused contemporary Asian lunches and dinners, though first the day starts with a free breakfast. Options are chosen from an a la carte menu, and there is a good selection of items that range from eggs and sausage to crepes. The hotel also has a small garden filled with potted plants and a bench on the patio to take in the quiet setting. Wi-Fi is fast and free throughout the hotel. For business guests, an attractive meeting room with conference and casual seating is available. Airport transfers can be arranged by the hotel.