A personal opinion based upon a 2 night stay, November 2012. The Governor’s Residence is a beautifully restored teak building outside of the centre of Rangoon. It is a delightful hotel, managed by the Orient Express group and has a resort style bias featuring an extremely appealing pool.

There are 3 room types – suites, deluxe rooms and governor’s rooms. We had a deluxe garden room which was beautifully appointed and decorated, with a full range of amenities a beautifully laid out bathroom, separate sitting area with excellent furnishings and a huge king-sized bed – the room could not be faulted and nor, indeed, could any physical or service aspect of this hotel.

The pool area was well laid out with a decking pool surround and beautifully arranged loungers and sun shades. The loungers were made particularly attractive by the way they were laid out with towels, Vietnamese style hats and even hand fans! The bar and pool service was excellent and attentive – the only drawback was the number of insects, although the hotel regularly sprayed the foliage in the gardens.

The hotel reception, restaurant area and bars were basically outdoor and therefore not air conditioned, although there was both a small indoor bar and a dining area where the benefit of air conditioning was a real bonus. The Mandalay restaurant served very good food and the Kipling bar is a great experience for a relaxing cocktail. Service was excellent throughout, with very attentive staff and high quality amenities in all areas.

Whilst on a small plot, the hotel manages to give the impression of space and even provides spa treatments in your own room, has a boutique/gift shop, can arrange tours and trips and has a business centre (air conditioned with good internet access).

We are glad that we stayed at this hotel as it was a relaxing experience following our travels to Mandalay and Bagan. We would probably not return, however, despite it being an excellent hotel as its location, away from the centre of Rangoon, was inconvenient for eating out in the evening or indeed travelling to the old town during the heat of the day.

This is a personal opinion only

For a report on the whole trip please see http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/myanmar-burma-t154341.html#p1594958