AccorHotels opens first Sofitel in Myanmar

AccorHotels has opened the first Sofitel hotel in Myanmar, on the shores of Inle Lake in Shan State, overlooking the waters, mountains and rice fields.

AccorHotels now has six hotels in Myanmar, including MGallery The Lake Garden Nay Pyi Taw, Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min, Novotel Yangon Max, Ibis Styles Yangon Stadium, Mercure Yangon Kabar Aye and Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min.

Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min is located 47 km from Heho Airport, and 600 km from Yangon, which is a one-hour flight away. From the airport, guests can arrive at the resort via the resort’s land or lake transfer service.

“We are excited and proud to introduce the first Sofitel in Myanmar with the opening of Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min. As AccorHotel’s sixth hotel in Myanmar, Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min is setting a new benchmark, extending the luxury trend across Myanmar and reflecting the continued expansion of business and tourism in the region,” said Patrick Basset, Chief Operating Officer of AccorHotels, Upper Southeast and Northeast Asia.

The hotel is accessible by car, but can also be reached via motorboat for guests who wish to get a chance to see the Intha rowing experience, where boatmen adopt the well-known traditional one-legged rowing technique to row their boats on Inle Lake.

Following Inle Lake’s inscription as a World Heritage site in UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves program in 2015, Sofitel Inle Lake is likely to be one of the last new hotels built directly by the water.

The resort’s architecture and layout is evocative and respectful of traditional villages around the lake, with local accents native to the region incorporated into the decorative features of the rooms. Traditional Burmese patterns are displayed in every room, while the use of bamboo, rattan and silk allows every guest to stay connected with nature.

Clustered around verdant gardens and reflective ponds, the Field Villas are designed in warm hues with natural woven materials offset by red and orange plaid inspired by the headscarves of Pa-o women.

Closer to the water, the Marshland Villas feature canopy beds inspired by the region’s stilt houses, clothed in green woven fabrics also seen in the local Padaung women’s costumes.

Perched at the edge of the lake, the Lake Villas take inspiration from the blue checks of local men’s longyi (paso).

The hotel’s 101 rooms include 36 Luxury Rooms, 25 Junior Suites, 12 Prestige Suites, 27 Opera Suites, and 1 Imperial Suite.

Modern technology, such as high-speed internet, bluetooth speakers and IPTV provide access to contemporary comfort without interrupting the natural sense of flow. All rooms feature separate oversized soaking bathtubs and rain showers to create a serene feeling of wellbeing.