The First Hotel

The Pathein River view from outside the hotel was beautiful and calm, and I took photos to share. We also liked the free Wi-Fi, buffet breakfast, and reasonably priced dinner. The pickled tea and bitter tea welcome was lovely on both visits. On our second stay in January 2025, I came with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Before booking, I’d read about mosquitoes and ants, so I asked the staff about them when reserving two rooms. They said they’d help if anything came up. I also checked whether breakfast included brewed coffee, since my mother-in-law has diabetes. They told me we could have coffee and tea and mix them as we liked, though the rooms only had instant coffee. The rooms and bathrooms felt old and weren’t very clean this time. Maybe there aren’t enough cleaning staff because of the current situation in the country. The price is still fair compared with other hotels, and breakfast was quite good, but the loud lizards kept us from sleeping well. The breakfast coffee was another letdown. That morning they served only tea, and staff said coffee and tea were offered on different days. We usually like coffee with breakfast, so this didn’t work for us. After we bought coffee outside and told the receptionist, they made some for us in our rooms, but we weren’t satisfied with that arrangement. I also got the impression the kitchen and reception weren’t communicating well. For a simple, fairly priced stay, it’s okay if you don’t mind older rooms and some small issues. If you want rooms that are very clean and new, you may be better off elsewhere. On my first visit, I found the hotel very agreeable, especially the welcome with Myanmar pickled tea and bitter tea, and I’d happily come back for more pickled tea.