Red Dragon Hotel Hsipaw

The beds were very comfortable, and the location beside Mr. Bike is extremely convenient. Breakfast was tasty and filling, and the price is hard to beat. Still, there are several things that need work. I stayed three nights in November 2019, but WiFi worked only on one of them, and the AC only worked on two. The shower swung between scalding and freezing, and the room lights were harsh and shone directly into your eyes when you were lying down. You also have to pay to refill a water bottle. It isn’t much, but it’s annoying and should be free. When I asked about late checkout, one receptionist said it was fine, then another called the next day to say I’d have to pay extra. I wouldn’t have minded paying, but I was given conflicting answers. It’s not a bad place to stay, though there’s plenty of room to improve.

The staff made our stay at the Red Dragon hotel especially memorable. After I had a minor crash on one of the hotel motorbikes, a local shopkeeper called them and a staff member came straight over to help. The bike had some scrapes and knocks and was leaking oil, so I worried the repair might cost a lot. Instead, the woman from the hotel nudged a couple of things back into place, dusted it off, and said it was fine. She was much more concerned about me, cleaned me up with the first aid kit when we got back, charged nothing for the bike, and checked on me that evening and the next morning. They’d already been so kind when they picked us up from the night bus at 5am and let us check in early for free so we could sleep more. The simple rooms were clean and good value, with comfortable beds and optional AC that worked perfectly. Breakfast was included, simple but tasty: rice or noodles with a fried egg, toast, fruit, and unlimited tea. I’d highly recommend staying here in Hsipaw.

The hotel is tucked down a quiet alley about 15m from the main road, where there are plenty of restaurants and beer places. The rooftop is lovely for breakfast, with a beautiful view, and you can relax there at other times overlooking the river. Our room was huge and clean, and the shower had the best water pressure I found in Myanmar. Everyone was friendly, and if you arrive by train, staff will meet you as you get off and take you to the hotel for free. Really recommend it :)

That terrace overlooking the river is lovely, and there was a young man working there who was so friendly and genuinely nice. But the budget rooms were a bad choice for us. Maybe we were unlucky, but bed bugs kept us from sleeping, and we had to clean all our things afterward. The rooms didn’t seem very clean in general, and the beds didn’t feel hygienic. WiFi was almost nonexistent. Breakfast was below average too, with too much food and not much flavor.