The Serenity Inle Resort

The first word that comes to mind is pretentious. Given the rates in this region, I paid more than the hotel delivered. Management and staff seemed poorly trained. Each room has an unmarked switch you have to turn on for hot water, and I ended up taking two cold showers. Other guests had the same experience while I was there. There was just one small bottle of drinking water per guest. The hotel wants guests to refill their own bottles for ecological reasons, but the rooms are spread across a large property. I was in the building with the exercise room, and the nearest refill point or replacement bottle was almost 400 metres away. I also asked for bell service, waited about 20 minutes, then started carrying my four bags the 450 metres to the boats. Only then did I discover the bellhop quietly standing out of sight in the garden, just outside my door, as though I should have known he was there. Poor training! The garden and views are beautiful, and it’s a peaceful location. The food was good. But the walking areas need a lot of repairs, with nail heads sticking up everywhere, so watch your step. The rooms were clean but needed repairs too. Bright LED lights on surge protectors make the rooms far from dark at night, so bring an eye mask. The standard rooms have bare white walls, with no paintings, art, or other details to make them feel inviting. I won’t return.

The breakfast was fabulous, especially the freshly made omelets and Shan noodles. There’s no town nearby, but a seven-minute walk outside the resort takes you to the one restaurant option. It was authentic, affordable, and fabulous, so you don’t have to eat at the expensive resort every day. Such a beautiful, quiet place to stay. A little slice of heaven, highly recommended.

The view is amazing, and the staff are friendly. The bar and restaurant are pretty good and not that expensive for this kind of hotel. Getting around is a downside because the hotel is far from everything. You rely on the hotel for taxis or boats, since there are no scooters. They do have free bicycles, but they’re old and rusty. The hotel itself also feels old and poorly maintained. A fresh coat of paint would help.

The overwater bungalows felt like a dream, and our stay was really romantic. We had a great time at the pool and booked a private boat trip for the day through the resort, which I’d highly recommend. We ate at the restaurant every day and enjoyed every meal. We had such an excellent stay, it really felt like the perfect place to stay at Inle Lake!