Golden Dream Hotel

We only stayed because we’d just arrived from a nine-hour bus ride from Yangon and had nowhere else to go. They gave us a room at 6am, which almost earned them an extra star, but the place was far too awful for that. The sheets were covered in stains, the walls were disgusting, and the bathroom looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. The toilet wouldn’t flush either. I’ve been backpacking for four months and haven’t seen anywhere this filthy. I slept on my shawl instead of letting my skin touch the bed, and even that room was caked in dust. The dusty lobby was the first warning. If the staff spent less time talking and blasting music at 9am and more time cleaning, maybe things could improve.

The hot shower had good pressure, which is the only reason I’m giving this place two stars. It was dirty too, and set around waist height. The rooms were filthy, with stains on the walls and sheets. I didn’t even want to check the mattress. There’s no air-conditioning, the windows don’t open, and there are no curtains, so you can’t get fresh air or block the light. Noise comes through the paper-thin walls, from traffic, people at reception, and a clock that rings every hour. The alarm system beeps every fifteen seconds and will drive you mad at night. I skipped breakfast without even looking. It’s cheap and close to town, and there’s free Wi-Fi, but that’s where the good news ends. They should call it the 'Golden Nightmare'.

I didn’t stay here in the end. The room was cheap, but it wasn’t clean, the staff were horrible, and there was no hot shower. I also saw different prices being charged to foreign guests for the same room. Paying in local currency came with a really bad dollar exchange rate, too. I really can’t recommend it.

It was quiet, so I slept okay. They also found me an inexpensive motorcycle tour around town. Otherwise, this is just the bare minimum if you need a bed for one night. Bring your own toilet paper, towel, and other supplies.