Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort

Positioned where Mandalay Hill meets the plain, the resort looks straight across at the Royal Palace and the moat ringing it. Pagodas dot the slope behind the property, visible from many of the 208 rooms and suites, along with views over the Irrawaddy River and the city below. Each room carries air conditioning, a mini bar, safe and a bath or shower alongside complimentary Wi-Fi. It is a substantial stay, spread over grounds large enough to hold a pool, gym, library and spa without feeling stacked.

Five places to eat and drink cover most moods. The Pavilion Restaurant sits by the pool with a set menu and seats twenty-two. Yadanabon Cafe runs a Myanmar buffet and à la carte fine dining for up to 175 guests, while Ming's Asian Kitchen serves Myanmar, Chinese and Thai food one floor up. Kipling's Lounge does tapas and light snacks, with a live band most nights. The Kinsana Garden Theater stages cultural shows over an international buffet outdoors.

Check-in runs from 2pm, check-out at noon. Staff speak English and Chinese, and the front desk arranges airport transfers and babysitting. Mandalay lies an hour's flight from Yangon and twenty minutes from Bagan, putting some of the region's major archaeological sites within easy reach.