Eskala Resort opened seven years ago on the popular beach of Ngwe Saung, Myanmar. Eskala quickly scooped up several awards and the team are now taking that prestige and knowledge and injecting it into their new property in Yangon, Zealax Hotel and Residence. We were lucky enough to visit just as it was opening to the public (late January 2020) and be one of the first to share a full Zealax Hotel and Residence by Eskala review.
We were hosted by Zealax Hotel and Residence but all opinions are entirely our own.
Contents
Location
Zealax Hotel nd Residence is situated along Strand Road in Alhone in the South-West of Yangon, a ten minute drive from Sule Pagoda and fifteen minutes drive from the iconic Schwedagon pagoda. The road is quite busy but you wouldn’t know it from inside the hotel. The noise is kept at bay by some wonderfully effective windows. The only time you’ll really hear it is when you are in the pool area as it is open-sided.
A Look Around Zealax, Yangon
Our Room
The colours of our room were very neutral and combined with the big space, it created a lovely, relaxing atmosphere. I think this was enhanced by the lighting choices. The main light was located in an alcove that ran around the ceiling, this meant the light was nicely diffused around the room. There were also bedside lights, spotlights in the entryway, a desk lamp and very cool reading lights, built into the bed’s headboard.
The room contained everything you’d hope for:
- Slippers and robe
- A lockable safe
- A hairdryer
- Iron and ironing board
- International plugs (love this)
- Writing desk
- TV with about 15 channels
- Tea and coffee facilities
Our room was a pagoda view room and from it, you could spy the shining gold Schwedagon Pagoda in the distance.
Zealax also offers city view and river view rooms. Facing west, I bet the river view rooms have a beautiful view of the sunset. You wouldn’t even have to leave your room for the perfect sundowner! From our room, we got a misty sunrise.
Our Bed
The bed was a great king size affair. We love a bed where we can both fling around our elbows without hitting each other! On each side, we got two pillows, one very soft and the other with a bit more bounce. Both were big enough to use alone so we both got our preference of firmness, which was nice.
Our Bathroom
The bathroom was large and spotless. I loved the lighting that came from behind the mirror. It was perfect for doing makeup. The counter was a great size but it was a shame the mirror didn’t go all the way along as it meant my make up was done over the sink.
This is undoubtedly a luxury hotel, but we were worried that the water pressure and temperature may struggle (it is still Myanmar after all), but the shower was powerful and lasted at a toasty temperature for two whole showers. The products in the shower all smelled great and we found out that they all come from Sri Lanka. Each had a distinctive, slightly spicy smell, clearly infused with lots of lovely herbs and flowers.
Dining at Zealax
All our meals were enjoyed in Zealax’s third-floor restaurant, Five Continents.
Zealax Breakfast Buffet
Breakfast is served between 07:00 – 10:00 and despite being seriously tempted to stay in our nice, warm bed, we rolled out at about 08:30 to get some food.
I was very happy with the large selection offered at breakfast. Guests from all over the world should find it easy to find something that is familiar and tasty. As ever, we wanted to try a bit of everything and so ended up with weird and wonderful buffet plates. Mr Fluskey is a British bit through and through so he enjoyed some cereal and then as close to a full English as he could get.
Everything I tasted was delicious and I particularly loved the fact I was able munch on dim sum, some very punchy curry with chapati and crunchy prawn money bags. The pastries were done to perfection, crispy and light although the jam was crazily sweet. Finally, I liked the interesting selection of juice available. It was such a nice change from orange all.the.time.
(I thought about picking up lots of food and doing a nice flat lay for this and Instagram but just couldn’t waste that much food so it is our weird little plates that will have to do).
Lunch and Dinner
We were offered the a la carts menu for both lunch and dinner. It had dishes from all over the world (no surprise when it’s the called Five Continents. We had the chance to try quite a bit of it over the two meals.
Mr Fluskey also had a very well executed fettuccini carbonara. The food was all very tasty but we had a few niggles. Temperature control seemed to be an issue. I don’t know if this was due to the chef working alone in the kitchen (we were the only diners for dinner). Karl’s fish dish was hot but most of my beef bourguignon dish was cold which was disappointing. On the other end of the spectrum, the bread was warm and smelled wonderful but the butter was freezing and nearly impossible to spread. Once that had come up to room temperature, the bread was cold. This may seem very fussy but it’s these little things that make a place five star.
Kompote
On the ground floor of Zealax Hotel is their flagship bar. Kompote is set to become a regular hangout spot of the city’s well-to-do. You will be able to order food at all hours of the day and night. That’s right, they are planning a 24-hour bar! That is the kind of after-hours spot we are always dreaming of in London!
The Rooftop
There will be a rooftop bar up on the top floor (I think it is the 22nd) but it wasn’t complete during our visit. The views of the city and the sluggish river that runs through it, are set to be pretty spectacular though. Expect a great sunset!
Infinity Bay
The pool at Zealax is an infinity pool of sorts. The pool and gym complex are on the fourth floor. The gym and spa weren’t finished but the gym room was bright and airy, and had lots of wrapped up equipment, ready to be unpacked. We have read reviews written since our stay and it seemed it was up and running just a week after we passed through. In the changing rooms were large and both the male and female sections had a sauna and steam room. They were quite small but as I had them all to myself, that didn’t bother me at all.
Just up the stairs from here is the Infinity Bay area which contains the pool, a bar and a small play area for the kids. The pool itself had a swimming section, a jacuzzi area and a small wading pool for the kids. It is heated to a comfortable temperature for swimming or to cool off on a day. It is slightly too chilly for a dip if the weather is cool. Once the bar is up and running, it will be a lovely relaxation area. Whether you are chilling on the giant bean bags or sun loungers, the constant whoosh of the infinity pool helps you forget the city outside.
View this post on Instagram
BIRTHDAY ALERT! I genuinely had to sit and think about how old I was turning today. Is that old age creeping in? Thank goodness I got to do it in such a lovely spot. A pool with a city view is always a win, and the heated Infinity Bay pool at Zealax Hotel is no exception. @eskalahotelsandresorts are such fabulous hosts that can totally relax. I may be one year older but I feel ten years younger! _________________________ #ad #ZealaxHotel #Eskala #Myanmar #Yangon #Experience #Redefined #photooftheday #travel #holiday #lifestyle #relax #MyanmarTourism #celebration #followme #bestoftheday #weekends #Saturday #InfinityBay #poolday #pooltime #hotelpool #birthdaygirl #birthdaygirl👑 #princessforaday #theluxuryasia #burma #gettingold #poolside #poolsofinstagram
Information
If you are thinking of visiting Zealax Hotel and Residence, here is some information you may like to know:
- Zealax is now open to the public so do check out the Zealax website for the latest deals. It is always fun to see a new property!
- As well as hotel rooms, the hotel can also host special events and conferences in its shiny new events space. They have two HUGE LCD screens and the main room can be cleverly divided to create breakout spaces or to host two things at once.
- The free WiFi is fast and reliable throughout the hotel (which we were very happy about).
Check out all our travels in Myanmar
Final Thoughts on Our Stay at Zealax Hotel and Residence
Despite some teeny teething problem (and we are talking seriously minor things here) we really enjoyed our stay at Zealax, Yangon. It was so lovely to laze by the pool for an afternoon, and know ht after that, our showers would be warm and powerful. It was great to know that the food would be tasty and plentiful. However, the thing that really set this hotel apart was the staff! Everyone was so friendly and eager to go above and beyond for the guests. We watched everyone at breakfast and they were giving the whole room VIP treatment. It was great to see. Plus, they had most lovely uniforms!
It was a shame we only had one night at Zealax, Yangon as we were rather enjoying the calm ambience and attention of the wonderful staff. It would be a great base for those travelling to the city for either business or pleasure and at the time of writing, the rooms are actually brilliant value! We would be more than happy to recommend Zealax Hotel and Residence and hope to return one day!
Rosie xx
