The main buildings of the Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort in Bagan
The top end of Bagan's meager hotel offerings is the Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort, located about 15 minutes from the airport, just south of the Old Bagan city walls and right on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River. The Japanese managed hotel consists of 60 rooms and 20 bungalows.
We stayed two nights in one of the bungalow rooms, which have large porches. Ours had an excellent view of the river. Inside, the rooms are simply decorated, with wood floors and furnishings. The bathroom was clean and well laid out, but nothing fancy. Room amenities include satellite TV, mini-bar and safe. The hotel also has its own power generator, and we did not experience any power outages during our stay.
View of the river from our room at the Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel in Bagan
The hotel's facilities include a large swimming pool with jacuzzi (although it was too cold for us to try either of them), spa, bar, restaurant and large souvenir shop. The hotel also has bicycles for rent (US$5 per day) for those wanting to explore Bagan on their own. The restaurant serves a mix of Burmese, Asian and western food. During the dry and cool seasons, dinner is usually served outdoors on the large wooden deck.
You can find the best rates for the Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort using HotelsCombined.