Sanctum Inle Resort, the first upscale hotel to come on line in one of Myanmar’s most compelling tourist destinations will officially debut October 1 with its grand opening on the shores of Inle Lake. Traditional dancers and musicians from the Shan, Intha and Pao tribes will gather to mark the grand opening and celebrate a sunset barbecue buffet dinner with cocktails and candles floating around the resort’s jetty. The event will also include a fashion show of recycled garments, fireworks display on the lake, and DJ spinning the decks at the resort’s Cloister Bar. An Olympic-sized saltwater swimming pool overlooking the lake, the 150 square meter presidential Sanctuary Suite and a Shan and international cuisine restaurant, The Refectory, are among the new features to be unveiled as part of the Brigitte Dumont de Chassart-designed resort’s grand opening. “In a region long closed off to the wider world, we’re opening the doors on an experience of accommodation that celebrates removal and contemplation,” said Philippe Arnaud, the resort’s general manager. At 120 square kilometers and 800 meters above sea level, Inle Lake is renowned for its stilted wooden homes, floating vegetable gardens and fishermen with their singular, one-legged rowing style. The resort offers four room categories, including a pair of suites with full vistas of the lake, and a window on some of Asia’s most remarkable markets, pagodas and stupas. The Chapter House is a quiet venue with books and board games that can be transformed into a meeting space. Totaling 170 square meters, Sanctuary Spa is home to five treatment rooms and offers a multitude of therapies including its signature Tamarind Scrub with tamarind harvested from the property. Opening room rates start at MMK 334,470 ++ [USD 284 ++] per night.
