Thousand Island Hotel Inle Lake
by the TopOfHotel team
Thousand Island is the in-town pick with the best location of all — right at the boat dock, plus a rooftop bar for the sunset.
Thousand Island is the in-town pick with the best location of all — right at the boat dock, plus a rooftop bar for the sunset.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Rooms are spacious — high ceilings, wood floors and king beds, with large bathrooms that include an in-room bathtub, a rarity in the mid-range Inle group. Some rooms have a private balcony facing the river, looking out over the moored boats and the mountains. Reviews praise the cold air-con and stable Wi-Fi. The River View rooms are the popular pick, but they catch boat noise from early morning.
Food and amenities
The feature that sets this place apart is the rooftop bar — it looks over Nyaungshwe town with the lake in the distance, and it's at its best at sunset. Reviews note it draws travelers from other hotels too. The buffet breakfast is included and reviews praise the quality, and the front-desk staff will arrange boat tours and an airport car.
Location and getting there
It sits right next to the boat dock for the lake, in the centre of Nyaungshwe — walk out of the lobby and onto a boat for a lake tour. Mingala Market and the good restaurants are a 5-to-10-minute walk. From Heho airport it's a 45-minute drive, about 35 km out.
Things to know before booking
The riverside rooms get boat noise from early morning — ask for earplugs at check-in, or pick a City View room instead if you sleep lightly. Those high-scoring riverside rooms also book out far ahead during the November-to-February high season. And parts of the rooftop bar lack a low wall, so watch small children up there.
Our take
This one is for couples and travelers who want lake trips to be as easy as possible — open your door and walk to the boats, with a rooftop bar and good rooms to come back to. The hotel was formerly part of the Best Western chain. It scores 9.1/10 on Agoda and 8.7/10 on Booking.com, with rates from around $54 a night. Choose a City View room if you're a light sleeper.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Best location in town — you can walk straight from your room to the boats for a lake tour, with no taxi or trek to the water first.
- The rooftop bar looks over Nyaungshwe town and the lake, and it's at its best at sunset. Reviews note guests from other hotels come up for it too.
- Rooms are spacious and come with in-room bathtubs — genuinely hard to find in the mid-range Inle group.
- Staff are friendly; one review notes a staff member named Thiha once took guests to a water festival for free.
- Buffet breakfast is included and reviews praise the quality, and the front desk arranges boat tours and the airport car.
- Riverside-view rooms get boat noise from early in the morning — ask for earplugs at check-in, or book a City View room instead if you're a light sleeper.
- The high-scoring riverside rooms need to be booked far ahead during the November-to-February high season.
- Parts of the rooftop bar lack a low wall, so keep an eye on small children up there.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Insider Tips
- Head up to the rooftop bar between 5:30 and 6:30 PM — that's when the sun drops over the lake and the sky turns gold.
- Book a City View room rather than a River View one if you sleep lightly — it cuts out the early-morning boat noise.
- Sort your lake boat tour at the front desk; you can step out of the lobby straight to the boats.