UN Staff Forced to Leave Traders Hotel as Demand Soars

2 July 2013

Skyrocketing demand for hotel rooms in Rangoon is forcing United Nations staff in the city to move out of Traders Hotel, according to a report by Bloomberg News. Around 10 percent of the UN’s 2,000 employees in Burma are still in the landmark hotel, owned by Chinese Malaysian billionaire Robert Kuok, but will have to leave next month when the current lease expires, the report said. “Prices for hotel rooms are skyrocketing in Yangon as limited supply cannot match the soaring demand,” said Aye Win, a UN spokesperson, explaining the reason for the move. Rooms at the Traders in Rangoon start at US $235 a night, compared to $122 for the company’s hotel in Hong Kong and $197 in Singapore.