Staying here may mean that none (or very little) of your rent goes to the government. But I'm sure the same goes for most family-run guesthouses in Yangon, which offer better value, and more importantly, a higher standard of hygiene and service.

We booked a double room via email, but when we arrived at 4:30am, we were told that all the double rooms were full. The receptionist made us fill out the check-in forms on the spot, instead of finding us a place to sleep first. Check-in took more than half an hour.

The room was filthy. Bed sheets were stained, and the floor was dusty. The floor paper was peeling, as was the paint in the bathroom. The bathtub was rusty. We asked for our room to be cleaned while we were out sightseeing, but nothing was done. The staff also recommended a restaurant almost exclusively for expats that was expensive, bland, and terribly unoriginal.

Avoid at all costs.

At first glance the building seems a bit run down and tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Mahabandoola Road, but it is a short walk away from the Sule Pagoda.

Stayed in the double room with air conditioning (602). There were 2 individual beds with sheets, face and body towels included. They also provide a box of tissue paper as well as packets of instant coffee. There was a copy of the "Daily Bread" on the dressing table too - it is YMCA after all.

Room was clean and generally acceptable, but given price of USD30 is a bit steep. That being said, the staff were friendly and helpful and that the money goes towards helping the needy, so its acceptable. You can use the phone to make local calls from the desk for free.

Water from the shower tends to run a bit slowly that we've liked it to - makes showering slow and difficult. Water flow from tap and toilet bowl are fine.

Provided breakfast is found in the next building on the 4th floor - we initially had difficulty getting there as the people in the next building did not speak English, but once you get to the roof level there is a table with a reasonably tasty breakfast spread. This includes 2 slices of toasted bread with a fried egg in between, served with a huge banana and a cup of coffee.

Taxi fare from the place to most places in Yangon cost 2000-2500ks (bargain if you are charged more).