Luxury Hotels/Resorts Highly Regarded ... but you were unwowed
Apr 21, 2017, 1:23 am
#46
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 110
Certain Aman properties are simply marvellous, others very less so. I suppose it depends on the GM and also the staff at the time.
As far as Amanjiwo goes - well - it was a little less than stellar during our visit. Possible this was due to there being few staying there at the time and also a problem with the room air-con. We were moved twice to try and improve it with only very partial success, gave up in the end.
Shame as IMO it's a dramatic hotel.
As far as Amanjiwo goes - well - it was a little less than stellar during our visit. Possible this was due to there being few staying there at the time and also a problem with the room air-con. We were moved twice to try and improve it with only very partial success, gave up in the end.
Shame as IMO it's a dramatic hotel.
Interesting experience at Amanjiwo. I also had an issue with aircon, and told them to just bring me a fan. Instead they upgraded us to the Dalem Jiwo suite for the remainder of our stay (the last 4 nights of a 7 night stay).
Properties I found overrated: Mandarin Oriental New York, Peninsula Tokyo
Also potentially Amandari. I found it, for lack of a better word, a bit stingy. I am being super picky here, but here goes. I'm due to post a trip report of a recent trip to Dari and Kila, but in the meantime, I found Dari to be lacking not because it was "outdated", which is the usual criticism (I actually found the villas quite nice and comparable to the other Indonesian Amans), but rather because it never really went above and beyond. First, no upgrade. Now I fully understand you should never expect something you haven't paid for, but at my last 3 Amans I was upgraded between 1-3 levels each. Granted, I was staying 7 nights at each, and just 4 at Dari, which could have played a part. But given that 2 of the 4 nights we were there there were literally 2-3 other people at dinner or the bar the entire evening, it could not have been anywhere close to full. Second, no champagne on arrival (though Kila didn't do this either, but was so good in every other way I didn't mind). Third, service, whilst very, very good, felt a little like "we've been doing it this way for 25 years and we don't intend to change anything". Fine, but if some of the newer Amans have added little things over the years it wouldn't hurt to revise a bit. Fourth, at Dari we have our first ever instance of non-stealth housekeeping--they showed up whilst we were in the villa, saw us there, still asked to come in, and then had 3 people cleaning whilst I was in the shower (my partner let them in, not knowing any better). Fifth, never met the GM, and was never told whether he was off property or just not into meeting people.
Now on the positive side, I did get food poisoning my first night there (likely from the Cathay Pacific plane ride), and for the rest of the trip literally everyone was constantly checking in to make sure I felt better. So that was fantastic. It just felt like Dari was a step below Pulo, Jiwo, and.....
Kila. That's what really killed the Dari experience. We left Dari to do 6 nights at Kila and it was, honestly, perfect. Blew away even my best expectations. Upgrade on arrival, but still no champagne (which was odd because Pulo, Jiwo, and most other places do that). But really, it was Ernst and Shane who took it to the next level. They were ever-present and so friendly that it really took it to the next level. One night at dinner Ernst sat down with us and we chatted for 30 minutes over drinks. Then spoke with him at least 3 other times during our 6 nights. Spoke to Shane every single night at dinner, and usually at other times during the day as well. The entire experience was just perfect.
So following Dari with Kila is what made me put Dari on this list.
Last edited by nmuva98; Apr 23, 2017 at 12:08 am
Apr 21, 2017, 1:30 am
#47
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,221
A longer stay of ... three nights? Especially at a resort property, the shortest stay I would contemplate is four nights. And usually stay five and often six or seven nights.
I begin to think I holiday differently than many.
I begin to think I holiday differently than many.
Apr 21, 2017, 1:38 am
#48
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Enroute to ? & likely flying in ' A ':)
Programs: TPPS, UA, EK ...; Marriott BONVOY , HH, GP, GC..
Posts: 4,217
I value Aman because of the service. And many aspects of that are only noticeable on longer stays, i.e. 3+ nights. I have quite a few friends who have tried Amans and not been impressed at all, then I find out they only stayed for 1 night. So their entire focus was on hard product, and they never really had a chance to see the true level of service on offer (e.g. stealth housekeeping is irrelevant is you only stay 1 night, amongst many other examples).
Interesting experience at Amanjiwo. I also had an issue with aircon, and told them to just bring me a fan. Instead they upgraded us to the Dalem Jiwo suite for the remainder of our stay (the last 4 nights of a 7 night stay).
Properties I found overrated: Mandarin Oriental New York, Peninsula Tokyo
Interesting experience at Amanjiwo. I also had an issue with aircon, and told them to just bring me a fan. Instead they upgraded us to the Dalem Jiwo suite for the remainder of our stay (the last 4 nights of a 7 night stay).
Properties I found overrated: Mandarin Oriental New York, Peninsula Tokyo
Some hilarious service situations across Amans , due to language . So cannot fault them . I was instead chided by family for speaking too fast ..
MONY was a real disappointment the first time except for the views from my room / suite . Service was somewhat better though still patchy last year . Some staff really went out of their way , think Aman , when they realized I was under the weather . Copious amounts of honey , lemon slices , pots of hot water refills - complimentary ..
Not to mention chicken soup offered - not complimentary
.
Apr 21, 2017, 2:21 am
#49
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
--
The Peninsula Tokyo certainly is at the bottom of my list. It opened well, but for a long time I have had zero interest in this property. I am a huge fan of Peninsula hotels - just not this one.
Apr 21, 2017, 2:47 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,068
I value Aman because of the service. And many aspects of that are only noticeable on longer stays, i.e. 3+ nights. I have quite a few friends who have tried Amans and not been impressed at all, then I find out they only stayed for 1 night. So their entire focus was on hard product, and they never really had a chance to see the true level of service on offer (e.g. stealth housekeeping is irrelevant is you only stay 1 night, amongst many other examples).
Interesting experience at Amanjiwo. I also had an issue with aircon, and told them to just bring me a fan. Instead they upgraded us to the Dalem Jiwo suite for the remainder of our stay (the last 4 nights of a 7 night stay).
Properties I found overrated: Mandarin Oriental New York, Peninsula Tokyo
Also potentially Amandari. I found it, for lack of a better word, a bit stingy. I am being super picky here, but here goes. I'm due to post a trip report of a recent trip to Dari and Kila, but in the meantime, I found Dari to be lacking not because it was "outdated", which is the usual criticism (I actually found the villas quite nice and comparable to the other Indonesian Amans), but rather because it never really went above and beyond. First, no upgrade. Now I fully understand you should never expect something you haven't paid for, but at my last 3 Amans I was upgraded between 1-3 levels each. Granted, I was staying 7 nights at each, and just 4 at Dari, which could have played a part. But given that 2 of the 4 nights we were there there were literally 2-3 other people at dinner or the bar the entire evening, it could not have been anywhere close to full. Second, no champagne on arrival (though Kila didn't do this either, but was so good in every other way I didn't find). Third, service, whilst very, very good, felt a little like "we've been doing it this way for 25 years and we don't intend to change anything". Fine, but if some of the newer Amans have added little things over the years it wouldn't hurt to revise a bit. Fourth, at Dari we have our first ever instance of non-stealth housekeeping--they showed up whilst we were in the villa, say us there, still asked to come in, and then had 3 people cleaning whilst I was in the shower (my partner let them in, not knowing any better). Fifth, never met the GM, and was never told whether he was off property or just not into meeting people.
Now on the positive side, I did get food poisoning my first night there (likely from the Cathay Pacific plane ride), and for the rest of the trip literally everyone was constantly checking in to make sure I felt better. So that was fantastic. It just felt like Dari was a step below Pulo, Jiwo, and.....
Kila. That's what really killed the Dari experience. We left Dari to do 6 nights at Kila and it was, honestly, perfect. Blew away even my best expectations. Upgrade on arrival, but still no champagne (which was odd because Pulo, Jiwo, and most other places do that). But really, it was Ernst and Shane who took it to the next level. They were ever-present and so friendly that it really took it to the next level. One night at dinner Ernst sat down with us and we chatted for 30 minutes over drinks. Then spoke with him at least 3 other times during our 6 nights. Spoke to Shane every single night at dinner, and usually at other times during the day as well. The entire experience was just perfect.
So following Dari with Kila is what made me put Dari on this list.
Interesting experience at Amanjiwo. I also had an issue with aircon, and told them to just bring me a fan. Instead they upgraded us to the Dalem Jiwo suite for the remainder of our stay (the last 4 nights of a 7 night stay).
Properties I found overrated: Mandarin Oriental New York, Peninsula Tokyo
Also potentially Amandari. I found it, for lack of a better word, a bit stingy. I am being super picky here, but here goes. I'm due to post a trip report of a recent trip to Dari and Kila, but in the meantime, I found Dari to be lacking not because it was "outdated", which is the usual criticism (I actually found the villas quite nice and comparable to the other Indonesian Amans), but rather because it never really went above and beyond. First, no upgrade. Now I fully understand you should never expect something you haven't paid for, but at my last 3 Amans I was upgraded between 1-3 levels each. Granted, I was staying 7 nights at each, and just 4 at Dari, which could have played a part. But given that 2 of the 4 nights we were there there were literally 2-3 other people at dinner or the bar the entire evening, it could not have been anywhere close to full. Second, no champagne on arrival (though Kila didn't do this either, but was so good in every other way I didn't find). Third, service, whilst very, very good, felt a little like "we've been doing it this way for 25 years and we don't intend to change anything". Fine, but if some of the newer Amans have added little things over the years it wouldn't hurt to revise a bit. Fourth, at Dari we have our first ever instance of non-stealth housekeeping--they showed up whilst we were in the villa, say us there, still asked to come in, and then had 3 people cleaning whilst I was in the shower (my partner let them in, not knowing any better). Fifth, never met the GM, and was never told whether he was off property or just not into meeting people.
Now on the positive side, I did get food poisoning my first night there (likely from the Cathay Pacific plane ride), and for the rest of the trip literally everyone was constantly checking in to make sure I felt better. So that was fantastic. It just felt like Dari was a step below Pulo, Jiwo, and.....
Kila. That's what really killed the Dari experience. We left Dari to do 6 nights at Kila and it was, honestly, perfect. Blew away even my best expectations. Upgrade on arrival, but still no champagne (which was odd because Pulo, Jiwo, and most other places do that). But really, it was Ernst and Shane who took it to the next level. They were ever-present and so friendly that it really took it to the next level. One night at dinner Ernst sat down with us and we chatted for 30 minutes over drinks. Then spoke with him at least 3 other times during our 6 nights. Spoke to Shane every single night at dinner, and usually at other times during the day as well. The entire experience was just perfect.
So following Dari with Kila is what made me put Dari on this list.
Apr 21, 2017, 3:09 am
#51
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,843
I had a similar bad experience to that of Obscure2k at FS Hualalai.
Also was depressed by the Savoy in London, but not just the room itself -- I didn't have a river front view because probably 90% of the rooms in this hotel have no view at all. But also the in-house fish restaurant I tried was abysmal and the front desk staff was incredibly uppity.
Also was depressed by the Savoy in London, but not just the room itself -- I didn't have a river front view because probably 90% of the rooms in this hotel have no view at all. But also the in-house fish restaurant I tried was abysmal and the front desk staff was incredibly uppity.
Apr 21, 2017, 4:10 am
#52
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Virtuoso | Four Seasons Preferred Partner | Rosewood Elite | Hyatt Prive - and more
Posts: 2,096
Shane is absolutely wonderful. As I've said in my trip report, he was actually acting resort manager as I was there in between Sandra/Claudia - I do think he'd make an absolutely amazing GM somewhere. Wonder if it's something he wishes to go in for.
Apr 21, 2017, 9:47 am
#54
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Here, there … you know how it goes.
Posts: 1,518
We enjoy traveling in all styles - luxury to camping, settling in for weeks to day-to-day road trips, and everything in between.
In terms of the topic at hand (though some of these being "highly regarded" may be debatable):
FS Beverly Wilshire,
Amanoi (most likely due to being too close to opening),
FS Maui,
Nearly every hotel in NYC (haven't tried some of the newer openings, e.g. FS Downtown),
The Grand in Stockholm
I'm sure I'm forgetting several others
Apr 21, 2017, 9:57 am
#55
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,598
Apr 21, 2017, 10:14 am
#56
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
I think StR New York is a very nice hotel. Definitely one of the best options for a traditional, old world hotel in New York.
Of course, everything is subjective when it comes to hotels. And a very good or very bad experience on a first stay often leaves a lasting impression.
Apr 21, 2017, 10:31 am
#57
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: England
Posts: 1,361
I'm also not a fan of Amankila and did not have a memorable experience during our stay over New Years Eve 2013, with the exception of a gardener starring at my girlfriend as she had a bath. Aman receives a lot of attention on this forums, and without wanting to turn this into another Aman thread, I'll just say this about them.
Would return
Amanzoe (x 4 - 5th visit end of May)
Amanpulo (x 2)
Amanoi
Aman-i-Khas
Amanbagh
Amanjiwo
Would consider
Aman Venice
Aman Tokyo
Would not return
Amanruya
Amangiri
Amandari
Amankila
Amansara
Would return
Amanzoe (x 4 - 5th visit end of May)
Amanpulo (x 2)
Amanoi
Aman-i-Khas
Amanbagh
Amanjiwo
Would consider
Aman Venice
Aman Tokyo
Would not return
Amanruya
Amangiri
Amandari
Amankila
Amansara
Apr 21, 2017, 11:27 am
#58
formerly known as deathscar
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Virtuoso | Four Seasons Preferred Partner | Rosewood Elite | Hyatt Prive - and more
Posts: 2,096
Are you discounting the location itself from that I presume?
For example, I'd return to both Aman-i-Khas and Amansara, but I see no reason to go to Ranthambore or Siem Reap again in the near (or very far) future.
Conversely, Amanbagh (from my experience) wouldn't be the first Aman I return to, but its location means I'm more likely to revisit it at some point.
For example, I'd return to both Aman-i-Khas and Amansara, but I see no reason to go to Ranthambore or Siem Reap again in the near (or very far) future.
Conversely, Amanbagh (from my experience) wouldn't be the first Aman I return to, but its location means I'm more likely to revisit it at some point.
Apr 21, 2017, 11:44 am
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
many mentioned here (not aman) vary a lot by when
reports here of FS hualalai overcrowding started dec 2011
kila has aman veteran GM again, dari/wana GMs external
aman and other small have potential, but vary by staff
variation is worth it, some here avoid chain including FS
hopefully shane, joy, etc become GMs vs external
aman changed hands again in early 2014, prior was 2007
(and many similar corporate sales, on top of hotel sales)
reports here of FS hualalai overcrowding started dec 2011
kila has aman veteran GM again, dari/wana GMs external
aman and other small have potential, but vary by staff
variation is worth it, some here avoid chain including FS
hopefully shane, joy, etc become GMs vs external
aman changed hands again in early 2014, prior was 2007
(and many similar corporate sales, on top of hotel sales)
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Apr 21, 2017 at 1:35 pm
