BESVISOR

I asked myself the same question when booking my visit in July...decided to go with 4. For my personal taste (at any property), 3 feels incomplete, 5 is slightly too long, fortunately, there's just one number in-between the two

Really looking forward to it!

MattEvan

Thanks for the quick reply! Now the only decision is whether to go for the full-board "Hideaway" package (with one daily activity), or to leverage the free fourth night on the "Undiscovered Indochina" package and pay for all meals and activities? What'd you go with?

deer

We had fun for 7 nights, as there is a lot to discover on the grounds and through great excursions.
Also we enjoyed the package, since we did not have to think about money at all through that.

MattEvan

Does the Pool Pavilion category still exist at 'Noi?

surftb15

Why don't you just go on the website to find out?

deer

There are some changes happening in the Amanoi Room terminology:

1. Yes, there are still the fantastic Pool Pavillions, they are luckily not demolished.
But they are now called "Pool Villa".

2. The Non-Pool-Pavillions, although same building size as Pool Villas, they are still called "Pavillion".

3. Whereas the things formerly called Villas are now called "Residences".

4. Mid-January two new kinds of room are opened: "Spa Houses", one at the shores of the Lotus Pond, one nearby with views to the mountains. Both with their own pool, treatment room, Hammam, Steam Rooms, Yacuzzi.
http://www.destinasian.com/blog/news...ces-at-amanoi/
https://www.aman.com/resorts/amanoi/spa-houses

MattEvan

Thank you deer! Super helpful.

chinmoylad

I wonder if this change in terminology is going to be global for Aman, specifically Amanpulo, Amanpuri, Amanusa - previously Aman has always shied away from using the word 'villa', except to mean a residence with private chef, butler, pool etc.

Whereas the term 'villa' has been far more liberally used by other resorts to mean anything stand-alone/spacious, where the term 'residence' is more often preferred for what Aman refers to as villas.

You'd be surprised at how much potential business Aman has lost due to this strict terminology.

FlyerEC

Au revoir Sean , congratulations on your promotion !

See you in Galla / Wella soon

Glad Joy is still around though .

Welcome to N'oi , Nicolas P - a new to Aman GM

Think was GM at Hanging Gardens in Ubud when still under Belmond

Kagehitokiri

agents/clients dont look? not looking always seems odd to me, but oh well.

agents have probably lost revenue if they booked less expensive elsewhere.

Nicolas P? where are they coming from?

curious whether joy would've been interested

chinmoylad

Trying to plan an April/May trip there and was hoping Sean would be around!

chinmoylad

Without wishing to stereotype too much, I've had a few (typically local Hong Kongers, younger crowd) who've opted for somewhere else (despite me trying to convince them otherwise) because they're stuck on the word 'villa'.

This isn't specific to Phuket either - it's primarily a Southeast Asia thing, because explosion of tourism over last couple of decades has created a ton of competition, particularly Bali and Phuket.

E.g. - Amanusa/Amandari's rooms are called suites/pool suites, whereas Four Season's rooms are called villas, when realistically, it's just a term that's being used and in terms of room operations has no discernible difference.

Same happens in Phuket.

While other factors may come into play (pricing, location etc), this (the terminology) was also a big factor.

Less of an issue somewhere like Vietnam where there isn't as much competition.

Londonjetsetter

I will be at Amanwella and Amangalla early March

FlyerEC

Well , Sean should be in Sri Lanka by then ..
He says that we should give him a bit of time before descending on him
Hopefully , April will be good .

Trying to sort Aman stays / visits as usual

vuittonsofstyle

Nicolas Pillet's latest job was running operations for the Eastern & Oriental Express, out of Bangkok.