Amanzoe

Amanzoe was an extraordinary experience in almost all regards. Having been to Amanruya last year, we were a bit apprehensive that the resort (location, not design) would be very similar. It isn't. One thing that the various pictures and videos did not give me a feel for is how much this resort has a hill-top feel. This is completely different than Amanruya. Also, the countryside looks completely different (in a good way). Amanzoe is further away from the water than Amanruya is, but the beauty of the Greek countryside (and not just the water) more than made up for that. Having said this, if you are going to Greece to stay at a resort that is close to the water, Amanzoe may not be for you.

Unfortunately, our stay here started off on a bit of a sour note. We had arranged for Amanzoe to transport us from, and then back to, the airport. This transportation option is not cheap, so our expectations were high. It was clear when we met the driver at the airport that this service had been sub contracted out by Aman. The driver was not at all friendly, there was no real greeting to speak of (and certainly no towels or water or snacks in the car) and worst of all, the car reeked of cigarette smoke. It was really, nauseatingly bad. At some point after our arrival we discussed the situation with the resort manager and were assured that the trip back would be by an Aman driver and car (and it was). Also, the charge for the trip from the airport was removed from the bill without having to ask. I think this was very classy of them.

We were in villa #11, which is a ‘corner’ unit and had some extra outdoor space. This was one of the villas with the larger pool and a valley view. I have to say that I did not miss the ocean view at all and the views of the valley were absolutely spectacular – so, no problems there. Do be aware that if you are going to book a villa in the ‘valley’ view wing, villas with lower numbers can be overlooked by someone in the gym/yoga/children’s pool area. I would not accept a villa with a number lower than about 8 if you want a guarantee of privacy in the pool.

The villa itself was amazingly well done and masterfully designed (well, mostly). It’s clear that the highest level of materials and workmanship were used. I actually went around looking for places where corners were cut (since these are almost always evident, even at Amans) but found nothing here. I really loved the layout of the living/sleeping areas, given that the lower ceilings in the bedroom imparted a more ‘cozy’ feel and the higher ceilings of the living area really added to the sense of space. There were a number of very thoughtful touches throughout – for example, the sliding wood blinds in the bedroom were backed by screens, so you could open the glass doors completely, close the sliding blinds and not have to worry about bugs getting in. We did this at night and it was quite lovely to get a nice breeze. The villa is light and bright with floor to ceiling glass everywhere. The outdoor area was also fantastic, with plenty of shaded seating as well as two chaises which could be adjusted to get sun. Villa 11 also had an outdoor dining table as well, but only the corner units have that. The pool was lovely, but I had a couple of nits about it – it was a bit too narrow for my taste and it just was not deep enough (I believe the pool started at around two feet deep and only went to three feet at the ‘deep’ end). We had asked for the temperature to be changed in the pool several times and this was always done almost immediately (although it took a while for the change to take effect, of course). Outside, I really loved the use of rosemary and lavender (and so did my nose

Mini bars in the villa are complimentary and well stocked.

My one complaint about the villa was the bathroom. From a design and usability perspective, I think it was a mess. First off, having two separate ‘bathrooms’ (not really full bathrooms, just a toilet and sink) did not feel luxurious to me – it felt superfluous. My partner and I have long ago figured out how to ‘navigate’ only having one toilet while on vacation (and I’ve a hunch that most couples and families have as well). And the fact that there needed to be two separate toilet rooms (each with an adjoining closet) meant that the space was needlessly cut up (and both closets were very small). The shower is, visually, quite nice. I like that the glass ceiling makes one feel like one is outside even when inside. And there were two separate shower heads on either side of the shower. Unfortunately, the water pressure was very weak and the water never really got very hot. The tub was small and took a good 30 minutes to fill (and again, warm, not hot water), but the biggest negative for me was the stairs that go down to the sunken shower area and stairs that go back up to the ‘second’ bathroom area. This really impeded the flow and even worse, became a real hazard when the marble on the floor was wet (from the shower). I fell and nearly knocked myself out on the wet floor (yes, I was sober). I imagine this would also be a hazard for children. I realize all of this is nitpicking and in the big picture the design flaws of the bathroom did not detract from the experience – they just seem so glaring given that the rest of the villa was designed so, well, perfectly.

Service at the resort (except for the pick up) was very nearly perfect. I enjoyed the service at Amanruya last year, but service here was at another level entirely. I can honestly say it was among the best we have ever experienced. The level of English language skills was excellent (much better than at Amanruya) and the staff really seem to have very quickly mastered the art of knowing when to engage and when to allow some distance. We found everyone, from Henry and Char (especially Char who was just wonderful) Gray, Poppy (resort manager) and pretty much all of the staff to be warm and welcoming yet at the same time very efficient. All of staff (with the exception of some management) is Greek. Char was telling us how easy it was to recruit at Amanzoe and how doing so at Amanruya has been an ongoing nightmare. There were no real service slip ups that I can recall (even minor ones): we were always greeted by name, housekeeping was always in to ‘freshen up’ when we left the villa, everyone was always smiling and willing to chat if we wanted to. We always felt welcomed like friends and treated like royalty – and really, isn't that what we all want from Aman service?

One afternoon we had gone to Hydra and did not return until later in the evening (by choice, we were having fun). Char, who had by this time become used to our schedule (we usually eat and retire early) became very concerned that we were not back for our usual (early) dinner. When we saw her later that night, her obvious relief that we were OK was evident. This is indicative of the type of caring attention that we experienced during our time at the resort. In this case, her response did not seem overbearing or affected, but just genuinely concerned (and then happy that we were OK).

We did have a minor issue related to dining. We have some dining requirements (we try to eat vegetarian, but will eat fish/seafood occasionally) and I neglected to mention this prior to our arrival. As we sat down to dinner for the first night, we noticed that the menu was very limited and there were really no veggie options available outside of appetizers. At the time we were chatting with Char and mentioned this. She brought the chef over and we discussed it with him. He told us he would prepare a special veggie menu for us for the following night that we could use as a basis for the rest of our time there. Unfortunately, this menu never was presented (and we asked) and dining off menu didn’t really work very well. They never seemed to fully understand what we were looking for. Maybe this was a communication issue (although I doubt it since everyone spoke excellent English). Having said that, the food was excellent and well prepared and we were able to take the two veggie options on the menu and add and subtract ingredients to/from them to come up with some decent dishes. We also tried to get them to bring over the lunch menus from the beach club and lunch restaurant (since these had more vegetarian options on them), but they were never able to do this. So, all in all, I think dining (the logistics, not the quality and taste of the food) is something that still needs a bit of working on.

The resort has an excellent (and well provisioned) gym, yoga area with wonderful views and a fantastic spa. In the past, I have not been crazy about the spas (both in terms of design and treatments) at some Aman resorts, but this one is spectacular. The spa rooms and facilities are both top notch and my treatment was one of the (if not the) best I have ever had at any resort, anywhere. If I were to nitpick here, it would be to mention that there is really no ‘after treatment’ relaxation area.

The main pool area is lovely and, unlike Amanruya, I did not feel like it was ‘squeezed in’ to the space. There was plenty of space around the pool and, while it was next to the lunch restaurant, I did not feel like it was too close. The only complaint I have here is that there is no real view from the main pool, which seems odd considering the view from the kiddie pool, which is just a little ways from the main pool, is SPECTACULAR – probably the best views of the whole resort. Why they didn't just switch the two is beyond me.

The beach club is very nice – clean, wonderful (and in May, COLD) water and a nice, albeit man made beach. I was not a big fan of the two pools here, since the concrete ‘lip’ around them is so high that one cannot see anything but concrete when one is in the pool. They have designated one pool as adult/quiet and one as family, but given that they are right next to each other, I’m not sure how that will play out during the high season. Getting to the beach club is a 10-15 minute drive from the resort. I do not think one would want to walk or bike the distance. Service at the beach club was excellent, with someone right there to set up chairs, constant refills of water and, when we ordered lunch, it was served quickly and was excellent. There is a small (outdoor) dining area here as well.

As is typical for Aman, there are many places set up for relaxing around the common areas of the resort. I was surprised at how many ‘cold weather’ features the resort had (fireplaces, heating lamps). I would think this place would be very pleasant in the cooler months (assuming there was little rain).

I found the overall design of the resort to be pleasing. The location is certainly spectacular (much more than the pictures would have one believe). I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the light, airy interior spaces with the more classical Greek design elements. Having said this, I think in a couple of cases, the Greek elements are a bit overused (for my taste). I think the use of pillars was a bit overdone and the amphitheater just seems to be there for the sake of being there.

So, overall, we had an excellent time. I would say this is my best Aman experience, and one of my best overall resort experiences. Although I have highlighted some negatives in addition to the positives, the former pale in comparison to the latter. Go. I think you will be glad you did.