We just left Amanpulo, waiting for our next flight at Manila airport.
The resort was supposedly fully booked but none of the different public venues was too busy. At 9am it even happened that we were alone for breakfast.
Priori to our arrival, Amanpulo managed everything from transfers to the reservation of a 1-night stay at the Peninsula Manila at a special rate. We stayed in a premier suite which was nice even if very generic, and a view over the pool would have been better. We stayed roughly 14 hours so it didn't bother much.
After all your advice here we still chose a tree-top pool casita (#42) and it was exactly what we expected. It offers a small pool which is a fantastic addition to standard casitas. It is very private with a view over palm trees and lush vegetation towards the East / North-East of the island. The kids club is not far away but we never heard any noise from this side. The only noise you can hear (after the natural life) is the occasional plane bringing new guests and the tennis court but usually only after 5pm when the temperature and the sun go down. For us the private pool is more valuable than the location behind the beach. Moreover we were close to the gym & Spa which was a big advantage as we went there at least once a day.
We have many positive things to say:
- refurbished casitas design is beautiful and timeless. All possible sockets have been installed, and you can even send a movie from your iPad to the TV with additional special socket built-in the bedside table. You can hang your wet swimming bath in the shower, small detail but it shows that they thought about everything. Air con is extremely efficient and absolutely silent.
- we booked the Island Package including breakfast & dinner. Value is excellent as food & beverages prices tend to be stellar even compared to previous Aman where we stayed!
- the spa rooms are beautiful and treatments were excellent, provided by very professional therapists
- gym equipment from Technogym, the view from there is terrific. I also tried two activities with their on-site trainer Elmer who is a great person, able to precisely adjust to your capabilities => cardio circuit blast and beach bootcamp; I loved both.
- snorkelling is nice but we experienced better in the Maldives and in Malaysia. The huge benefit was the turtles. We tried both a complimentary group snorkelling trip at 10am and a private trip with one of their boats (Dolphin 4). It was amazing to see such a big turtle in the sea!
Still some flaws which were surprising to me:
- we were asked our casita number several times.
- the battery of our golf cart run out of power twice (solar panels are not powerful enough) and we had to inform the staff and request an exchange. They shall have noticed the low battery level before, as they park the golf carts.
- we came back from dinner twice before the turn down service was performed/finished.
- laundry service and minibar (even soft drinks) were not included, though it was the case in previous Amans we stayed at.
Overall we had a fabulous stay. But it was 'normally' perfect and we lacked these special extra little things we experienced in previous Amans (especially Amanbagh which was magical). The chain shall preserve its spirit and avoid bigger properties where their recipe work less, with the risk of slipping to 'standard' 5-star resorts, this is our common feeling.