This seems to be the predominant Amanpuri on the forum [mods, feel free to move if I was mistaken].
Currently at Amanpuri.
In general, a fantastic experience, bordering on perfect.
That said, it's not perfect.
A few negatives [and keep in mind I'm being uber picky...being that this is an Aman and it's costing huge amounts of money just on incidentals/food/car...]
- No TV in room. I'm not a TV person. On most travels, I probably only watch 1 hour of TV or less...for a whole week! But, Amanpuri is on a secluded part of the island with not much to do within a 45 minute drive [already did Patong and Phuket Town]. A few nights after dinner and a night cap, the wife and I were kind of left scratching our heads when we wanted to plug in our laptop to a TV to watch some shows we had on iTunes. Hugely disappointed when we couldn't find a TV!
- Service is off and on, and seems to depend on individual employees. I'd say 7 out of the 10 employees we interact with are STELLAR. Like: best service industry people you could hope for. That said, 3 out of 10 being not stellar is too much for me at an Aman. That 30% [and yes, this is a rough estimate] is cold as ice...acts as if you're inconveniencing them when you ask for something...etc. I'd go so far as to say they're ignoring the guests with that "I'm about to leave work, what do you want now" look. I've seen this both at the breakfast restaurant with 2 females and the Japanese restaurant [almost across the board]! Not acceptable IMO.
- You cannot come here if you have mobility issues. Period. They say "we can take you XYZ" with a buggy....yet they can't. I tried. The buggy is actually a car with no doors [which, btw, looks a bit trashy for a place this nice], and they take you up what amounts to a service road. Once they drop you off wherever you need to go, you still have a substantial walk ahead of you [unless your villa/pavilion is ON the service road]. Steps are everywhere and quite huge. I'm physically fit, my wife is a yoga instructor, and we were just commenting on how incredibly winded we were at walking to/from our pavilion. Can't imagine sending an older client here...even an 'in shape' one.
- Major design flaw [which I'll excuse them as this was the first Aman]: the main way to get from pavilion to central area is to walk through the lobby. This can be weird/awkward in ones bathing suit, dripping wet, while people are taking hotel tours/checking-in. Yes, there is a "side" method of getting to the main stairwell, but it can be a bit inane for some. In the same vein, I find the placement of bathrooms to be a bit off. The one for the beach is one toilet, unisex, which amounts to the size of something fit for Frodo Baggins. Otherwise, you have to trek all the way back to the lobby area [!] or to a secluded bathroom near the bar or beach club.
- I find F&B to be on the expensive side. Yes, most people who come to an Aman are insanely wealthy. That said, I don't agree with the idea that they somehow don't care about the bottom line, or what they're spending. I haven't left a single meal here without spending $100 USD.
- Seeing lots of misquotes on pricing. Published pricing has differed from "actual pricing" on everything from spa treatments to the Aman boat tours.
- They haven't refilled out coffee mugs since the day we got here.
- I've had better hotel beds.
- And lastly, I'm not convinced there is anything timeless about the room decor. These things WILL need a soft-reno within the next few years. Are they tired, old, or worn? NO! But they're also not "so perfect" that I can't ever imagine a change....in fact, I'd almost come back here if I were to hear they were updating rooms.
Anyways, HUGE fan of this property, and kinda cool being at the place that started the whole thing. It is top notch, and I hope my negativity didn't sway others from coming. The beach is incredible, as is [MOST] of the staff and F&B. "Sense of place" is huge here.
Overall, incredibly impressed,
but it's far from a flawless experience. I've had many better hotel stays at lesser places. To be honest, when I asked my wife what she thought of the hotel, she said: "this is fantastic, I love it, but damn I miss The Siam [BKK]." And I kind of agree...
Anyways, off to take a boat ride on the Aman I.