We are also just back from 5 nights at Amanera. Nothing much to add to the reports above, but I'll echo a few points and add a bit more commentary:
- Service was really good - it's not Asia, but it greatly exceeded our expectations. The staff was warm and on point.
- Food was very tasty, and 100% agree that their bread/pastry program is outstanding - kind of shockingly so. I'm a bit of a cocktail snob and these were a bit of a letdown... They were fine, but a bit sweet and uninteresting. I agree that the price point for alcohol was too high (not that that stopped us from drinking).
- Fully agree that a pool casita is an absolute must. We were in a villa with decent privacy, but only because the villa next door (which didn't have a pool) was unoccupied for the duration of our stay. We specifically requested a private location, which may have helped?
- The common areas / main building were stunning, comfortable, and really just perfect. We whiled away every evening there drinking and admiring the killer views.
- Casita architecture is awesome - one of the best layouts we've ever stayed in.
- There were almost no mosquitos, which is a huge plus for my wife, who gets bitten every tropical location we visit. This hugely increased her enjoyment. Benefits to being on the island's windward side.
- We had absolutely no problems with the air conditioning, and even found ourselves turning it warmer since it was so effective (and silent). I like the thermostat at 68ish at home, to give some perspective. Maybe this is casita-dependent somehow? I did appreciate that the casita had 3 separate thermostats for different zones.