Wow - pretty terrible reports indeed. I stayed at Sveti Stefan at nearly this exact same time last year (late-August/early-September 2017). My review is here (
link), and I mentioned a few of the issues that the OP and subsequent poster brought up - it is disappointing to see that certain things have not been fixed. A few thoughts:
1. We too had our aircon break during our stay. We had to move rooms in the middle of the night, but it did indeed get fixed. Not ideal that this is starting to sound like a pattern.
2. We also had people barging into the private hydrotherapy rooms despite the DnD sign. Last summer they promised me they would come up with a new system to indicate the room is occupied - clearly this hasn’t happened.
3. I do want to clarify what I believe is a misunderstanding in this thread (correct me if I am wrong). Sveti Stefan, like many Amans, has always let non-guests use the restaurant. It happens more at SS becuase it is nowhere near as remote as other Amans (not that many non-guests looking to dine at Amanoi, for example). I do NOT believe that Aman sells day passes to the pool. They do sell day passes to the beach directly outside the hotel, but not to the beach by Villa Moncler. I can assure you that if you are a guest, this is a non-issue, as there is no reason to use the beach available to non-guests given the private access to the far superior Queens Beach. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Aman selling day passes to the inferior beach is mandated by local laws.
4. Housekeeping was excellent for us so this is very disappointing to hear. We also didn’t have any problems with cleanliness, etc.
5. We too were attacked by bees when trying to enjoy breakfast at the Piazza. The staff also tried to burn coffee grounds to no effect. Luckily at least last summer the bees did not extend to elsewhere on the property (our terrace, lunch/dinner, etc.). If something has changed and now wasps are everywhere, this property is a non-starter.
6. I’ve been to Amanoi, Amantaka, Amanjiwo, Amankila, Amangiri, and Amanfaun. Aman Sveti Stefan’s service standards during our stay were just as good, if not better, than the rest. I have no idea what is going on this summer, but of course it is unacceptable. Maybe we just got lucky last summer. I can’t imagine the GM being onsite makes THAT much of a night and day difference, but you never know.
We have wanted to return to Aman Sveti Stefan more so than any other Aman property (perhaps Amangiri), but these new reports give us pause. It is truly a magical resort and hard product, but if these reports reflect the new service standard, well, we won’t be returning.