UPDATE:
I wanted to update this thread with some thoughts following our second stay at the Aman NY. Full disclosure, we sent a long email to the GM after our initial stay, which was fraught with service mishaps. We found it uncharacteristic of an Aman and shared those thoughts with the GM. She took two weeks to respond, then finally saw it and offered us two comped nights, saying she wanted us to leave feeling better. And we definitely did.

We were nervous that we would be made to feel overly attended to, as if the GM told everyone we needed to be looked after above and beyond the norm for hotel guests. But we did not feel that way, it was just a much better experience.

I know how critical LHT can be, and often I see it as a strength, but to be frank, we found it to be a completely different experience. The service was significantly better (perfect? No, but attentive and personalized without being overbearing). The current GM, Guia, is relatively new (formerly Baccarat NY GM), and seems to be making a concerted effort to make the necessary management changes from the top down. She greeted us when we arrived, and was very friendly but not saccharin and did not make us feel uncomfortable under the circumstances. Many staff remembered us from our stay in April, and we had no problems getting attention when we needed it.

We were in town with a number of appointments and meetings so we didn’t use the spa/pool again, and instead of using the terrace lounge, we sat at the terrace bar quite a few times (which was not open in April), and it was lovely. That unfortunately means I can't speak to the service in the lounge, but I'd find it hard to believe that the service had changed that much over the course of a month and a half. That said, we had great service at the outdoor portion of Arva, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food was, again, pretty good. Not the best Italian in the city, but that's a high bar.

I maintain that it seems the Aman club members are the majority and seem to get a bit more attention. We spoke with a couple of people at the bar, and they were almost surprised to hear we were hotel guests and not members. I think it still commands a price above what it delivers, though the prices have crept down closer to reasonable (under $2k/night in high summer and winter months) while others in the area (see: the St Regis, of which I am NOT a fan) are belatedly taking their cues to raise prices into the realm of absurdity.

We have not forgotten how much of a disappointment the first stay was, and I would suggest booking it through an advisor with good relationships at the property (we did not do that, and I wonder whether we'd have been better taken care of the firs time - not an excuse, but I think we can all agree that's pretty standard at most properties). Overall, we'd return, but only when room prices aren't insane. The rooms really are quite beautiful - best I've seen in the city so far - and it's a peaceful place. Until then, we'll be continuing our search for our favorite hotel in NYC - next up, the Lowell!