In late 2011, we spent 12 nights at Amantaka, Amansara, and Amanpuri (in that order). By combining Amantaka and Amansara, we received Aman’s “Indochina Past and Present” inclusions (some complimentary meals, excursions, spa treatments, and transfers). We expected to love the design and location of Amanpuri – and we did. We expected to feel that Amansara would provide optimize our experience of the Angkor ruins – and it did. So the great surprise of the trip was Amantaka which – even given the very high standards we have come to expect from Aman – is setting world-class service standards, and is one of the true jewels in the Aman crown.

Arrival

There’s nothing to report about theAmanpuritransfers. The drive took about 45 minutes, and the service was proficient, if perfunctory and less warm than at the other two resorts.

Resort Grounds / Common Space

I’m not sure what more can be said about the glory of the grounds ofAmanpuri: the joys of being in the midst of a mature palm grove; the iconic staircase down to the perfect beach; the sleek main pool; and all of those wonderful Thai-esque eaves, everywhere. It really is just a wonderful place to be. I’d heard less about the Beach Club pool, but we really loved it, and spent an afternoon there with no other guests in sight. I’d also point out that the library is one of the nicest of any Aman library – with a really wonderful double-height ceiling that lets in loads of light. I could be very happy on a rainy day in that interior.

Accomodations

We took the new 2-bedroom pool pavilion atAmanpuri. As many others have noted, the interiors of the pavilions at Amanpuri do not have a large enough living space for two people to be comfortable lounging about. But the maintenance of the pavilions is superb – and the bathrooms perfectly fresh. (Although I did think the choice of a Toto high-tech toilet with heated toilet seat was a strange investment in the tropics – we promptly turned the heating off.) The outdoor space of the 2-bedroom pool pavilion is really chic and lovely – and perfect for sunsets through the lush fronds of the palm grove with the sea in the distance below.

Service

I don’t have much to say about the service atAmanpuri. They take good care of the guests, all requests are handled smoothly and proficiently, and there were no infelicities at all. There’s less warmth, less level of personal engagement, than at most other Aman resorts – perhaps there’s a higher level of staff turnover in a touristed destination like Phuket. No complaints, but no pleasant surprises, either.

Dining

Amanpuriprovided by far the largest number of dining options and by far the greatest diversity of menu items, and provided consistently satisfying meals. The Italian restaurant was the least impressive, with all of us rather underwhelmed by the meal. But the Thai food is terrific, and the breakfasts superb.

Spa

I have been consistently very, very impressed with the therapists selected and employed by Aman resorts. And I really love the spa products Aman commissioned Sodashi to create for them. So I would say that Aman consistently gets two of the three elements of a spa experience perfectly right. But where the Aman spa experience consistently falls flat is at the very important end of the treatment, when, after having been nurtured and brought to a point of great relaxation or bliss or comfort, you are brought back to reality with a crashing thud by the way the exit experience is handled. At each of these three resorts, the end of the spa treatment was unfortunately the same (and we had, collectively, 20+ treatments at these three resorts): - The therapist abruptly turns on the lights and presses you into a sitting position, puts your bathrobe around you and helps you put it on, and ushers you out of the treatment room.

- At Amanpuri, you are taken back to the reception area where you are given a wooden, hard-backed chair to sit on outdoors under the eaves so that the rain only hits your feet. Aman provides itself on not having locker rooms and on providing each spa guest with a treatment room in which they can change in privacy, shower if needs be, etc. But Aman doesn’t seem to be scheduling its treatments in a way that enables someone to really use that space for relaxation following the treatment. I would much prefer that the spa therapist leave me in privacy for a few minutes at the end of the treatment, so that I can change back into my robe at a leisurely pace. And if Aman cannot provide me with that spa treatment room in which to relax after the treatment, then they really do need to invest in a proper, indoor relaxation area for their guests to use following the treatment. So while I do not yet believe the overall Aman spa experience is competitive with what I typically experience at other luxury hotels and resorts, I do love many of the treatments I have had at Aman resorts – and I guess that is what is ultimately most important. The most skilled therapists and the best treatments were at Amanpuri, unsurprisingly. The Thai massages they give there are the best I have ever, ever experienced. There is no fitness center at Amansara, there is a large and very decent one at Amantaka, and the one at Amanpuri is deservedly legendary -- its views, its design, its size.

Excursions / Activities

We only did one excursion atAmanpuri, but it was a spectacular one. Each day, the Aman I takes interested guests on a cruise of Phang Nga bay, and as we happened to be the only interested guests that day, the four of us had that incredibly comfortable vessel and its wonderfully solicitous, caring crew all to ourselves. The lunch they provided on board was one of the most delicious meals of the entire trip.

Ideal number of days/nights at each resort

In retrospect, spending 4 nights per resort would be right for travelers who prefer sightseeing over relaxation, but we prefer a blend of about 25% sightseeing and 75% relaxation, so we could easily have spent 6 nights at each resort and felt very, very relaxed by the end of our trip. We wanted to see all the major sites at Angkor and while doing it over 4 days provided some degree of leisure, we didn’t have time to avail ourselves of more off-the-beaten path Aman excursions near Siem Reap, nor to do as much relaxing poolside or in the spa as we would ultimately have liked. We spent no time shopping or exploring Siem Reap itself, at all – nor did we have time for a special Aman dinner at their Cambodian village house. In the middle of the day, the heat is fairly severe – and we were there in the cool season – and while the main pool gets a lot of sun, the lap pool is shaded and is likely an ideal option in the hotter season. We also would have scheduled more spa treatments at Amansara if we’d been there for more than 4 nights. I feel similarly about Amantaka – there are many possible excursions that all sounded wonderful, but we didn’t want to do more than one per day, so we could easily have spent another few nights there.

Photos

The 2-Bedroom Pool Pavilion at Amanpuri:

Close-up of Amanpuri's stairs to the beach:

Amanpuri's beach:

Amanpuri's library:

Sunset from the 2-Bedroom Pool Pavilion at Amanpuri: