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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 10:50 am
  #76  
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Originally Posted by ACfly
Pictures of our stay at the Amangiri







































Fantastic Photos ACfly. I really want to go!
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 10:54 am
  #77  
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Originally Posted by vuittonsofstyle
They say things like "what's a corporate group?". In fact, many of the Indonesian Amans have small boardrooms to cater for discreet board meetings, but we are only talking 8-10 people maximum. I don't think I have ever seen a corporate group, or any other group at an Aman.
Originally Posted by gemmablond
towards the end of our stay, 2 company work groups were there and that further upped the noise factor. Really changed the tone and tenor of the whole resort.
thinking about this more, with only 34 suites, they should require a buyout.

and if guests are booked, they should not allow a group to fill the rest of the resort, unless for example they offer to compensate the booked guest to change dates.

(IMHO)
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 12:13 pm
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Fairly close to Amangiri, Disney is filming the movie 'John Carter of Mars.'
I did see Willem Dafoe several times enjoying the resort. Maybe some movie folks are staying there adding to that corporate feel. I did not find the place noisy at all. In fact, it had a eerily quiet to the place. Our main guide, Yermo who was excellent, took us by the "green screens" used for filming on the way back from our off property hike.
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 8:07 pm
  #79  
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Looks like quite a few of us flyertalkers were at Amangiri this past weekend! I also just returned, having spent 4 days there. I wonder if any of us were on the same hike? (I was part of a group who joined that guide in your photo for a hike to, and then around, the Broken Arrow Cave the day before the petroglyphs were vandalized by two other Amangiri guests who carved their own graffiti (a spaceship and a human head) onto the ancient carvings).

My 2 cents:

Setting/location: A+. Having grown up in Utah, I had wondered whether having spent so much time around such scenery would have somehow inured me to Amangiri's locale. But I was nothing less than astounded by the location--and that it was able to be purchased and used in this way. The resort is impeccably positioned to take full advantage of the incredible rock formations and vistas in all directions--from the position of the resort itself up against one of the rock formations to the dramatic outcroppings in all directions, this has got to be one of the most amazingly situated resorts in the world.

Design: A. The artistry of the way the buildings flow into each other, the way the main building frames such perfect views of the terrain, the color of the concrete, the stone of the floors, the wonderful bathroom windows, and the opening of the 4th wall of each suite to the desert--I think it's such a triumph that I was able to overlook the occasional infelicities of form over function (the inability to adjust the sunshades at the pool as the position of the sun changes throughout the day; the stone platform/step on which the bed sits always getting in the way of one's toes; the horrific bathroom doors that clang and boom no matter how softly you attempt to roll them shut int the middle of the night). I'm not crazy about the way the main building blends library/dining room/lounging areas without any really meaningful spatial separations . . . so I spent next to no time in that building. But I loved the rooms themselves, the spa, the pool area, and the public outdoor spaces. So I would not recommend going to the resort in the winter! And even in May, the mornings and evenings required sweaters/jackets. June is probably the ideal month--and perhaps September. July and August get thunderstorms from time to time.

Activities: A. I wish I'd known that they had 2 convertible BMWs that they provide to guests free of charge for daytrips, and I would have booked one for the 2.5 hour scenic drive to Monument Valley--I can't think of any better way to experience that iconic American landscape than in a convertible BMW! But there is really just so much to do and see in the area that I will need to go back, as 4 days were not enough when we wanted to spend a chunk of each day lounging by the beautiful pool and visiting the spa. From boat trips on Lake Powell to secluded inlets or must-see sights like Rainbow Bridge, to an incredible visit to a slot canyon for which Amangiri has an exclusive arrangement so that you are the only guests to experience the canyon, which rivals the famous Antelope Canyon except you don't have to share it's twisting, narrow chambers with 300 tourists...), to day-trips to Grand Canyon, Zion, and other national parks, there really is a wealth to do in the area, whether you like hiking, boating, hot air ballooning, rafting . . . or simply relaxing in the most quiet, still, ancient landscape imaginable.

Service: A-. Easiest the closest I've come to a true Aman service ethic outside of Asia. A few of the local staff they've hired are gauche and awkward in their efforts, but overall, I was very impressed by how the resort is humming right along in its ability to provide intuitive, effective service. The nightly turndown gifts avoid southwestern cliche (no "dreamcatchers" here), yet are beautifully of the place; housekeeping faultless and frequent; management solicitous and friendly.

Spa: B+. Beautifully designed, effective treatments--but I wish I'd avoided the 2.5 hour "Dawn Journey" and just opted for a "regular" treatment, as the "Dawn Journey" devolved into psychobabble in which the therapist kept telling me that I couldn't take care of others until I took care of myself, and was convinced that I had had asthma as a child, so kept positioning various colored rocks on my body to balance me (I've never had asthma and assured her that I'd never had any respiratory issues of any sort). But when she set the "journey" elements aside and just gave me a massage, it was a deep, excellent one. (I loved the spa journey I had at the Aman Spa at the Connaught, so perhaps I just had bad luck with this therapist.)

Fitness Center: B+. Larger than the average hotel gym, with a reasonable amount of good equipment and dumbbells.

Food: C. As others have mentioned, it's a real problem, the only thing holding this resort back from being among the very top in the world. At best, the food was mediocre--at worst, inedible (a tomato/basil/mozzarella pizza in which the mozzarella was tough and unyielding and flavorless). They cook it all in these wood-burning fires, which seems to limit the craft and quality of food preparation. I think they need a new head chef who can re-work the menu entirely. And there are so few options that after two days we had exhausted anything that sounded appetizing . . . but were still stuck with the limited options since there's really nowhere else to go. I'd strongly encourage you to order from the breakfast menu rather than the "breakfast table," an uninspiring buffet. There's one small dessert menu that is the same for lunch, dinner, and pool service. Then there's a very small lunch menu which is the same every day, and a small dinner menu which, with the exception of a daily appetizer and entree special, was also the same every day. If Amankora in Bhutan can find a way to change its menu from day-to-day--and vary that menu across five different lodges--then surely Amangiri in the U.S. of A. can and must fina a way to improve its menu dramatically!

Bottom line: Even with the major food issues, this is at the very top of my list of US resorts, the best I've experienced for service, location, design, comfort, and overall experience.
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Old Jun 1, 2010 | 8:14 pm
  #80  
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A few other thoughts that crossed my mind after I just posted, and that may be helpful:

1. The resort was full to capacity, all 33 rooms occupied, this past weekend, but it never felt crowded, and while the service was a tad slow, it was never problematically so.

2. The desert wing and the mesa wing have very different feels, both very special. The mesa wing winds its way uphill from the main building, so is full of sunlight and exposure to the rock outcropping and the sky above. It runs past the spa and gym. The desert wing has more of an enclosed, canyon feel to it, with much more interesting use of water features that mimic, in contemporary design, the patterns of water and light on the stone of the slot canyons. I think the views are sensational from either wing, and the benefits of being close to the spa/gym/pool in the mesa wing may be counterbalanced by the more artistic design of the desert wing. I love them both, and would be incredibly happy in either place, but ultimately, am glad I picked the mesa wing because our view of the mesa was so gorgeous--just like the one on the website. (I was in room 29, a standard Mesa View room.)
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Old Jun 2, 2010 | 6:13 am
  #81  
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Originally Posted by Groombridge
But I wish I'd avoided the 2.5 hour "Dawn Journey" and just opted for a "regular" treatment, as the "Dawn Journey" devolved into psychobabble in which the therapist kept telling me that I couldn't take care of others until I took care of myself, and was convinced that I had had asthma as a child, so kept positioning various colored rocks on my body to balance me (I've never had asthma and assured her that I'd never had any respiratory issues of any sort).
ROTFL
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Old Jun 2, 2010 | 6:33 am
  #82  
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Originally Posted by Groombridge
A few other thoughts that crossed my mind after I just posted, and that may be helpful:

1. The resort was full to capacity, all 33 rooms occupied, this past weekend, but it never felt crowded, and while the service was a tad slow, it was never problematically so.

2. The desert wing and the mesa wing have very different feels, both very special. The mesa wing winds its way uphill from the main building, so is full of sunlight and exposure to the rock outcropping and the sky above. It runs past the spa and gym. The desert wing has more of an enclosed, canyon feel to it, with much more interesting use of water features that mimic, in contemporary design, the patterns of water and light on the stone of the slot canyons. I think the views are sensational from either wing, and the benefits of being close to the spa/gym/pool in the mesa wing may be counterbalanced by the more artistic design of the desert wing. I love them both, and would be incredibly happy in either place, but ultimately, am glad I picked the mesa wing because our view of the mesa was so gorgeous--just like the one on the website. (I was in room 29, a standard Mesa View room.)
Another fantastic review Groombridge. Many thanks.
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Old Jun 2, 2010 | 5:00 pm
  #83  
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Thanks Groombridge for your report, really helpful !
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Old Jun 4, 2010 | 6:04 pm
  #84  
 
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Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
indeed great pics/info. ^ i dont understand the room design, especially the private pool rooms. will be interesting to see what villa rates are like.

how do the indonesian amans handle corporate groups?
Indonesian Amans do cater for corporate groups, it would not be your traditional meeting or conference but it is great to do some work at an Amanresort. Try Amanusa or Amanjiwo, i am sure you would get a positive response.
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 5:21 pm
  #85  
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Arrow

Originally Posted by Groombridge
Looks like quite a few of us flyertalkers were at Amangiri this past weekend! I also just returned, having spent 4 days there. I wonder if any of us were on the same hike? (I was part of a group who joined that guide in your photo for a hike to, and then around, the Broken Arrow Cave the day before the petroglyphs were vandalized by two other Amangiri guests who carved their own graffiti (a spaceship and a human head) onto the ancient carvings).

My 2 cents:

Setting/location: A+. Having grown up in Utah, I had wondered whether having spent so much time around such scenery would have somehow inured me to Amangiri's locale. But I was nothing less than astounded by the location--and that it was able to be purchased and used in this way. The resort is impeccably positioned to take full advantage of the incredible rock formations and vistas in all directions--from the position of the resort itself up against one of the rock formations to the dramatic outcroppings in all directions, this has got to be one of the most amazingly situated resorts in the world.

Design: A. The artistry of the way the buildings flow into each other, the way the main building frames such perfect views of the terrain, the color of the concrete, the stone of the floors, the wonderful bathroom windows, and the opening of the 4th wall of each suite to the desert--I think it's such a triumph that I was able to overlook the occasional infelicities of form over function (the inability to adjust the sunshades at the pool as the position of the sun changes throughout the day; the stone platform/step on which the bed sits always getting in the way of one's toes; the horrific bathroom doors that clang and boom no matter how softly you attempt to roll them shut int the middle of the night). I'm not crazy about the way the main building blends library/dining room/lounging areas without any really meaningful spatial separations . . . so I spent next to no time in that building. But I loved the rooms themselves, the spa, the pool area, and the public outdoor spaces. So I would not recommend going to the resort in the winter! And even in May, the mornings and evenings required sweaters/jackets. June is probably the ideal month--and perhaps September. July and August get thunderstorms from time to time.

Activities: A. I wish I'd known that they had 2 convertible BMWs that they provide to guests free of charge for daytrips, and I would have booked one for the 2.5 hour scenic drive to Monument Valley--I can't think of any better way to experience that iconic American landscape than in a convertible BMW! But there is really just so much to do and see in the area that I will need to go back, as 4 days were not enough when we wanted to spend a chunk of each day lounging by the beautiful pool and visiting the spa. From boat trips on Lake Powell to secluded inlets or must-see sights like Rainbow Bridge, to an incredible visit to a slot canyon for which Amangiri has an exclusive arrangement so that you are the only guests to experience the canyon, which rivals the famous Antelope Canyon except you don't have to share it's twisting, narrow chambers with 300 tourists...), to day-trips to Grand Canyon, Zion, and other national parks, there really is a wealth to do in the area, whether you like hiking, boating, hot air ballooning, rafting . . . or simply relaxing in the most quiet, still, ancient landscape imaginable.

Service: A-. Easiest the closest I've come to a true Aman service ethic outside of Asia. A few of the local staff they've hired are gauche and awkward in their efforts, but overall, I was very impressed by how the resort is humming right along in its ability to provide intuitive, effective service. The nightly turndown gifts avoid southwestern cliche (no "dreamcatchers" here), yet are beautifully of the place; housekeeping faultless and frequent; management solicitous and friendly.

Spa: B+. Beautifully designed, effective treatments--but I wish I'd avoided the 2.5 hour "Dawn Journey" and just opted for a "regular" treatment, as the "Dawn Journey" devolved into psychobabble in which the therapist kept telling me that I couldn't take care of others until I took care of myself, and was convinced that I had had asthma as a child, so kept positioning various colored rocks on my body to balance me (I've never had asthma and assured her that I'd never had any respiratory issues of any sort). But when she set the "journey" elements aside and just gave me a massage, it was a deep, excellent one. (I loved the spa journey I had at the Aman Spa at the Connaught, so perhaps I just had bad luck with this therapist.)

Fitness Center: B+. Larger than the average hotel gym, with a reasonable amount of good equipment and dumbbells.

Food: C. As others have mentioned, it's a real problem, the only thing holding this resort back from being among the very top in the world. At best, the food was mediocre--at worst, inedible (a tomato/basil/mozzarella pizza in which the mozzarella was tough and unyielding and flavorless). They cook it all in these wood-burning fires, which seems to limit the craft and quality of food preparation. I think they need a new head chef who can re-work the menu entirely. And there are so few options that after two days we had exhausted anything that sounded appetizing . . . but were still stuck with the limited options since there's really nowhere else to go. I'd strongly encourage you to order from the breakfast menu rather than the "breakfast table," an uninspiring buffet. There's one small dessert menu that is the same for lunch, dinner, and pool service. Then there's a very small lunch menu which is the same every day, and a small dinner menu which, with the exception of a daily appetizer and entree special, was also the same every day. If Amankora in Bhutan can find a way to change its menu from day-to-day--and vary that menu across five different lodges--then surely Amangiri in the U.S. of A. can and must fina a way to improve its menu dramatically!

Bottom line: Even with the major food issues, this is at the very top of my list of US resorts, the best I've experienced for service, location, design, comfort, and overall experience.

thanks for the review but i would strongly disagree with the food part,yes the breakfast table might not be for everyone but thats why you have the menu!

also the quality of the food was great during our stay !

my 2 cent
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 6:08 pm
  #86  
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Originally Posted by summertime
but i would strongly disagree with the food part

also the quality of the food was great during our stay !
how can you "strongly disagree" with quantitative description of menus?

Originally Posted by Groombridge
At best, the food was mediocre--at worst, inedible (a tomato/basil/mozzarella pizza in which the mozzarella was tough and unyielding and flavorless).

There's one small dessert menu that is the same for lunch, dinner, and pool service. Then there's a very small lunch menu which is the same every day, and a small dinner menu which, with the exception of a daily appetizer and entree special, was also the same every day.

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jun 7, 2010 at 6:22 pm
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 8:02 pm
  #87  
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Like the previous posters, I found the food to be excellent! We had food from the hotel every breakfast and evening... I thought the Breakfast table was top notch and extensive - the orange juice was fresh squeezed, and as stated earlier, you can also order from the menu (which we thought were extensive). On one morning we ordered the pancakes, and normal eggs and bacon, and instead of potato hashbrown they brought us potato Rosti (which was excellent).

The dinner menu was quite extensive - we especially liked the Lamb chops (which was very tasty) and the salmon.

So, no complaints on the food at all. We were told that the menu changes weekly..... and if it's not on the menu, they can make for you (within reason).
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 8:30 pm
  #88  
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I think the food is ok, but I never thought food is Amanresorts' strong point anyway. Meals I had at the Bali Amans were just horrible, at least the food at Amangiri is decent, not good but nothing I'd complain about either.

I did find the menu a bit limited though, but staffs told me they can pretty much make whatever I wanna have (as long as they have the materials), so that's pretty much what I do all the time, just ordering off menu!
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Old Jun 9, 2010 | 6:04 pm
  #89  
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Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
how can you "strongly disagree" with quantitative description of menus?
because they had specials for lunch and dinner also during our stay we had a few dishes change on the dinner menu.

as for desert menu i never looked at one...
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Old Oct 16, 2010 | 1:30 pm
  #90  
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Just got back from Provo and Salt Lake City, UT.

Now I want to go to Amangiri!
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