Those coming to Amanpuri expect a luxurious holiday resort with top service. They won't be disappointed. I first came here in 1988 with my father, the year in opened. This was the first Aman resort. Since then the resort has expanded, but not hugely.
We booked 2 garden pavillions this time. I was a bit concerned about other reviews concerning the "dated" rooms. This wasn't so. They are certainly not decorated in a "designed" style to created that "Wow!" effect. There's a lot of timber. The ambience is warm and understated. I found this just perfect. The pavillions are large - half of it taken up by the lovely bathroom. Incidentally, the rooms fit 3 people, for there's an alcove for a third person in the bathroom area!
The garden pavillions are set just off Amanpuri's internal road. There's a slight sound of internal vehicular traffic but nothing that bothered us. There's a abundant greenery around so you're screened off enough to give you lots of privacy. The walkways are constantly being swept by staff, so it's all very immaculate.
What makes this resort special is the excellent level of service. You're greeted by the staff everywhere you go. You are looked after from the moment you exit Phuket airport until (which I found most impressive) you're taken all the way to the check-in counter for your flight. That's real service! We avoided the long queue getting into Phuket airport for our depature (due to the security screening of luggage) for this was taken care of the Amanpuri's staff. Top marks here!
At the resort, most of the restaurants knew what are room numbers were without us having to tell them. That's important because patrons don't need to sign bills/cheques after a meal! A nice touch. You can just get up and leave at your own leisure. But be prepared. Food and drinks are very expensive. Expect to pay at least an extra half of your daily room to cover your daily food and drinks. (And we didn't have wine either, which is even more expensive). The quality of the food is excellent.
We went water ski-ing and kayaked out to the pontoon often. Make sure you get to the pontoon because that's where you can feed the fish and jump in to snorkel with them. (Bread to feed the fish and mineral water is all set up at the pontoon for you!) Other options are jet ski-ing from the outlet next door but note that this is not part of the hotel. Inexpensive massages are also available on the beach from the massage ladies (again not part of the hotel).
Amanpuri is set on a steep site. So it's not so good for those who are less mobile. It's a steep climb up and down from the beach to your pavillion. Buggies are available. We almost never had to wait for a buggie to get us from the lobby to our pavillion. We always walked down though ... good exercise.
We didn't attend the free yoga classes (everyday at 8am). My wife and daughter were both very happy with the service at the spa. I was happy enough with the beach massage provided by the massage ladies at the Surin hotel next door.
I loved the library. Complimentary fruits are served there mid morning. You can also borrow DVDs there. Although there are no TVs in the room, you can ask for one (the DVD player runs off the hi fi system).
The beach was clean. There were a few bits of rubbish in the sea though, which I picked up and deposited in the bin ... good karma for me! :) Service on the deck chairs was good, but the staff could be a bit more attentive. The sea was a bit rough but the kids enjoyed boggie boarding so that was fun.
All in all, we had a wonderful time here.
- Amanpuri Hotel Phuket
- Amanpuri Resort Phuket
- Amanpuri Phuket
