The first Aman resort, Amanpuri, is marking its 30th anniversary with a thorough enhancement, upgrading original aspects including the Aman Spa and the addition of suspended swimming pools to six of the guest Pavilions, and extensive facilities ranging from new spa facilities to added watersports equipment, a children’s Eco-Discovery Club, to a beach bar and the introduction of an activity space for all ages called The Hot Spot.
Amanpuri’s design is inspired by Thailand’s ancient capital, Ayutthaya. The recent additions reflect the same aesthetic and blend into the property’s natural setting on the west coast of Phuket. The resort comprises 40 Thai-style Pavilions and 40 private Villas (available for rental) within a grove of coconut palms. Six of the Pavilions have now been enhanced, each with the addition of its own private swimming pool.
With its secluded beach setting, Amanpuri has been a spot for those seeking wellness. Since the launch of Aman Wellness in 2016, Amanpuri has introduced Individual Wellness Immersions, date-led Group Retreat Experiences, and new wellness menus by international vegan chefs. Amanpuri’s recent enhancement included the Aman Spa, which has been developed to incorporate new facilities and refurbished treatment rooms.
Set on a hillside amid lush vegetation, the Aman Spa now offers 12 treatment suites – six brand-new and all double the original size. Each has a treatment room, its own bathing area, private steam room, dressing room, and an outdoor relaxation pavilion. Other new spa facilities include hydrotherapy areas with steam rooms, traditional saunas, two infrared saunas, Jacuzzis and cold plunge pools, plus a finishing salon for nails and hair.
At the top of the hill lies Amanpuri’s two-story fitness center incorporating a glass-walled gym, a Pilates studio, a new Muay Thai studio with boxing ring, yoga pavilions and a new juice bar, all with sea views. The new spa facilities at Amanpuri, have also enhanced the resort’s three Individual Wellness Immersion programs –Detox and Cleansing, Mindfulness and Stress, Weight Management and Transformation. The programs, designed promote change and calibrated to meet each guest’s needs, have been adapted to incorporate the new amenities.
The new children’s Eco-Discovery Club, located adjacent to the Beach Club with its restaurant, deck and lap pool, is a glass-fronted structure designed to appeal to all ages. The new club showcases its own nature museum – with terrariums, as well as a craft center at which traditional Thai crafts such as batik and flower weaving are demonstrated and taught. Surrounded by koi ponds and decks for relaxing by day and stargazing at night, the club flows from one space to the next, also offering areas for environmental and cultural discussions and lectures. Here, the children’s program for four- to nine-year-olds is designed for both education and fun, whether kids are learning about turtles or customizing their own batik-style surf trunks.
Amanpuri’s new program for all ages is inspired by alternative sport, music and digital-tech cultures, and takes place at The Hot Spot. This new space has an outdoor rope-free bouldering climbing wall and a skateboarding half-pipe complete with custom-built skateboards – both of which will be visited by coaches including skating pros from California in high season. Indoors, older children will be able to record music and DJ at The Sound Box studio or edit films they’ve shot of their Amanpuri adventures at a GoPro editing counter. The screening room/cinema can project movies (self-made or otherwise) both indoors and outside for evening viewings.
Among its watersports equipment, Amanpuri has Hobie Cats, stand-up paddle boards, stand-up Kawasaki Jet Skis, Lampuga electric surfboards, Seabobs and Schiller bikes – with which resident watersport experts are ready to assist. A new addition to Amanpuri’s fleet is a boat for wakeboarding – a MasterCraft X23 – with a wakeboarding coach and boat captain available daily, in season. There are also speedboats for waterskiing, while yacht charters with Amanpuri’s extensive fleet can take guests to explore the coastline, scuba dive in remote reefs and snorkel round deserted bays.
After any session on, in or by the water, guests can now relax at the resort’s new Straw Hat Beach Bar – a thatched “hut” on the beach. Backed by boulders and natural vegetation, it offers a selection of classic Aman beach cocktails from the collection of Aman destinations including the Kila Colada, Yara Mojito and Nera Daiquiri, plus Thai craft beers, fresh juices and smoothies.
A new dining space soon to be unveiled at the resort, is the Magnum Room, a 14-seat private dining room with its own bar, wine lockers, magnum-sized display cases and humidor. A new mixologist has expanded the resort’s signature drinks offerings across all restaurants including the Japanese Nama, the Italian Arva, Thai at The Terrace, the Beach Club restaurant, The Lounge and The Bar.
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