Amankora

You begin your journey to the hotel by walking on soft pine needles through a primeval forest. We stayed at 3 of the Amankora resorts and this one had the friendliest staff and best food. Sangay and Lotay, our guide and driver, were absolutely the best ever! We spent a week with them with endless learning, fun and shared wisdom. I cannot imagine a better hotel experience staying in Bhutan and give them the highest recommendations.

it is the largest and the first-established amankora. it is located 30minutes away from the Paro airport in a very quiet area. it is surrounded by the woods, viewing the dzong and the mountain peaks. The feeling of the Bhutan nature is enchanting. it is very well positioned to visit the Tiger's nest monastery. the living/bar area is very charming. Amankora rooms are standardised across the different locations. The luxury standards of Aman group are highly respected and the staff is really professional. Unfortunately privacy is not fully guaranteed without closing the window wooden shutters. this is pity as the view is very relaxing. From my room i saw inside 6 rooms of my neighbours. I would highly suggest to change the window glasses (anti-reflection) or to find a solution by consulting the architect....

The very first Aman in Bhutan made this stay extra special. Phuntsho and his team made sure that we were pampered. Amazing hot stone bath, great archery (although i prefer the one in Punakha which was overlooking the rice paddy field) but the path heading up there made it a mystery. Great outdoor bbq / chill out place. The room was the exact same layout that i've had in Punakha and it just felt like home straightaway, just remember to close the window shade if you are heading to the shower!

This was our first extended stay in an Aman hotel. We had spent three nights at Amandari in Ubud, Indonesia, and had visited Amangalla in Galle, Sri Lanka. For our trip to Bhutan, which we had been planning for 10 years, Aman seemed the right choice for a foreign destination filled with adventure and spirituality. We arrived at the airport and our guide who would be with us for the entire 10 days picked us up and took us to the first lodge. We were welcomed at the entrance with hot towels and a “welcome home”. Coming from NY, I was skeptical. Most hotels attempt to create a home-like environment, I wasn’t sure how homelike this would be in a place we had never visited before. I was quickly convinced otherwise. Amankora has 5 lodges spread across the tiny Kingdom, which function as one system. We were lucky enough to visit all of them. Built about 20 years ago, the lodges’ architecture reflects the Bhutanese fortresses that dot the landscape. The locations are set near Royal grounds or spiritual areas, and the commons spaces look out over the beautiful views and surroundings. A surprising element was that the suites have a similar layout across all the lodges, so you quickly become accustomed to the space when you travel to a new destination. But the Aman is not alone in this game. In the past five years, other hotel chains like Six Senses, have set-up lodges in the same locations with newer facilities and architecture. The distinguishing factor for us was not the “hard” product but the “soft” product - the care the staff and teams provided across all the sites. When we ordered a green smoothie at breakfast at the first lodge, the same drink was provided every morning across the other four lodges as well. Pillow types were remembered in the rooms, lodge managers would greet us and wave goodbye at departure, even the spa attendants knew that we liked doing yoga at 7am in the morning, and reserved us a space. We went during the shoulder season, expecting monsoon rains to dampen our plans or prevent certain activities. Instead, the weather seemed to cooperate with us throughout the entire journey at outside festivals, mountain hikes, and long bike rides. The benefit to the uncertain weather was that there were fewer guests at the lodges, since it wasn’t peak season, and the staff’s attention was exclusively on us. We didn’t want to leave by the end. A Buddhist principle is that all things in life are impermanent. Saying goodbye to our guide and driver was harder than we thought. It’s not easy to leave a place this thoughtful in its arrangements, but we are looking forward to returning home soon.

Best property in the world. Staffs are faultless in delivering any services to their guests. Rooms are so cozy at the very peaceful locations with wonderful views around all their five lodges spread around Bhutan. My guests loved all of them and I am sure your guests would love too.