Amanoi

Having stayed at five-star accommodations from Hanoi to Saigon, we can safely say that Amanoi is the best of the best. We spent three weeks in Viet Nam (April 2024), and were so taken by this resort spa that we are back in December. April was hot and sunny. December is warm and overcast. The two are equally spectacular. Sleeping to the sound of heavy rain on the roof is magical. This latter stay exposed us to views of mists cascading down the mountains and afforded us the luxury of more time in the spas versus on the beach in April. Generally, we do not return to the same place twice for the simple reason that there is more to the world than we can see in a lifetime. Our previous stay was simply too short. There is a variety of secluded villas. Of the spa cottages, the lakeside accommodations and the ocean pool villas, we chose an ocean pool villa. The views are incredible in all directions. The warm, fresh breezes seem like a mix of rainforest and costal mountains. And, as you might guess, there is a clean, refreshing pool at your door. The cuisine is superb. Coming from the U.S., we wanted to enjoy traditional Vietnamese dishes and were delighted by the versatility of the chef in preparing those time-honored recipes and his own sensational creations. The Vietnamese enjoy pho for breakfast - a brilliant way to start your day. Thank you chef. Eclipsing all of the superb aspects of Amanoi, is the staff. From the top of the house and throughout, the employees demonstrate the warmth and sweetness for which the Vietnamese people are renown. We never saw a face without a genuine smile nor passed an employee of any station without a spirited “Xin chao!” I encourage visitors to learn two simple phrases: “hello” and “thank you”. Native speakers are delighted that a guest would take the trouble to learn even the most basic pleasantries in a language so different from our own. I got tremendous pleasure fumbling with and mispronouncing a few more words and phrases, but that’s just me. You can expect the same quality of stay regardless of how or whether you choose to interact. The staff training program is phenomenal. I have run out of adjectives and will close by suggesting that you do not shortchange yourself on the length of your stay, and consider this as your final stop on your Viet Nam trip because every subsequent accommodation will likely feel, to some degree, a bit of a step down. Cảm ơn

At first arrival, you experience a truly grand staircase and entrance to the lobby. It’s a showstopper. We arrived late and the resort GM greeted us. The resort is located in picturesque national park that we only saw upon departure. We agree this our favorite hotel globally. It is spectacular. Aman differentiates itself with its service. Amanoi staff had an exceptional dedication to our time together. Joy, the GM, is exceptionally charismatic and glamorous. Housekeeping, restaurant servers and room service delivery team were great. We requested a number of exceptions for us during the stay (early pool opening, off-menu food requests) and they worked to make them happen. Though every staff member we interacted with was helpful and pleasant, I’d like to give special mention to Sunny, Putu, Tony and Keva all of whom are world-class hospitality professionals. We stayed in Room 11, an “Amanoi Ocean Pool Villa.” It had a spectacular vista of the bay. Amazing, unforgettable view. There is a private 40’ infinity pool which was really terrific. We loved the privacy. Strongly recommend. Unlike other pavilion and villa types, it had its own private library, well stocked with books, which we used and loved. Shower and bathroom in general were terrific. We wished the wall coverings were grander like they are at Amandari and that they had Japanese style bidet toilets. A/C was bone chilling. We loved the grand view onto the bay where we could see Vietnamese fishing boats during the day at distance. At night, the bright lights of squid boats would light up the sea like stars. The only services that we had were three massages. My husband was in love with his hand massages by the talented Oanh, to the point where he had one and then went back for another. They come with the highest of recommendation. The private hydrotherapy suites, which cost about $35 an hour to use, are also lovely enough to make up for the odd lack of complimentary sauna and steam room. At this hotel you get around by buggy. You call and they come and get you. We like being as close as we were to the main lobby. It works fine, though we occasionally had to wait a few minutes. The food was all around OK — not bad, but probably the weakest element of the resort. We did like the variety of foods available. My husband has more exotic tastes and I have more (to me) traditional western tastes. We were able to both order and enjoy our respective meals. The culinary highlight was a private BBQ dinner that took place in the five-bedroom Residence 18; the staff there did a fabulous job decorating the area and creating a custom menu for us. This dinner was included with the package we booked, but we would’ve been happy if we’d paid for it too. We did not like the Beach Club. It was small, the sand was rough, and the water was a bit dirty from the nearby fishing village. I would not want to stay here if I did not have our own pool and private outdoor area. We do not like interacting with other guests while traveling and found this area to be a bit crowded. The staff at the beach club was exceptional. It was the other guests. Too common for us. The beach is really a nothing experience. There is a 25m pool swim lane (within a 110-foot pool) but if you want to swim laps, visit the 20m Cliff Pool. It’s more sophisticated, with panoramic views of the mountains and oceans. Other guests seem to be local Vietnamese and Korean guests. We were the only Americans who we identified. Also, we are a gay couple. No one cared, which is what we like. We love Viet Nam and the people. I was willing to return to Aman after a memorably poor experience at Amanpuri. I’m glad that we did because Amanoi is really spectacular. This place is truly grand, with a diligent caring staff. The views are exceptionally memorable and our villa was incredible. The following is completely unrelated to Amanoi: if you have read this far, I would l ask that you read my review of Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve. It is a Mariott-themed cesspool. We are regular consumers of luxury Asian hotels and want to be sure that no on has to suffer the indignities we had to on our honeymoon.

Amanoi is an oasis of calm, in a very luxurious rendition:) The estate is huge, with a hilly terrain - perfect for walking or jogging, but with buggies on the ready if you prefer. The walk down to the beach (and back) is a particularly scenic one, and the Beach Club offers an excellent lunch menu when you get there. The pavilions/ villas are incredibly beautiful, designed for you to relax and unwind, with amazing views on the sea; and immaculately clean. The gym is spacious, well equipped and as beautiful in design as the other buildings; and the spa just next to it offers fantastic treatments (hot stone massage highly recommended!). The gym/ spa building is located by the lake, which makes another amazing walk. And finally - the food is delicious (catering to various dietary requirements will not be a problem at all), and the service excellent. I would like to thank Amanoi staff for making my stay so wonderful. Anything less than perfect? The airport - where in contrast to the above, the food is just horrendous (I would have asked for a packed lunch at Amanoi if had any idea how bad it was). Amanoi is doing a great job though, by having a representative at the airport to help the guests. Overall, an absolutely top class luxury resort - I will certainly look to explore other Aman properties in Asia!

wonderful experience and will revisit again! impressed since landing when meeting the resort staff assisting us on baggage. staffs were all well-prepared and helpful. Ms. Nhi and her team welcomed me and my husband with gracious hospitality, making us feel like at home. there were many activities to do that you could spend 4 days or longer without getting bored. the villa itself had full amenities (i’m so impressed that they offered sunblock as well). bed was comfortable and the room functions were very well-designed. housekeeping came to clean most of the time when we were not at the villa and they refilled everything each time (we never ran out of anything). bbq course dinner was incredible, both taste-wise and service-wise, which made me and my husband started to love vietnamese food especially the fresh spring rolls. overall, we are truly grateful for the outstanding service provided by amanoi!

We stayed here for 3 nights in May 2023 and it is one of our favorite properties we’ve ever stayed at. This was our first time staying at an Aman and it blew away our expectations. The property is stunning and service is incredible. The staff are able to predict what you need before you even ask, making it a truly luxurious and easy experience.This is one of the few Aman properties with its own private beach and is SO worth the distance to get here. We booked their wellness pool villa hideaway package and loved every part of it. If you plan to do multiple spa treatments, this is 100% worth it. Your villa has its own private pool, spa and hammam. We tried multiple services including massages, hammam, facials and pedicures and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. All amenities & experiences were great - Daily afternoon tea is a nice touch, guided snorkeling is great, the complimentary local fruit is delicious and the cooking class is in a beautiful ocean view private space. The complimentary sparkling lime ginger drink they bring to you by the ocean or pool is also very nice and super refreshing on a hot day. Our only suggestion is to have more local options at the main restaurant. We loved the beach club food but found the dinner offerings at the main restaurant to be a bit too European/tourist friendly and just ok. We absolutely loved our trip here and hope to return again soon. We would easily give this property 10/10 stars if a higher rating was possible!!