Amanoi

We stayed 4 nights at the Amanoi last week for our honeymoon, and I will say it was the most special and intimate hotel experience we’ve ever had. We were back and forth during the planning process of whether to visit or not due to its rather remote location, but we can now say hands down it was worth it and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for some R&R in an incredible setting. Initially we intended on 3 nights and had booked an ocean view villa (no pool), but decided to pivot and extend a night on the front end to escape the unseasonably cool and wet weather we were experiencing in the north, and they didn’t have our same ocean view villa available so we were in a lake view private pool villa (room 30) on night one. Both villas were incredible and had the exact same design/layout, just differed by the view and private pool. We don’t mind being a bit social and sharing the hotel pools with other guests, and the view from our ocean view villa was mind boggling (villa 15), so I would personally recommend that over having a private pool lake/jungle view. We could see all the fishing boats out in the bay at night, and woke up to watch the spectacular sunrise on our last morning. Can’t really go too wrong with either room type though :). Aman is known for its incredible service, so we had very high expectations. While not everything was perfect, overall it exceeded our expectations and we are already dreaming about our next Aman vacation. We don’t have an unlimited budget, so this is an expensive hotel brand for us, but now that we’ve stayed at Aman I absolutely understand the hype. Their staff is so warm and friendly, and their GM Joy is amazing. Nhi who runs operations and Putu who runs guest relations are also absolutely wonderful. We’ve never received such personalized attention from a GM or other hotel executives as we did during our stay at Amanoi. They spend time talking with you about the hotel, the area, really anything you’d like, and want to ensure your stay is magical. Where the hotel also shines is in its Experiences. We did the level 4 waterfall trek, which was fantastic and worth the challenging hike up to the waterfall where you’re rewarded with a swim in a beautiful waterfall in the middle of a jungle, and also a casual but amazing picnic that someone else from the hotel had hiked up ahead of us to set up (we didn’t pay extra for this and it was such an unexpected perfectly delicious surprise). Our guide Michael was amazing, so energetic and knowledgeable about the jungle and what we were seeing along the way. Local villages, cows, birds, snakes (only 1 beautiful bright green snake), rice fields, fruit growing on trees. And the best part about it was that there wasn’t another tourist in sight. One of the highlights of our 2 weeks in Vietnam. Michael found us the following 2 days to make sure to say hi and was so sweet to even make us some friendship lanyards that were so sweet and we’ve brought home as keepsakes. We also did the private Sacred Cham Blessing and feast on our last night and it was so special and amazing. They invite a Cham Master to perform the blessing on the hotel property (though you felt like you were in the middle of the jungle and definitely away from the other guests). We were led down a candlelit path to this beautiful little opening where we sat on pillows on the floor and spent 30 minutes with the Cham master and his wife performing the blessing. This was so special, beautiful, authentic, and interesting, and we loved everything about it. We then had a private Cham feast around the Cliff Top Pool overlooking the bay. Alice was our server and she was so sweet and fun and we absolutely loved our evening with her. Nhi came and spent some time chatting with us as well, which was so lovely. We ended the night with big hugs from Alice and so much warmth in our hearts. An evening we’ll truly never forget. The other activities we did were a 2 hour boat trip and 90 minute couples massage. Our boat guide was a different Michael, who was also fantastic. The boat trip itself was fun, not the most beautiful or exciting boat trip, but if you like to get out on the water to see more of the bay and surrounding areas I still recommend it. We went to a lovely snorkeling spot to see some coral and wildlife. The coral sadly is largely dead, but it was still a fun and interesting snorkel where we saw fish, starfish, coral,and other wildlife. The massage I received at the spa was one of the best I’ve ever had. My only criticism of the spa is there isn’t a common area where you can go and relax and enjoy other spa amenities without having to pay for them. It would be so lovely if there was a small spa pool where you could relax and have lunch and drinks before or after your service, or maybe a sauna/steam room that was complimentary rather than needing to pay for these as add on services. BUT, the service itself was excellent. We loved the special treats they leave you each night at turn down -a small Cham make up bag, Amanoi coffee, 2 different beautiful little dishes, and on our last day new luggage tags were placed on our luggage. All beautiful Nd special little gifts. We read reviews about the food being somewhat of a let down, but we found the food to be excellent overall, with plenty of variety for us over our 4 night stay. I’d heard you can make special requests to the chef if you have an off menu dish you’d like prepared, so I decided to do this on our last day and request my favorite San Francisco born Vietnamese dish - garlic noodles from Thanh Long. We provided the recipe we found online and the chef kindly obliged . While it didn’t taste quite the same, it was still delicious and we were so grateful and appreciative they were willing to go to the effort of creating a personalized dish for us. There were a couple misses on service, mainly just at the pools during the day. We had to waive down servers to try to get refills or have our dishes cleared while at the beach bar each day, and there was oddly no staff at the Cliff pool both times we went. A quick WhatsApp message solved the issue and someone was there within a few minutes, but I’m not sure why the Cliff pool isn’t serviced full time during open hours. We also had to request menus and cold water even after the staff arrived at the pool. The weather was very hot, so little things like bringing and refilling cold water without having to specifically request it would be kindly welcomed. There was also no music at the Cliff pool, which seemed a bit strange. The pool is stunning and I think would be more widely used if it was staffed and if it had a little more vibe with music. The nighttime dining is only at the main pavilion unless you organize private dining. It would be nice to have a second location to choose from to eat at night. And we would have preferred a little more variety on the nighttime entertainment. There’s a lovely lounge singer on most nights, but no where else on property to relax and enjoy the evening with music or anything besides the main pavilion. Overall it was an incredible and unforgettable stay and we would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to relax and unwind for a few days. It’s not where you should go if you’re looking for nightlife, or expecting even to party into the wee hours at the hotel. But the experiences we booked were incredible, and the staff amazing. You leave feeling like family, and undoubtedly ready to book your next Aman vacation.

Probably unlike most guests, we took the train (which was unexpectedly pleasant) from Saigon to Thap Cham from where an Amanoi driver transferred us to the hotel. Amanoi’s villas are spread around a gorgeous stretch of land on the coast of the South China Sea. The entire property is stunningly beautiful, with a lot of space between the villas. The villas’ interiors and terraces are very spacious and taste- and thoughtfully designed; ours featured a private swimming pool (thank you, Amanoi, for this lovely upgrade!) and was in short walking distance from the Central Pavilion where the main restaurant, bar, library and reception are located. A Beach Club overlooking Amanoi’s private beach serves lunch. The gym, next to the Spa above the Lotus Lake in the middle of the property, is fully equipped with up to date Technogym gear. Needless to mention, everything is in impeccable condition. When you choose an Aman property for your holiday, you come with high expectations. Amanoi exceeds them all. Top of the list of the many reasons for the fondest memories of our stay were the staff‘s consistent attention, enthusiasm, passion and kindness, represented most formidably by Nhi, the Front Office Manager who took us for an early morning walk (and Vietnamese coffee) to see the sun rise over the fishing village nearby and the villagers going about their early morning business (we love you, Nhi!). Food and drinks are excellent, the choice of Vietnamese and Western specialties carries you easily through a week’s stay and longer without the need to order anything more than once - although you may find yourself wanting to treat yourself to many things repeatedly because they are so delicious. We had the most enjoyable time we could have imagined. Highly recommended.

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!