Amanpuri

Amanpuri is the flagship property of the Aman Resorts.[1] Meaning 'place of peace' in Sanskrit, the luxury resort is located on the west coast of the Thai island of Phuket. The resort is situated on a coconut grove overlooking the Andaman Sea, and includes a stretch of Pansea Beach.

Amanpuri
General information
OwnerAman Resorts

Amanpuri is a 25 to 30-minute drive from Phuket International Airport (HKT)[2]

History

While in Phuket looking for a site upon which to build a holiday home, Adrian Zecha was walking along Pansea Beach when he came across a coconut plantation which occupied a prime location.[3] Plans to build a home on the site soon developed into an idea to build a small boutique resort, in partnership with Anil Thadani and two other friends. They spent mainly their own money as no banks would lend for the project due to the small number of planned rooms, instead of the 500-room hotel they thought would be more practical. The resort was opened in 1988 at a cost of US$4 million.[4]

The resort was designed by American architect Edward Tuttle,[5] who took his inspiration from traditional Thai temple architecture, in particular the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya.

Facilities

The resort contains 40 pavilions and 44 villas spread over 24 hectares[6] on a headland on the northern side of Pansea beach.

Each villa features a swimming pool, separate dining and living rooms, kitchen and up to 9 bedrooms.

The public facilities include four restaurants: the Thai restaurant, Arva (Italian), a South American Lounge and Nama (Japanese), focusing on the UNESCO-recognised heritage cuisine of Washoku introduced to the resort in 2017.[7]

The Aman Spa features six treatment rooms, and offers four wellness journeys. Conde Nast Traveller awarded Amanpuri ‘Best Bespoke Retreats’ in The Spa Awards 2017.[8]

Amanpuri’s 27-metre freshwater main pool is clad in midnight-blue tiles. A secondary 20-metre lap pool can be found at the Beach Club.[9] A third 10-metre pool for children lies next to Nama.

From the beach, paddleboards, Schiller Bikes, snorkelling and kayaking equipment, along with Hobie Cats, are available for windsurfing, snorkelling and kayaking on Pansea Beach.[10] Amanpuri also offers a large selection of vessels for cruising, for day trips or overnight charters. [11]

Further facilities include a Beach Club, a library, 6 tennis courts, a gym, a Pilates studio, a boardroom equipped for meetings and a gallery with a selection of items for purchase. [12]

References
  1. "Luxury Explorer".
  2. "Luxury Travel Expert".
  3. Miller, S. "Be my guest, please." Condé Nast Traveler, Dec. 2007, p. 125.
  4. Hilditch, T. "Paradise Regained." Asiaweek.com, 15 June 2001.
  5. "Architectural Digest".
  6. Inglis, Kim (13 March 2012). Tropical Hotels: Thailand Malaysia Singapore Java Bali. ISBN 9781462906086.
  7. "Travel for Senses".
  8. "Best Spas in the World 2017".
  9. "Phuket.com".
  10. "Amanpuri, Luxe Travel".
  11. "Phuket.com".
  12. "Phuket.com".

Further reading
  • Arieff, A and Burkhart, B: “Spa”. Published by Taschen. ISBN 3-8228-5890-0.
  • Inglis, K: “Asian Style Hotels“. Published by Periplus Editions. ISBN 0-7946-0172-3.
  • Ypma, H: “Hip Hotels - Orient“. Published by Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-28513-6.

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