Aman Resorts

Aman Resorts is the trading entity of Aman Group Sarl, a Swiss-headquartered multinational hospitality company. Founded by Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1988, the company operates 34 properties in 20 countries. Vladislav Doronin is the chief executive officer, chairman, and owner.[1]

Aman
IndustryHospitality, hotels
Founded1988
FounderAdrian Zecha
Headquarters
Baar, Switzerland
Number of locations
34 (2019)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
ProductsHotels, spas, clothing
ParentAman Group Sarl
Websiteaman.com

History

Founding

Founded in 1988, Aman Resorts' first destination was the result of hotelier Adrian Zecha's desire to build a holiday home in Phuket.[2][3] His plans soon developed into an idea to build a small boutique resort with Anil Thadani and two other friends. They invested their own money in the venture as no banks would lend for the project due to the small number of planned rooms. The resort opened as Amanpuri in 1988, with nightly rates reportedly five times higher than local competitors.[4]

By 1992, following the success of the first hotel, the group had expanded to include several resorts in Indonesia, a resort on Bora Bora and one in the Alpine village of Courchevel. Later, Clement Vaturi acquired a majority stake in the company,[5] thereby allowing the boutique hotels to be further conceptualized.

First ownership dispute (1998)

In 1998, Vaturi's controlling interest was acquired by Los Angeles-based Colony Capital, a real estate investment fund. A lawsuit between Vaturi and Colony Capital promised to drag on, and Colony Capital moved to protect its interests by taking a more active role in the company. At this time, Zecha resigned from his position at Aman and pursued other interests for the next two years.[6]

In 2000, Colony Capital and Vaturi settled their lawsuit, and Vaturi sold his shareholding interests to Lee Hing Development, a Hong Kong investment company. With controlling investors allowing full control over the company, Zecha returned as chairman and CEO. Over the next seven years, Aman launched retreats in Cambodia, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Caribbean. On 27 November 2007, DLF, India's largest real estate company, acquired Lee Hing's controlling stake in Aman Resorts for $400 million, including debt of $150 million.[7]

Second ownership dispute (2014)

In early February 2014, DLF sold Aman Resorts for $358 million to Aman Resorts Group, an investment company led by Russian businessman Vladislav Doronin, which also included Omar Amanat.[8] The sale included all Aman properties except for the Lodhi Hotel in Delhi. DLF sold Aman Resorts to reduce its debt and refocus on real estate after it had expanded into hotels, wind farms, and running export processing zones.[9] In April, Zecha stepped down as chairman a second time, and the company relocated its headquarters from Singapore to London in June.[10] Its corporate headquarters has since been moved to Baar, Switzerland. Doronin assumed the position of chairman, and French hotelier Olivier Jolivet was appointed chief executive officer in 2014.[11]

Aman under Doronin (2015–present)

In August 2015, Doronin became the sole owner of Aman when Pontwelly Holding Company, took full ownership of the hospitality business, Silverlink Resorts. Following this restructuring, Doronin and board director Alan Djanogly remain the only two directors.[12][13] In February 2017, Roland Fasel joined Aman as chief operating officer, continuing a 25-plus-year career in luxury hospitality.[14][15] Olivier Jolivet left the company the same year and Doronin assumed the position of chief executive officer.

In 2020, Doronin unveiled Janu, a spun-off brand to operate larger hotels in Japan, Montenegro, and Saudi Arabia, reportedly aiming to become a slightly more affordable complement to Aman.[16] The group's diversification strategy continued in 2021 with the launching a clothing line, marking a shift towards becoming a self-proclaimed lifestyle brand.[17]

In August 2022, Aman New York opened, occupying the former Crown Building.[18][19][20]

Hotels
Aman Venice, Italy occupying the Palazzo Papadopoli

Each Aman property typically has a small number of rooms, usually fewer than 55. The brand is often characterised by media outlets to offer remarkable service, with many of its properties reportedly having a staff count typically of six staff to one guest.[3][21][22]

Outside urban settings, guest accommodation is typically provided in individual private villas, pavilions, or tents (in the case of Aman-i-Khás in India, Amanwana in Indonesia, and Amanpulo in the Philippines), and often includes private outdoor lounging and dining areas.[23]

Aman mandates a concern for cultural preservation, and several properties are said to have some historical background and importance.[3] In Cambodia, for instance, the company acquired a ruined guest villa that had been built in the early 1960s by the country's King Sihanouk. All architectural records of the villa had been destroyed, but the discovery of an old tourist book with pictures of the building allowed the company to closely replicate what had been lost.[24]

Since its establishment, Aman has been highly rated by Condé Nast Traveler,[25] Zagat Survey, Gallivanter's Guide, Harper's Hideaway"[26] and Travel & Leisure. 34% of Aman patrons reportedly originate from Europe, another 34% from Asia-Pacific, 28% from the Americas and 4% from the rest of the world.[27]

Architects

Among the architects who have designed Aman properties are Emine Ögün,[28] Ed Tuttle,[29] Jaya Ibrahim,[30] Jean-Michel Gathy[29] (Denniston), Kerry Hill,[29] Marwan Al-Sayed,[31] Mehmet Ögün,[28] Peter Muller,[32] Rick Joy, Turgut Cansever,[28]

Controversy

In January 2023 Charles McGonigal, a former high-ranking FBI official and global director of security for Aman Group, was arrested on charges of money laundering and for violating US sanctions law. According to the US Department of Justice,[33] McGonigal conspired with a former Russian diplomat to assist Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch.[34][35][36] McGonigal’s hiring in the spring of 2022 was done through a very obscure process, according to Aman staffers, and raised many eyebrows because the previous director of corporate security was reassigned for no apparent reasons and because when reports that McGonigal was under investigation had surfaced and the first witnesses were scheduled to appear before the grand jury investigation of his conduct, he continued to be retained by the company.[35][37][38]

Locations

As of 2023, the group operates a total of 34 properties in 20 countries:

No. Hotel Name Hotel Location Country Opening Year Designer
1 Aman at Summer Palace Beijing China 2008 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston and Jaya Ibrahim[30]
2 Aman Kyoto Kyoto Japan 2019 Kerry Hill[39]
3 Aman Le Mélézin Courchevel France 1992 Ed Tuttle[40]
4 Aman New York New York City United States 2022 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[41]
5 Aman Sveti Stefan Sveti Stefan Montenegro 2008 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[42]
6 Aman Tokyo Tokyo Japan 2014 Kerry Hill[43]
7 Aman Venice Venice Italy 2013 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[44] and Elastic Architects
8 Aman Villas at Nusa Dua Nusa Dua Indonesia 1992 Kerry Hill, Danilo Capellini, and Dale Keller[45]
9 Aman-i-Khas Sawai Madhopur India 2003 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[46]
10 Amanbagh Alwar India 2005 Ed Tuttle[47]
11 Amandari Ubud Indonesia 1989 Peter Muller[48]
12 Amandayan Lijiang China 2015 Jaya Ibrahim[49]
13 Amanemu Shima Japan 2016 Kerry Hill[50]
14 Amanera Río San Juan Dominican Republic 2015 John Heah[51]
15 Amanfayun Hangzhou China 2010 Jaya Ibrahim[52]
16 Amangalla Galle Sri Lanka 2005 Kerry Hill[53]
17 Amangani Jackson Hole United States 1998 Ed Tuttle[54]
18 Amangiri Lake Powell United States 2009 Marwan Al-Sayed, Rick Joy, and Wendell Burnett
19 Amanjena Marrakesh Morocco 2000 Ed Tuttle[55]
20 Amanjiwo Magelang Indonesia 1997 Ed Tuttle[56]
21 Amankila Karangasem Indonesia 1992 Ed Tuttle and Danilo Capellini[57]
22 Amankora Thimphu Bhutan 2004 Kerry Hill[58]
23 Amanoi Ninh Hải Vietnam 2013 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[59]
24 Amanpulo Pamalican Philippines 1993 Bobby Manosa[60]
25 Amanpuri Phuket Thailand 1988 Ed Tuttle[61]
26 Amanrüya Bodrum Turkey 2011 Turgut Cansever, Emine Ögün, and Mehmet Ögün[28]
27 Amansara Siem Reap Cambodia 2002 Kerry Hill[62]
28 Amantaka Luang Prabang Laos 2009 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[63]
29 Amanwana Moyo Indonesia 1993 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[64]
30 Amanwella Tangalle Sri Lanka 2005 Kerry Hill[65]
31 Amanyangyun Shanghai China 2017 Kerry Hill[66]
32 Amanyara Turks and Caicos Islands United Kingdom 2006 Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston[67]
33 Amanzoe Kranidi Greece 2012 Ed Tuttle[68]
34 Rosa Alpina Alta Badia Italy 2020[69]

Upcoming properties

There are a total of 5 properties in the pipeline.

No. Hotel Name Hotel Location Country Opening Year
1 Aman Beverly Hills Beverly Hills United States 2026[70]
2 Aman Miami Beach Miami Beach United States 2026[71]
3 Aman Nai Lert Bangkok Bangkok Thailand 2024[72]
4 Aman Niseko Niseko Japan 2027[73]
5 Amanvari Los Cabos Mexico 2025[74]

See also

References
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