Amanpuri Phuket Luxury Hotel

Detailed Review

Amanpuri which means peaceful place was the very first Aman resort. It is located within a former coconut plantation overlooking the Andaman Sea on the west coast of Phuket. Amanpuri is entirely self-contained on a verdant peninsula sloping down to Pansea Beach and its pristine, sheltered cove. Forty pavilions and 30 Thai villa homes are interspersed throughout the coconut grove. The resort’s pavilions are 115 square metres each, including the private outdoor terrace. Pavilion rates are determined according to view and location. All pavilions feature an outdoor sala, a king-size bed, separate bath and shower, refrigerator with fully stocked minibar, electronic safe, stereo CD cassette system, IDD services and wireless broadband connections, also available in public areas of the resort, and air-conditioning. Pavilions 105 and 103 enjoy the best views of the Andaman Sea. Pavilions: These constitute the starting category and are set along the resort’s internal passageway with six rooms in all. Superior Garden Pavilions: Twenty-five garden pavilions are interspersed among the coconut palms. Superior Ocean Pavilions: Four pavilions have partial sea views. Deluxe Ocean Pavilions: These three pavilions offer sea views. Villas Homes: Adjacent to the resort, almost hidden by coconut palms, are 30 Villa Homes, many with ocean-front settings. Each villa consists of two to six separate bedrooms finished with Thai furnishings, art and antiques. Villas also enjoy a private pool plus living and dining Thai salas. A live-in maid and cook attend to all guests’ needs, including the preparation of Thai cuisine in a private kitchen. Amanpuri villas are ideal for small business meetings, weddings and special events. The Terrace restaurant offers casual, all-day dining in an alfresco setting and features Thai and European specialties. The Restaurant serves Italian cuisine and is open for dinner all year round and for lunch during high season. Both restaurants are located beside the swimming pool. Weather-permitting, lunches are held at the Beach Terrace and during high season, evening torch-lit beach barbecues. The Bar offers poolside drinks and snacks. At last light, half a dozen moulded-brass tables and pairings of teak, rattan-backed chairs are set out along the terrace between the pool and the steps leading to the beach. The view is to the sun setting on the Andaman Sea. Room service is available, 24 hours a day, in the privacy of the pavilions and outdoor salas. Aman Spa: The Aman Spa opened here in December 2001. The spa features three double rooms for couples and three single rooms. Each room has its own changing area, steam shower, treatment area, and outdoor sala (pavilion) for lounging. There is also a sauna and steam room. Spa services include a range of massage and holistic therapies, facials, scrubs, body wraps, baths and beauty treatments with salas for meditation and yoga sessions. Swimming Pool: Amanpuri’s 27m freshwater swimming pool is finished in midnight-blue tiling. Beach Club: This is an informal spot immediately in front of the resort. The facility offers snorkelling equipment, sun beds and towels. Water-skiing with Amanpuri’s own ski boat can also be arranged. Gym: The beach side gym features floor-to-ceiling windows, with views to the sea and sunset. Equipment ranges from free weights to a variety of exercise machines. The facility is open 6am till 7pm. Library: The sun-lit library keeps more than 1,000 books, ranging from novels to travel guides and coffee-table books on Southeast Asia. A large selection of CDs is available. Tailor: A tailor is available and guests may choose from a large selection of fabric. Fittings can be arranged in the privacy of the Pavilions. Board Room: Meeting facilities include a boardroom with audio equipment and an LCD projector. Gallery: An exclusive selection of Asian jewellery, antiques, textiles and artefacts are featured. General amenities are available as well as a selection of gifts, souvenirs and Thai fabrics.

Press Quotes

"The original resort, built in 1988 and still a favourite, hidden in a coconut plantation above a stunning white-sand beach on Phuket with Andaman Sea views."Conde Nast Traveller 06

Independent Reviews

Amanpuri
By Jamie Dunford Wood

The famous hotelier Adrian Zecha opened this, the first of his Amanresorts, here on the west coast of Thailand midway between the Malay and Burmese borders in 1988. The fact a real architect was involved (Ed Tuttle) gives you a clue as to what to expect - a designer resort par excellence, regularly voted amongst the top half dozen resorts of the world by Conde Nast Traveler and The Hideaway Report, with its famous and magnificent black slate pool, and its zen-like bedrooms that make you think you want to become a Buddhist. If you like this kind of thing, and can handle a certain self-obsessed breed of luxury traveller (mostly Anglo-Saxon) who call themslves ’Amanjunkies’, then this is the place where it all began. Effortlessly luxurious with faultless service, it’s only drawback - for those who care - is that this kind of designer elegance can date. As well as the 40 ’pavilions’, each 115 square metres, 30 private villas with private pools and cooks means you can fly in and out of here without ever knowing you’ve been ’abroad’ - you’ve simply bought a (temporary) slice of heaven. Thai massage, beauty treatments, scuba diving, its own boat and flood-lit tennis complete the picture. Perfect for relaxation, inspiring for revolutionaries - barefoot luxury at its most sophisticated. Ko Phuket, despite its grungy backpacker reputation to match its cousin Ko-Samui on the opposite coast, is still a paradise destination, with plenty to explore - the virgin jungle of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, Phang Nga Bay where The Man with the Golden Gun was shot, spectacular Buddhist temples and unparalleled snorkling and diving in the surrounding Andaman sea. To get there go by plane to Phuket, then a half hour ride by road to the resort. Best time: November to March.

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• "One of earliest Aman resorts, Amanpuri continues to win admirers for its chic villas, Pansea Beach location and intimate atmosphere."