Luxury Hotel Review: Amanera Dominican Republic
November 23, 2016 | By Hao Tang
Aman Resorts is perhaps the most exclusive luxury hospitality brand in the world and I am an #amanjunkie for sure! Ever since the opening of Amanera was announced last fall, I’ve been itching to pay a personal visit.
Like most Aman properties, a resort representative greets you at the gate upon your flight’s arrival and escorts you through immigration. A private transfer is then waiting to take you to Amanera.
Luxury SUV takes you from the airport to Amanera
Once seated in the spacious SUV, chilled hand towels, passion fruit scented which my wife was obsessed with, and bottled water were ready for use. While the standard transfer is an hour long car ride, Amanera does offer a more time efficient transfer via a private helicopter at an additional charge.
Once we arrived, we were shown to our Ocean View Pool Casitas for an in-room check in. I’ve been obsessing about my visit over the past year, so needless to say, I knew a lot about the resort such as room categories, designs, layouts, and more. Still, nothing can really prepare you for when you see it in person for the first time. This seems to be a trait that extends to all Aman properties.
Stunning Pool Casitas
The Casitas are huge by any standard. The indoor space approaches 800sqft with a separate living space. The outdoor space is a whopping 1,700sqft, larger than most people’s homes or flats. The pool is also appropriately proportioned and not just a 2×2 plunge pool that you can maybe take a quick dip in.
I do love the fact that the mini-bar was complimentary except for champagne. After all, no one likes to be “nickeled and dimed”.
Beautiful, uncrowded beach to enjoy
As much as we enjoyed our Pool Caistas and its privacy, we were keen to make time for the beach! While Amanera has 2,200 acres of beach and forest, there are only 25 Casitas, accommodating up to 50 guests, max. This means you’ll never have to worry about finding a lounge chair on the beach, or anywhere else for that matter.
The resort was at 50% capacity, but we did not see more than a handful of people while onsite. Sometimes, we were the only ones. This type of privacy really elevates the Aman brand to another level and redefines luxury. So if you enjoy the nightlife and club scenes during leisure holidays, this may not be the place for you.
A meal with a view from the main restaurant
The resort had 2 main restaurants, but we often dined at the beach club which is located on the beach and has great fresh seafood. Also, who doesn’t enjoy taking meals in swimsuits on the beach?
While there is still room for improvements from a service aspect as far as Aman Resorts go, it is miles ahead of many other resorts in the Caribbean. The staff was extremely friendly and genuine. We were never asked for our names, room number or had to sign for a single bill until our departure.
Overall, we had an amazing stay and I can clearly see why Travel + Leisure ranked Amanera as one of the hottest new resorts in the world. I’ve already booked few clients at the property and am confident that it will deliver!