Marking its 30th anniversary since its debut in Phuket’s hospitality scene, the first Aman resort, Amanpuri, has undergone a thorough enhancement.
On top of upgrades to original resort components such as the Aman Spa, the refurbishment also saw the addition of suspended swimming pools to six of the guest Pavilions, new spa facilities and water sports equipment, a children’s Eco-Discovery Club, a beach bar and an activity space for all ages called The Hot Spot.
The resort comprises 40 Thai-style Pavilions and 40 private Villas (available for rental) within a grove of coconut palms. Six of the Pavilions have now been enhanced, each with the addition of its own private swimming pool.
Set on a hillside amid lush vegetation, the Aman Spa now features 12 treatment suites – six brand-new and all double the original size. Each has a spacious treatment room, its own bathing area, private steam room, dressing room and an outdoor relaxation pavilion. Other new spa facilities include hydrotherapy areas with steam rooms, traditional saunas, two infrared saunas, Jacuzzis and cold plunge pools, plus a finishing salon for nails and hair.
At the top of the hill lies Amanpuri’s two-storey fitness centre incorporating a glass-walled gym, a Pilates studio, a new Muay Thai studio with boxing ring, yoga pavilions and a new juice bar, all with sea views.
The new children’s Eco-Discovery Club, located adjacent to the Beach Club with its restaurant, deck and lap pool, is a glass-fronted structure housing its own nature museum – with terrariums, as well as a craft centre at which traditional Thai crafts such as batik and flower weaving are demonstrated and taught. The club also offers spaces for environmental and cultural discussions and lectures.
Programmes, which range from learning about turtles to customising batik-style surf trunks, are for four- to nine-year-olds.
Amanpuri’s new programme for all ages is inspired by alternative sport, music and digital-tech cultures, and takes place at The Hot Spot. This new space has an outdoor rope-free bouldering climbing wall and a skateboarding half-pipe complete with custom-built skateboards – both of which will be visited by coaches including skating pros from California in high season.
Indoors, older children will be able to record music and DJ at The Sound Box studio, or edit films they’ve shot of their Amanpuri adventures at a GoPro editing counter. The screening room/cinema can project movies (self-made or otherwise) both indoors and outside for evening viewings.
A new addition to Amanpuri’s water sports fleet is a boat well-suited for wakeboarding – a MasterCraft X23 – with a wakeboarding coach and boat captain available daily, in season.
Moreover, guests can now relax at the resort’s new Straw Hat Beach Bar, which offers a selection of classic Aman beach cocktails from the collection of Aman destinations including the Kila Colada, Yara Mojito and Nera Daiquiri, plus Thai craft beers, fresh juices and smoothies.
Magnum Room is a new dining space that will soon be unveiled at the resort. The 14-seat private dining room has its own bar, wine lockers, magnum-sized display cases and humidor. A new mixologist has expanded the resort’s signature drinks offerings across all restaurants including the Japanese Nama (which was enhanced with a new weather protected, canopied terrace), the Italian Arva, Thai at The Terrace, the Beach Club restaurant, The Lounge and The Bar.
