Openings
Opening 2027

Aman

Amansamar

Saudi Arabia's first Aman, an 80-key Jean-Michel Gathy resort in the Wadi Safar masterplan

Wadi Safar, Saudi Arabia

First look

Amansamar is slated for 2027 in Wadi Safar, near Diriyah on the edge of Riyadh. The plan is an 80-key resort plus residences designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, sitting inside the larger Wadi Safar masterplan. It would be Saudi Arabia's first Aman, part of the country's broader push into high-end tourism.

Opening inside a masterplanned development is a double-edged thing: the infrastructure comes ready, but the surroundings are still taking shape. What we will be watching for is how finished the wider Wadi Safar setting feels by the time guests arrive, and whether the Gathy design holds its own. This is anticipation, not a verdict.

Not yet scored. We publish a Fat Score only once a hotel is open and real guests have stayed and written about it — this is a first look, not a verdict.

Open now

What you can book today

Amansamaris still under wraps. Here's what's already open and scored in our collection — more from Aman, and nearby in Saudi Arabia.

Aman-i-Khas — Ranthambore, India
Fat Legend

Aman

Aman-i-Khas

Ranthambore, India

Aman-i-Khas is the rare property where the concept and the execution are perfectly matched — ten Mughal-inspired canvas tents on the edge of Ranthambore, rebuilt by hand each season after the monsoon strips everything away, with 80 staff for those 10 guests. The so-called Batman butler system is the property's genuine superpower: across dozens of independent reviews, guests describe a quality of anticipatory, personalized service that ranks among the best they've encountered anywhere in the world. The stepwell pool is an architectural masterstroke — grey stone, dappled shade, and the sound of drying leaves — and the farm-to-table dining consistently earns praise as among the finest food in India. The one honest caveat is the nickel-and-diming: base rates hover around $1,200–1,500 a night, but private safaris, transfers, and add-ons can push a short stay north of $6,000–7,000 in incidentals, which sits uncomfortably against Aman's brand promise. Occasional maintenance lapses — a jammed bathtub, a missed yoga escort — and some furniture that prioritizes aesthetics over comfort are minor friction points in what is otherwise one of the most consistently praised safari properties on earth.

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Aman Kyoto — Kyoto, Japan
Fat Approved

Aman

Aman Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan

Kerry Hill's forest sanctuary occupies a three-generation garden in Kyoto's foothills, delivering Aman's signature minimalist aesthetic within 32 hectares of maples and bamboo. The 26 pavilions feel like a modern ryokan, with hinoki baths and tatami accents, but the property's isolation — 30 minutes from central Kyoto — demands commitment to the retreat experience. Service fluctuates between exceptional personal attention and surprising gaps for a $4,000/night hotel, while the lack of a gym or pool may disappoint some luxury travelers. The onsen and Taka-An restaurant justify the splurge, but this works best as a forest recharge between city stays rather than a Kyoto exploration base.

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Aman Nusa Dua — Bali, Indonesia
Fat Favorite

Aman

Aman Nusa Dua

Bali, Indonesia

Aman Nusa Dua operates as a collection of ultra-private villas rather than a traditional resort, delivering the brand's signature serenity in overdrive. Each villa functions as its own compound with dedicated butler and chef, creating an almost residential luxury experience that can feel transformative for couples seeking total seclusion. The service operates at Aman's highest tier—anticipatory, invisible, and genuinely capable of executing any culinary request. However, the villa layouts can surprise families, with bedrooms accessed only through outdoor passages, and the minimalist aesthetic lacks the local Balinese character some expect. This is luxury as sanctuary, not as cultural immersion.

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Aman Tokyo — Tokyo, Japan
Fat Favorite

Aman

Aman Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Aman Tokyo remains the most architecturally arresting hotel in the city — Kerry Hill's soaring washi-paper ceilings, stone soaking tubs, and floor-to-ceiling views over the Imperial Palace Gardens create a hard product so compelling that even detractors concede it. The 33rd-floor lobby arrival is the defining urban hotel moment in Tokyo, and the pool is simply in another class. Where the hotel divides opinion is service: at its best — particularly in the restaurant, where staff like Niccolo Brachelente anticipate your needs before you voice them — it lives up to every Aman legend; at its worst, the concierge struggles to secure top-tier sushi reservations and breakfast hours can feel surprisingly rigid for the price point. In-room dining quality has slipped recently enough to generate real discussion, and the property shows its age in certain fixtures relative to newer competition like Bulgari. But for the traveler who values the hard product above all — the scale, the views, the bathing ritual — no other city hotel in Tokyo comes close, and the 50 Best ranking is deserved.

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From the desk

Get the first-look verdict

We publish our verdict the week Amansamar opens. Get it in the monthly note, before the rest of the internet catches up.

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