The honest review of Amanyara

My wife did a resort-arranged dive and said it was some of the best visibility and wildlife she's ever experienced.

She reported 100-foot visibility and near-perfect marine life encounters, with a boat and dive guide that were nicer and more knowledgeable than she expected. I stuck to golf instead, but the diving clearly punches above what you'd expect from a hotel-run excursion.

I expected far more finishing polish for an Aman — rooms, dining, and beach service all felt like they were missing the small details.

Wait staff at dinner needed more training; getting a simple order right took real effort. Senior management were lovely and professional, but drivers, housekeeping, and dining staff didn't match the level I'd expect from an Aman or from other Caribbean luxury properties like St Barths.

The beaches and water here rival the Maldives or Thailand — this hotel takes an already spectacular setting and elevates it further.

Privacy and quiet elegance are the defining qualities of a stay here. Staff were kind, quick, and always available when needed, the property felt pristine throughout, and dining exceeded expectations.

This remains, in my view, the very pinnacle of barefoot luxury — teak wood, soft creams, and those glorious high ceilings.

telegraph.co.uk/travel·May 2024·

The architecture and material palette continue to set the standard for understated Caribbean luxury, with a design language that feels deliberate down to the last detail. It's a property built for calm rather than spectacle, and that restraint is exactly what makes it distinctive among its peers.

This is definitively the nicest hotel on the island, but a lot of that magic depended on Turkish reinforcement staff outperforming the core team.

The Turkish support staff, in for the season while the Bodrum property was closed, were outstanding in every sense — anticipatory, warm, engaged. The core T&C staff, by comparison, often looked disinterested, letting the Turkish team handle rounds at the beach while they sat on their phones. Housekeeping missed the mark once too, leaving our room undone at 3pm and our clothes piled on a suitcase, which wouldn't have happened at Amanzoe.

Architecturally this place is stunning with impossibly clear water, but two restaurants total feels thin for anything beyond a short stay.

Our Ocean View pavilion had floor-to-ceiling windows that made the most of the scenery, with a proper his-and-hers bathroom setup and soaking tub. Food was inconsistent — some nights strong, others bland — and pricey throughout, though the private cove dinner and surprise breakfast were genuinely special touches. Coming from Rosewood Mayakoba as our usual benchmark, the privacy and setting here are unmatched even if the dining variety isn't.

We flew all the way from the airport with basically no assistance, and the roads to get here nearly wrecked our nerves before we'd even checked in.

Nobody helped with our bags or walked us through arrival — a stark contrast to other luxury resorts we've stayed at. Once we arrived, staff professionalism varied wildly, room service missed basic details, and the cocktails weren't consistent depending on who made them. The beach setup felt more like a public picnic than a premium resort experience, with plastic cutlery and bare wooden tables.

I've stayed at Bulgari, Como, and Amanzoe, and honestly, this one left me flat — the rooms feel tired and the bugs are relentless.

The bathtub leaked the whole stay, the tranquility pond room smelled faintly of sewage at times, and I counted over 15 mosquito bites after two days. Basic restocking of cups and spoons was inconsistent, and a $50 salad with bones in the sushi didn't match the price tag. Security shining flashlights on us while we tried to stargaze on the beach at night felt like they wanted a cookie-cutter, lights-out experience rather than letting guests actually enjoy the setting — though I'll admit the massage from the Indonesian therapists was genuinely excellent.

“Be prepared to have birds stalk you and attack each other to eat your leftover food.”in their words

After Amans across Asia and Europe, this felt crowded and noisy — nothing like the serenity we associate with the brand.

Check-in staff told us pool day beds were first-come, first-served, but then reserved every empty bed for a corporate group who weren't even using them. Food at the pool and the Japanese restaurant was genuinely great, though the Italian tasted oversalted across the board. A couple of standout servers aside, I'd point people toward Parrot Cay instead for a better overall Turks experience.

We had a genuinely terrific long weekend — the villa felt like our own private nature reserve, and the water looks almost fake it's so blue.

Our private infinity pool overlooked a calm little waterway that felt more like a wildlife sanctuary than a resort amenity, and the outdoor shower became an instant favorite. Breakfast was excellent with real variety, and the homemade Thai dinner we had delivered to our villa ranked among the best Thai food we've ever had. Despite full occupancy, we barely saw other guests — the only miss was our snorkeling boat leaving without us due to some mix-up with staff.

“Water looks fake it's so clean and blue.”in their words

The grounds are stunning but the food situation is rough — it's sushi or mediocre Italian every night, and that's it.

Getting here means 18 minutes of crater-hole roads with no lighting, so unless you rent a high-clearance vehicle or pay $500-800 for a car service, you're marooned once you check in. At $3,000-plus a night I'd barely call it worth $500. Service was friendly but reactive rather than anticipatory — if I asked for something I got it, but nothing was ever offered proactively, and this isn't close to Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton standards.

“This is not the Aman standard at its best.”in their words

This is our favorite place on earth to disconnect, and we've been coming back for years — this last trip was flawless from start to finish.

We were generously upgraded alongside friends without asking, and every dinner felt distinct and thoughtfully executed rather than repetitive. Malcolm's Beach in front of the property stays clear of sargassum year-round thanks to its western-facing currents, and the snorkeling right off the reef is outstanding. The pavilions never feel like hotel rooms — they feel like private residences, and the whole place is spotless without ever feeling clinical.

“This is hospitality at the highest level.”in their words

After Amangiri, I came here as a quick backup plan and honestly wish I hadn't — this felt like a scam at the price point.

Bugs and mosquitoes were everywhere, even at the beach, and I genuinely found worms in my room. Most local staff seemed indifferent at best, with the Turkish team being the one bright spot, and I was served high-school-cafeteria toast when I asked for bread. Linens were stained and worn, bikes and golf carts looked beat up, and the beach setup felt like a cheap resort with plastic cutlery and no table settings at all.

This is the best resort we've ever stayed at, hands down, and now we're spoiled for every other brand.

The staff take their shoes off before entering the villa, a small touch I'd never seen anywhere else, and service felt impeccable from the moment we arrived. The food was too good for a resort setting and the bar program matched it, with Winnie the beverage manager standing out as genuinely knowledgeable and warm.

“Staff take their shoes off prior to entering your villa. Never seen that before…”in their words

We spent over $30,000 here and I'd say it's genuinely worth about $500 a night, not $5,000 — for that price, many places give you far more.

We were told to expect construction drilling noise during a $1,100 hour-long massage, which set the tone. Servers needed to be waved down, tables sat uncleared with soy sauce stains, and the $160 steak barely tasted like beef while old oysters made it to our table. The rooms themselves were nice but the pillows were rock hard — I'd bring your own if you go.

“This place is worth $500 a night, not $5000 a night”in their words

The mattress was too hard the first night, so guest services swapped it out for a softer one while we were at the beach — that's the kind of thing that won us over.

We had no bug issues at all beyond a few stray flies, and our pool pavilion was lovely. Snorkeling, sailing, biking, and the game room kept us busy even though the activity list is fairly limited. Car service into town runs $500, which felt steep, and food was the one weak link — some dishes landed well, others came out bland and inconsistently timed — but we'd still return without hesitation.