AMAN NEW YORK: Taken To New Heights

If I had to sum up Aman’s philosophy of space, it would be one of intimate luxury. The best the world has to offer, curated, and presented in a manner that renders one neither overwhelmed nor sensorily assaulted.

The Aman Club takes this philosophy to the next level, injecting that same principle into its new private members club. More than a space, it aims to cultivate holistic immersion into a brand that continues to the bar for a well-appointed life.

It achieves this by providing access to members-only spaces within the New York property. Including, but not limited to, a state-of-the-art spa, a private bar, a whisky and cigar lounge, and unique dining experiences.

A 24/7 private office that takes care of members’ personal, and travel, needs. A special, individually tailored, surprise also awaits one at every stay in every Aman hotel. Members also receive access to coveted sporting, fashion, and wine events – as well as behind the scenes visits to artist studios. The possibilities are endless.

The Aman Club launched in New York and is home to most Aman junkies like myself. Miami and Bangkok will soon open.

At the center of the New York property’s culinary offerings is Aman’s global Italian concept Arva, Latin for “cultivated land”. It pays homage to Italy’s rustic, cucina del raccolto tradition (harvest cuisine). The menu features the best, sustainably sourced ingredients. Dishes are uncomplicated. Staples like tuna carpaccio, beef tartare, the pastas and the grilled chicken totally hits the spot. The tiramisu & panna cotta are a great way to end the meal. Aman-veteran Chef Dario Ossola was the former Executive Chef at its Venice property. Years ago, during a stay at Aman Venice, I had the opportunity to try his cooking. Chef Dario has only evolved since then, with an equally delicious but much lighter hand.

The wine list was impressive. Super Tuscans and Bordeaux First and Second Growths with over five to twenty vintages per Chateaux. The NV and vintage champagne offering was extensive, though in my view did not have the same variety. There are so many well-priced boutique growers that I would have loved to see on this list, such as Alfred Gratien or Jacquesson. Though we all love Krug, Cristal and Dom, it would be nice to see other stellar champagnes like Salon, Jacques Selosse.

Making a welcome return is Nama, Japanese for “raw”. Inspired by the principles of washoku, dishes are prepared true to age old techniques with the utmost finesse and artistry. Familiar staples from Aman Tokyo and Amanpulo include the wagyu grilled over a tabletop brazier, Pork Kakuni with Japanese eggs, hamachi sashimi, Grilled gindara with yuzu. The desserts, macha tiramisu, yuzu tart & cheesecake with berries were creative and a feast in themselves. Unique to Aman New York are cocktail offerings like Milkpunch (fermented milk with bourbon stored for 24 hours before serving) and a Japanese matcha IPA, which became a favorite of my son and brother-in-law after multiple visits. I myself am a sake girl through and through and opted for the sparkling sake and a still junmai daiginjo.

Nama is a feast for the palette and of the eyes. The chiseled square boulders at the entrance and the Omakase counter hewn from a single slab of fragrant hinoki wood immediately defines a sense of place. Every detail thereafter is a meticulous study of wood & stone with beautifully hand-crafted pottery as the stage for the impeccably prepared artful dishes. I could have well been at Musashi, Aman Tokyo’s Japanese restaurant, in this beautiful space.

Aman Spas around the world have been carefully curated with four pillars of wellness: nutrition, movement, mindfulness, and bodywork. It combines traditional healing modalities with modern science. Dedicating a staggering 2320 square meters spread throughout three floors is evidence enough that Aman takes wellness quite seriously. Add to the fact that theirs is easily the longest spa menu I have seen in my life.

Aman is known for curating Spa treatments that evoke the essence of a place. I had the Aman New York Signature Treatment. In the way I had the cherry blossom seasonal signature treatment in Aman Tokyo.

A very intense therapeutic massage and scrub that takes you out of yourself leaving you rejuvenated from the stresses of the concrete jungle outside. There is a selection of three oils made available. The scent of the “grounding” oil was my choice. Take note that they offer a Pulse Electro Magnetic Field (PEMF) as an add on to the treatment. This magnetic field enhances cell function.

And if you feel like truly indulging, book either of the two Spa Houses, the Hammam and Banya, for the most authentic Turkish and Nordic spa experience.

But what good is rejuvenation if one can’t also partake in a good bit of Manhattan revelry. For that, there’s the Jazz Club. Situated several floors below ground level, it is reminiscent of a Prohibition Era speakeasy, albeit with all the trappings one would expect from an Aman luxury property. The fact that you need an escort to and having to traverse through winding corridors only adds to the mystique.

The cocktails are inspired by the different Aman properties globally. My son had multiples of the very refreshing Dayan with his truffled grilled cheese and A5 Wagyu. I was disappointed there was nothing from Amanpulo, however.

The Constellation sound system is only the second installed in the city, with the first being at the Lincoln Jazz Center. Aside from hearing every single note played, one finds that a conversation or a whisper is actually possible even when the music is roaring. Bravo to the sound engineers. I hope the East Meets West ethos will also reflect in the Music Making with artists from the East coming to the West.

When in a city as alive as New York, and in a space with as much to explore as Aman, one might forget that one does in fact have a room. That would be a mistake.

As one exits from the elevator, one walks through neutral colored dimly lit corridors to get to one’s suite. Corridors are dim and calming. So much so that people feel compelled to speak in a whisper so tender you could hear a pin drop. It was a nice processional and prelude to the 5th Avenue view that welcomed me.

The Japanese aesthetic is the most apparent in the space. There was nothing New York about the space, no semblance of the dark palette and gild of the 1920s nor the bustle of Fifth Avenue. The deadening silence from double glazed windows so thick I thought they might be bullet proof. This silence was only the beginning of many nights of quiet restful sleep.

The layering of warm and cool neutrals whether in stone, wood or fabric required the skill set of color theorist (amongst others), Josef Albers. Everything was neutral but by no means flat. Accents of black I thought paid homage to the frequently used dark macassar ebony wood in the 1920s.

The six-panel screen against the bed was a neutral take on the traditional coromandel screen. The washi paper mural on the opposite wall of the bed was a picture of calm inspired by the 15th century masterpiece “Pine Trees” by Tohaku. Everything you touched was luxurious without the glitz. So consistent with the Aman ethos of peace, calm, tranquility, and polished restraint.

From the perfectly oversized beds, Frette towels and sheets of the highest thread count, pillows that were the perfect combination of feather and foam - soft but not too soft with bottom pillow denser than the top pillow.

The bathroom itself is the size of the average NY studio apartment. The perimetre walls are not static, but rather multiple screens on pivot hinges that can be positioned in three angles, so they never look arbitrary and in disarray. The subtle lighting within each panel only adds to the feel of a very spacious 72 sqm. suite.

The Corner Suite (57th & 5th Ave) is a most gracious living space. The one-bedroom at 158 sq metres is outfitted as a high-end apartment complete with carefully selected books, a well-stocked bar with bar sink, large sofas, full dining table for 6 one can have sit down dinners and entertain comfortably as if in one’s own home. with a glimpse of Central Park.

Vladislav Doronin, owner and CEO of Aman Resorts, is the visionary behind the Aman vertical and Aman Club concept. Since the opening of the first Aman property in 1988 under its founder Adrian Zecha, Aman has largely been committed to a low-rise resort format, typically situated far from urban centres or in destination cities such as Venice and Marrakech. Under Doronin’s leadership, which began in 2014, Aman has begun to expand upwards (quite literally).

Beginning with Aman Tokyo in 2014, and now Aman New York, the brand has opened up a new vertical frontier. This new wave of properties have positioned themselves in busy urban centers, yet have managed to retain the intimate luxury and environmental storytelling that has garnered it much praise. Any city hotel is familiar with the following problem: how does one keep guests enthralled when a metropolis beckons from just outside the threshold? Aman’s answer: make the space a part of the narrative of the city. A historic building that straddles the temporal boundaries of two iconic eras, a Jazz Club, the finest champagne, whisky, and cigars, with waves of culinary delight to boot – simply put, they’ve curated New York, vertically.

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