To transport hopefully is a improved thing than to arrive,” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson in 1881. He had clearly never stayed during an Aman Resort. The latest charity from a Singapore-founded super-brand — a 29th hotel worldwide — is Amanera in a Dominican Republic, where a fun of attainment simply outshines a extensive tour from London.
The Dominican Republic has warranted a reduction than starry repute among a certain form of traveller for a mid-range, comprehensive hotels that cluster especially on a dull south coast. But that’s usually partial of a story.
The “DR” is a second-largest Caribbean republic (after Cuba) on a second-largest Caribbean island of Hispaniola (also behind Cuba) that it shares with Haiti — and that scale provides copiousness of variety. The nation has a fearsome repute for golf, with some-more than 30 courses, some-more than any other Caribbean island.
Then there is upmarket Cap Cana in a south-east, where multi-millionaire Americans berth their yachts outward super-sized villas and where aristocrats including Lady Annabel Astor, mother-in-law to David Cameron, holidays.
For a second Caribbean plan and a initial worldwide to embody an integrated golf course, Aman chose a unspoilt plcae of Playa Grande on a north coast, a two-hour expostulate from a capital, Santo Domingo.
The far-reaching crescent of Playa Grande offers 7 miles of mesmerising Atlantic coastline, a mile-long sandy beach and, over that, high cliffs and alpine rainforest.
The whole site covers 2,100 acres, including a newly upgraded golf course. The scenic clifftop course, majestically lined with palm trees, would make even non-golfers prolonged to collect adult some clubs and have a go.
Aman has built a argent repute on a matrimony of seamless use and thespian architecture, both heavily shabby by a company’s Asian roots. At Amanera a use is desirable and ever willing, maybe some-more Caribbean-paced than Oriental, though a pattern is positively epic.
This is a initial Aman designed by London-based engineer John Heah, engineer of a Four Seasons Hotel in Bali. His pretentious categorical building of cantilevered glass, petrify and timber sits imperiously above a crashing waves, providing true steer lines to a H2O during each opportunity. Open-air dining tables, fallen sofas and welcoming object loungers around a pool are joined by a elementary colour intrigue of dark blues and greys.
“Aman guest like familiarity,” says Katerina Katopis, of Dolphin Capital. “They don’t caring so most about pattern being local.” Dolphin is a developer of a site that has already warranted a Aman certification during Amanzoe, a examination on a Greek Peloponnese.
The Aman brief, says Katerina, demanded atmospheric community areas, primary views, understated elegance, a clever pattern component and a home-from-home feeling. Those final dual competence seem jointly disdainful — my home positively isn’t filled with fanciful open-weave BB Italia furniture, floating walkways and unresolved staircases — though it all works. After usually a integrate of days, a smashing Caribbean environment and Heah’s unnerving eye make genuine sense, formulating an insinuate atmosphere in annoy of a size.
There are some internal touches: beautiful grey-blue ceramic building tiles done in Puerto Plato, an hour away, and densely planted inland shrubs, flowers and trees. Overall, however, this is contemporary pattern layered on contemporary pattern with small spirit of a DR’s Spanish colonial and pre-Columbian history.
The 25 casitas, single-level guest bedrooms with apart sitting rooms, arch kindly upwards from a beach. Some have pools and some are a good ascending travel from a sea, though all continue Heah’s clean-line cultured with unprotected petrify walls and a morality that hurdles guest to combine on outside views over a canopy of palm trees shading a beach.
As we would design from a code that concentrates on wellbeing, there is a well-equipped gym, intelligent new tennis courts and a low-key spa.
Latest hotel reviews
1/21
Lime Wood, Hampshire
It’s a arrange of Regency estate residence that creates we feel like you’ve usually stepped into a Jane Austen novel, says Kate Wills
Read a examination of Lime Wood hotel
2/21
Praktik Vinoteca, Barcelona
Karen Dacre heads to a wine-themed boutique hotel for a small luxury
Read a examination of Praktik Vinoteca hotel
Alamy
3/21
St Mawes, Cornwall
An residence where reduction is Mawes. By Chris Folley
Read a examination of St Mawes hotel
Anthony Greenwood
4/21
Santa Marina Resort and Villas, Greece
An exclusive-feeling mark for anyone visiting a “Island of a Winds”. By Sally Newall
Read a examination of Santa Marina Resort and Villas
© GEORGE FAKAROS – All Rights Reserved
5/21
Banana Island Resort Doha, Qatar
Doha’s new playground. By Tom peck
Read a examination of Banana Island Resort Doha
Brent T. Madison/www.madisonimages.com
6/21
Nikki Beach Resort and Spa, Greece
Unlike Nikki Beach’s common party-hard locations (Marbella, Ibiza, Miami), Porto Heli is a intelligent though exhausted city on a Peloponnese peninsula
Read a examination of Nikki Beach Resort and Spa
Heinz Troll
7/21
The Flint Barns, Sussex
The gentle new Flint Barns is somewhere between a singular bed and breakfast and a really posh girl hostel. By Andrew Neather
Read a examination of The Flint Barns
Vivienne Blakey
8/21
No Man’s Fort, The Solent
Out on a H2O it’s a installation that counts. By Teresa Levonian Cole
Read a examination of No Man’s Fort
Anna Kunst Photography
9/21
Isle of Eriska Hotel, Scotland
The hotel’s grand environment and cosy bedrooms are usually a place for couples. By Rosamund Urwin
Read a examination of Isle of Eriska Hotel
10/21
Virgin Hotel, Chicago
The hotel positions itself as a naughty, loose place in that to play hooky. By Nick Curtis
Read a examination of Virgin Hotel
11/21
The Principal, Madrid
Nicola Trup checks into a lush Principal hotel in Madrid’s Gran Vía
Read a examination of The Principal
12/21
La Limonaia, Sicily
Summer ripens early in Sicily, that creates it a ideal Italian outpost for a family get-together. By Sarah Sands
Read a examination of La Limonaia
13/21
The Serras, Barcelona
Barcelona is anticipating a sea legs during last, says Phoebe Luckhurst
Read a examination of The Serras
14/21
The Hoste, Norfolk
A comfortable acquire in Chelsea-on-Sea, says Lucy Tobin
Read a examination of The Hoste
15/21
Kameha Grand, Switzerland
A call from sorcery Marcel Wanders, says Oscar Quine
Read a examination of Kameha Grand
16/21
Sharrow Bay, Cumbria
This is a hotel that even after it has been spotless adult and cleared down still revels in a traditions, says James Ashton
Read a examination of Sharrow Bay
17/21
The Belsfield, Lake Windermere
The new proprietors haven’t left over a tip with their possess décor, though we can buy a furniture. By Sophie Haslett
Read a examination of The Belsfield
18/21
The Ritz, Piccadilly
A intemperate London landmark, says Jo Fernández
Read a examination of The Ritz
19/21
Sibton Park, Suffolk
This large Georgian residence is a farming pleasure palace, says Sarah Sands
Read a examination of Sibton Park
20/21
No. 131, Cheltenham
Cheltenham, though not as we know it
Read a examination of No. 131
21/21
Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire
This is no Disney-like self-centredness plan of a rich individualist though an estate steeped in history
Read a examination of Brocket Hall
Away from a resort, Playa Grande offers hiking, biking, surfing beaches and a splendidly still seashore to explore. Amanera has restaurants and a beach bar though differently there is not a far-reaching choice of top-class dining options nearby. That shouldn’t be a problem, as a food served on a beach — prawns, red snapper, lobsters and salads — is affordable and fresh.
About that tour from London. The Dominican Republic has 8 general airports and a closest to Amanera is Puerto Plato, one hour away. However, usually Punta Cana, a bone-rattling 4 hours’ drive, is served by approach UK flights. Getting to Amanera is doubtful to be as candid as to other Caribbean hotspots though to counterfeit Stevenson, during Amanera it’s about a clarity of arrival.
Amanera, Playa Grande, Cabrera, Dominican Republic (001 809 589 2888; amanera.com). Rates for an Ocean View Hill Casita start during US$1,216 (£869) per night room only.
British Airways (0344 493 0787; ba.com) flies twice a week to Punta Cana and daily to Miami and New York from London with joining flights to Puerto Plato.
More about:
Dominican Republic
Caribbean
Cuba
Four Seasons hotel
British Airways