3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
An Honest Review of Amanyara, the Luxe Hotel in Turks and Caicos
As a vacation enthusiast and travel editor, visiting an Aman property has always been at the top of my bucket list. The hotel group's ultra-luxury resorts have come across my desk—and IG feed—many times over the years, from Amangiri in Utah (a Kardashian-favorite getaway) to Amanpuri in Thailand (I drool every time I see it). So when I was invited to the Turks and Caicos to visit Amanyara, the brand's beachy retreat within Providenciales' North West Point Marine National Park, I nearly passed away. Me? Posting up in the same hotel where Beyoncé celebrated her 43rd birthday? I'd have swum there if I had to.
Luckily, I didn't have to—I jetted off to the always-summery island this past December, and quickly realized I was going to be treated like an A+ lister for my entire three-night stay. Amanyara is, without a doubt, the most luxurious hotel I've ever stayed at (and, again, I'm a travel editor, so that's saying a lot), and I'm ready to tell you all about the food, rooms, amenities, and more below. Read on for my full review of Amanyara, and apologies in advance for all the poetic I'm about to wax.
BOOK A STAY
THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This was my first time in the Turks and Caicos, but I'd heard so many amazing things about the island nation over the years, from both colleagues and Drake songs, that I found myself dreaming about the white sand beaches for the entire four-ish hour flight from NYC. When we landed, a driver from the resort was there to pick me up, and the good vibes started immediately with cold drinks and Caribbean tunes welcoming me into the van. After less than a 30-minute drive, we arrived at Amanyara, and that's when things really started
I quickly learned that I was going to be staying in a villa—but not just, like, a room within a building. I was going to have an entire apartment to myself within Amanyara's Six-Bedroom Beach Sala Villa, aka a 13,640-square-foot retreat on the resort grounds, complete with six standalone apartments (perfect for a group of up to 12, but I was there with four other media members), a central pavilion with a dining room and hangout area, an infinity pool, plenty of lounge spaces, an outdoor dining area, and a private slice of beachfront. Our two villa "hosts"—who acted like private, golf-cart-wielding butlers throughout our stay—greeted me upon arrival and let me know that the private chef (because yes, each group is also assigned a chef, who can make you whatever, whenever) had prepared fresh spring rolls and mocktails to snack and sip on. I cannot get used to this, I remember telling myself in that moment.
THE ROOMS
"Room" is definitely an understatement here, but inside my apartment was a plush king-sized bed, a desk with ready-to-send postcards, a soaking tub with bath salts, a fridge full of complimentary drinks, so many closets I actually lost count, a bathroom larger than my NYC apartment (including an indoor/outdoor shower that changed my life), and a private outdoor space complete with lounge chairs and a yoga stage.
I was in the apartment closest to the pool, so every morning I would hit a button to open the shades, and the floor-to-ceiling windows would reveal the sparkling water just outside. I always headed out to sun by the pool, book in hand, before getting ready each day. I asked one of the hosts for a cappuccino and orange juice the first morning, and every morning after that, I was greeted with a glass of both as soon as I plopped my butt down on a lounger. The juice was so fresh, it tasted like the host had picked an orange off a tree and hand-squeezed it minutes earlier, just FYI.
THE AMENITIES
In addition to taking service very, very seriously (like actually, I think the staff would have flown to another country to get something I asked for), Amanyara is also huge on prioritizing wellness. With your booking, you get access to four clay tennis and pickleball courts (and a very kind instructor), a volleyball court, a soccer field, a boxing studio, a Pilates studio, and a wellness concierge who you can work with even before your stay. Our group took a private boxing class on our second day, and the instructor, Aga, kicked our butts in the best way possible.
If sports are your preferred style of self-care, you'll want to check out Amanyara's Legends Program, in which award-winning professional athletes from across the world come to the hotel to teach clinics in their field. Previous visiting icons have included tennis player Maria Sharapova, basketball player Kevin Love, football player Demarcus Lawrence, and more.
On the flip side, if relaxing hard is your idea of wellness (same), you'll want to pop over to the spa, where there are four treatment rooms, a tranquil pool, and an outdoor yoga space. There are a variety of island-inspired spa treatments to choose from (including baths, facials, wraps, and massages), as well as rotating classes and treatments depending on which visiting specialists are in residence when you're in town. Holistic therapist Irene Maranon Villa was visiting during our stay, and she taught us an Ai Chi class—which is basically aquatic Tai Chi— in the spa pool. I had no idea what that was when I saw it on our itinerary, but I wound up loving the slow and thoughtful practice.
THE FOOD AND BEV
Food is also a form of wellness, and, naturally, Amanyara excelled in this area as well. Of course, we had our private chef on call to make us anything our hearts desired (and he did whip up breakfast every morning), but we also had access to The Restaurant, an Asian-inspired fine dining spot, The Beach Club, which offered Mediterranean and American fare down by the ocean, and The Bar, where you can grab light bites along with some seriously delicious drinks. We tested out all three, and I highly recommend getting the chicken fried rice and dumplings from The Restaurant, and the gazpacho, mortadella pizza, and tzatziki from The Beach Club.
I think my favorite meal, however, was the one the hosts set up for us on our last night, in which they arranged a candlelit table by the pool in our villa. The chef whipped up a multi-course, family-style meal comprised of their best Thai dishes. It was such a nice way to close out an incredible trip, and a great way to make use of the privacy afforded by the villa.
THE BOTTOM LINE
A stay at Amanyara doesn't come cheap—I kept texting my fiancé how sad I was that he wasn't there with me, because it's definitely out of our regular vacation price range—but oh my god, if you can afford I've been wined and dined at dozens of hotels across the world, but there's something about Amanyara that's just special. The service is top-notch without being stuffy, the food is out of this world without feeling over the top, the design is peak luxury while still being minimalistic, and I felt like the best version of myself throughout my stay.
I've finally checked an Aman stay off my bucket list, but now I a bigger bucket list. Because now I've decided I have to see every other Aman there is out there in the world. Wish me luck!
