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ThefirstAmanproperty, namedAmanpuri,wasbuiltwithinacoconutgrove
on thewesterncoastofPhuket, in1987.ThencamefiveAmanresorts in Indonesia,
some tuckedaway in thehills, othersalongwhite-sandbeaches.Afterbuilding in
thePhilippines,Amanresortsopened itsfirst (of two)U.S. property, inJackson
Hole,Wyoming, in1998.Now thereare24propertiesacross theglobe, eachboast-
ingaunique, typicallyunspoiled, setting; apleasingdesignaestheticbasedon re-
gional cues; anda thoughtfullycalibratedsenseof spaceandprivacy.Beyond that,
though, Zechamaintains that there’snoparticular formula.
If thebrand’saversion tocookie-cutterhospitalitydesign isstill refreshing to-
day, itwasnothingshortof groundbreaking in the late1980s,whenAmanpuri’s
Thai-stylepavilionsandvillasdebuted. It’seasy to forgethow radical theAmanre-
sortsconceptof intimate resorts in farawaydestinationsmighthavebeen24years
ago. “Lifestyleandbusinessalways involveagamble,”Zechanotes, “andasSteve
Jobssaid, ‘A lotof timespeopledon’tknowwhat theywantuntil youshow it to
them.’Wesubscribe towhathesaidsowell.”
The fact thatAmanresortsresonateswith itsguests isundeniable, butpinning
downwho thatguest isproves tobemuchharder. Is itsomeoneseekingrejuvenation
Amankora (Bhutan)
WINTER 2011
celebratedliving.com
78
PROFILE
Aman’s Appeal
“
Bhutan is inmanyways avery
special anduniquedestination, and it
was important tonot buildone large
dominant buildingbut in fact build
smaller lodge facilities spreadover
fivevalleys. Itwasbecausewe feel an
important reason tovisitBhutan is to
partakeof a ‘kora,’ acomplete journey
through thekingdom.
”
—AdrianZecha
