Staying in its $ 20,000 suite is still a 'no entry' to some exclusive areas at this hotel
Aman’s 83-suite hotel, located at the acquired 100-year old Crown Building at 57th and Fifth Avenue around the corner of Billionaires row, opened on Aug.2nd, though still halfway under construction.
Years of hype has made the Aman New York, the most hotly anticipated hotel opening the city has experienced in the last ten years. So much so, that New Yorkers forked out $ 100,000 as initiation fees to become founding members of its world-first Aman Club during the pre-opening period. This is apart from the $ 15,000 annual fee for renewal.
Incidentally, the membership sign-up fee has since then, risen to $200,000. Such is the frenzy to join New York’s new standard of luxury.
It’s Chairman and CEO, Vlad Doronin says 85% of his guests become repeat visitors – something not many hotels can boast off, even after offering loyalty membership points and free nights – something alien to the Aman group. In fact, the New York property has primarily sold out its 2022 inventory to “amanjunkies” – self described devotees of the brand who flock to its properties wherever they vacation.
The brand, whose resorts sway guests to pay more than US$ 2000 per night, appeals to a well –heeled crowd that expects the highest level of everything, from design to food and service, dispensed without pomp or flash, aka discreet luxury.
It converts architecturally inspired buildings such as summer palaces in Beijing and epic Venetian palazzos into ultra-private residences that guests can retreat to as temporary homes. Doronin explains that of Aman’s 34 locations, the only difference between the New York property and any other Aman site – all of which, excluding the Tokyo property, are spatially sprawled across horizontal, is that the amenities are stacked vertically. Even then, the elements that make up an Aman can be found everywhere – 14 floors up.
Then there are the rooms which fill up only six floors of the building. Premium suites which make up the bulk of the inventory, start at US$ 3,200 per night – that’s the official rate, although they’re currently selling for $ 4,200 per night for most weeknights and upto $ 5,500 per night on weekends. One of the suites – which fetch around $20,000 a night, has a bathroom, larger than some two-bed roomed apartments in New York.
There are some areas in the hotel, where entry is only for club members. These include a small cigar lounge concealed behind a secret door in the lobby and a private wine library that stocks obscure labels. Astonishingly, even guests who reside in the $ 20,000 suite won’t be allowed in.
It’s all about Aman’s positioning of ensuring that the vibe remains exclusive and private.
Hospitality Sri Lanka
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