Aman Resorts
Aman Resorts is the trading entity of Aman Group Sarl, a Swiss-headquartered multinational hospitality company. Founded by Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1988, the company operates 34 properties in 20 countries. Vladislav Doronin is the chief executive officer, chairman, and owner. History. Founding. Founded in 1988, Aman Resorts' first destination was the result of hotelier Adrian Zecha's desire to build a holiday home in Phuket. His plans soon developed into an idea to build a small boutique resort with Anil Thadani and two other friends. They invested their own money in the venture as no banks  would lend for the project due to the small number of planned rooms. The resort opened as Amanpuri in 1988, with nightly rates reportedly five times higher than local competitors. By 1992, following the success of the first hotel, the group had expanded to include several resorts in Indonesia, a resort on Bora Bora and one in the Alpine village of Courchevel. Later, Clement Vaturi acquired a majority stake in the company, thereby allowing the boutique hotels to be further conceptualized. First ownership dispute (1998). In 1998, Vaturi's controlling interest was acquired by Los Angeles-based Colony Capital, a  real estate investment fund. A lawsuit between Vaturi and Colony Capital promised to drag on and Colony Capital moved to protect its interests by taking a more active role in the company. At this time, Zecha resigned from his position at Aman and for the next two years pursued other interests. In 2000, Colony Capital and Vaturi had settled their lawsuit and Vaturi sold his shareholding interests to Lee Hing Development, a Hong Kong investment company. With controlling investors allowing full control over the company, Zecha returned as chairman and CEO. Over the next seven years, Aman launched retreats in  Cambodia, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. On 27 November 2007, DLF, India's largest real estate company, acquired Lee Hing's controlling stake in Aman Resorts for $400 million including debt of $150 million. Second ownership dispute (2014). In early February 2014 DLF sold Aman Resorts for $358 million to Aman Resorts Group, an investment company led by Russian businessman Vladislav Doronin which also included Omar Amanat. The sale included all Aman properties except for the Lodhi Hotel in Delhi. DLF sold Aman Resorts in order to reduce its debt and refocus on real estate  after it had expanded into hotels, wind farms and running export processing zones. In April, Zecha stepped down as chairman a second time, and the company relocated its headquarters from Singapore to London in June. Its corporate headquarters has since been moved to Baar, Switzerland. Doronin assumed the position of chairman and French hotelier Olivier Jolivet was appointed chief executive officer in 2014. Aman under Doronin (2015–present). In August 2015, Doronin became the sole owner of Aman, when Pontwelly Holding Company, took full ownership of the hospitality business, Silverlink Resorts. Following this restructuring, Doronin and board director Alan Djanogly , remain as the only two directors. In February 2017, Roland Fasel joined Aman as chief operating officer, continuing his 25-plus-year career in luxury hospitality. Olivier Jolivet left the company the same year and Doronin assumed the position of chief executive officer. In 2020, Doronin unveiled Janu, a spun-off brand to operate larger hotels in Japan, Montenegro, and Saudi Arabia reportedly aiming to become a slightly more affordable complement to Aman. The group's diversification strategy continued in 2021 with the launching a clothing line, marking a shift towards becoming a self-proclaimed lifestyle brand. Hotels. Each Aman  property typically has a small number of rooms, usually fewer than 55. The brand is often characterised by media outlets as to offer remarkable service, with many of its properties reportedly having a staff count typically at a ratio of six staff to one guest. Outside urban settings, guest accommodation is typically provided in individual private villas, pavilions or tents (in the case of Aman-i-Khás in India, Amanwana in Indonesia, and Amanpulo in the Philippines), and often includes private outdoor lounging and dining areas. Aman mandates a concern for cultural preservation, and several of its properties are said  to have some historical background and importance. In Cambodia, for instance, the company acquired a ruined guest villa that had been built in the early 1960s by the country's King Sihanouk. All architectural records of the villa had been destroyed, but the discovery of an old tourist book with pictures of the building allowed the company to closely replicate what had been lost. Since its establishment, Aman has been highly rated by "Condé Nast Traveler, "Zagat Survey", "Gallivanter's Guide", "Harper's Hideaway" and "Travel & Leisure". 34% of Aman patrons reportedly originate from Europe, another 34% from Asia-Pacific , 28% from the Americas and 4% from the rest of the world. Architects. Among the architects who have designed Aman properties are Danilo Capellini, Ed Tuttle, , John Heah, Kerry Hill, Marwan Al-Sayed, Rick Joy, and Wendell Burnett. Locations. As of 2019, the group operates the following resorts (in order of opening):