After three months exploring Southeast Asia — from Malaysia through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, and finally arriving in Cambodia — we had endured crowded boats, long bus and train rides, and nights on countless back-breaking mattresses. Amansara provided a surreal and welcome change of pace and comfort.
Two uniformed chauffeurs picked us up from our budget hotel in a vintage 1965 black Mercedes once owned by King Sihanouk. We glided through the maelstrom of Siem Reap, Cambodia’s second-largest city, to a white perimeter wall and a heavy gate. A guard opened it for us, revealing a short driveway lined with tropical foliage leading to a striking modernist building. The trials of the previous months fell away. We had entered the rarefied world of Aman.
© Aman
Aman is one of the world’s most exclusive hotel brands. Its properties, now numbering more than three dozen, are often discreet and understated, hidden havens for those in the know. Few hotel groups inspire as much loyalty among their guests; there is even a nickname for devoted patrons: Amanjunkies. My wife and I count ourselves among them. This stay marked our third visit to an Aman property.
Amansara occupies King Sihanouk’s former guesthouse, built in 1962 in the New Khmer architectural style. It was a glamorous era: the playboy king entertained guests such as Jackie Kennedy and actors like Peter O’Toole, who stayed here while filming Lord Jim. The later civil war forced the king into exile and left much of Cambodia in ruins.
The royal guesthouse fell into disrepair and was slowly reclaimed by vegetation, much like the ancient temples nearby at Angkor. In 2002 Aman began a careful restoration, initially reopening with 12 suites and later expanding with 12 more suites, each with a private pool. One of those suites was ours for two nights.
© Aman
While my wife settled in, I headed to the spa. I expected an hour or two of gentle relaxation, lulled by calming music and soothing aromas. Three months of travel had left my body sore and knotted. As I entered the spa reception, I carried the accumulated weight of every day and every mile. Amansara’s spa menu draws on centuries-old regional knowledge, offering treatments developed in this part of the world to ease the effects of arduous journeys.
As I browsed the menu — with its oil massages, hot herbal compresses and nourishing body wraps — the therapists suggested an alternative. They asked if I would be comfortable with a male masseur.
Before the treatment began, I filled out a form specifying my preferred pressure. I ticked “gentle,” picturing drowsy relaxation. In the treatment room I climbed, with some difficulty and likely an audible groan, onto the table. A large window looked out to a private courtyard and a bas-relief inspired by the friezes at Angkor Wat. The setting felt serene.
The masseur tested my shoulders and emitted an exclamation that translated roughly to “Eek!” In English he muttered, “Very bad.” He took my right wrist and pulled my arm across my back, reaching what I assumed to be the point of resistance. He kept pulling. I felt and heard the unsettling creak of tendons and joints. Every muscle fiber protested, but he continued.
© Aman
Although there was soothing music in the room, I barely noticed it. Restorative scents were present but faded behind the intensity of the moment. All my attention focused on the unnatural angle of my arm and the sharp pain radiating from my shoulder. Eventually the masseur released the pressure and the pain eased. He then turned to my other arm.
Over the next hour my limbs were manipulated into awkward positions and, for the first time staying at an Aman property, I experienced sustained discomfort. But when I finally rose from the table, I felt a suppleness I hadn’t known since my youth. I practically floated back to our suite.
One of Aman’s defining strengths is anticipating guests’ needs before they are voiced. When we wanted a drink, snacks or an exceptional meal, it was provided. When we needed local guidance or a lift into town in the hotel’s luxury tuk-tuk, staff were ready. Sometimes the most valuable service is a thorough, expert pummeling that restores your body and lets you enjoy the rest of your stay fully.