Near+Far Amanzoe review: 9/10

Why stay at Amanzoe

Amanzoe is just how one would imagine the deities’ home on Mount Olympus might look. There’s the acropolis setting, for starters, high on the Peloponnese peninsula. Then there are the doric columns, the gleaming white marble, the Greek pottery, shimmery pale blue waters and views of the rolling countryside and coastline that seem to go on forever. One of Greece’s most beautiful hotels and one of the most lauded in Aman’s portfolio, Amanzoe is an ode to classicism but exquisitely modernised with Aman’s impeccable eye and standards for luxury. In true Zeus or Hera style, all guests stay in their own free-standing private pool pavilion with a large terrace, sunloungers, sunken tubs, duel-showers, a mini garden with olive trees and perks like a complimentary mini-bar. Villas are on offer for those travelling in groups so impressive they’ve made it into a recent location for a Hollywood blockbuster. Add to that the signature Aman Spa, a library with 1,000 books, activities both on and off-site (from tennis to wine tours, horseriding and yacht tours), and you’ve got one of the world’s most elite luxury hideaways. If you’re doing Greece’ big’ – this is your place.

Stand-out touches we love

• Private pool pavilion and villas with everything catered to – soaking baths, sunbathing, swimming, complimentary indulgences at the mini bar (refreshed daily), and more.
• Weekly programme of included activities, including an introduction to ceramics, yoga, movement classes
• Complimentary shuttle to the beach club.
• Use of all non-motorised watersports equipment at the beach club
• Thoughtful, Grecian-inspired Amanzoe giftettes on the beach each night at turndown

Location: 9/10

Amanzoe sits on one of Greece’s most beautiful landscapes, the Peloponnese – a coastline known for its wineries, rural farmland, and staggeringly beautiful mountain ranges. The resort sits on a high elevation, offering 360-degree views from its acropolis – onto the sea, neighbouring Greek islands, like elegant Spetses, and the coastal towns. It’s a 2.5-hour drive from Athens, on the highway to the rural countryside, nail-biting cliffside drives and a dusty lane, or, as we do, a leisurely island-hopping journey from Piraeus (the port of Porto Heli is a 15-minute drive and connected to a network that includes Poros, Hydra, Spetses and Ermioni. Thanks to its remote nature, hidden away from visitors (typical of Aman), it’s a 10-minute drive but a complimentary shuttle to the beach club. Excursions can be planned in the local vicinity, and it’s not unusual to drop down to Porto Heli for dinner or even catch the 10-minute ferry to Spetses for a day or evening on the island.

The villas: 10/10

If you didn’t feel like a Greek god when arriving – thanks to the pottery, doric columns, shimmering water features and ethereal vistas – you’ll feel it in your private pavilion or villa. Our pool pavilion has a slice of sea views and seems to drop directly onto rolling olive groves and countryside. Pavilions offer a huge open space with a king bed, sitting area, sunken tub, dual shower with skylight – giving the impression of an outdoor shower – and two separate bathrooms and dressing areas perfect for couples. The TV is loaded with complimentary movies, and the mini-bar (healthy snacks, biscuits, chocolate bars, beers and soft drinks) is complimentary and refreshed daily – a generous and welcome addition. There’s also a great coffee machine and local tea – try the ‘Greek Mountain tea’. The star is the outdoor space, walled off by a gate with a private plunge pool, sunbeds, outdoor dining, olive trees and more – truly sublime.

There are seaview pavilions, beach pavilions (down the hillside in the beach club) and larger ‘villas’, multi-room hideaways with butler pantries, larger pools, and more – most are privately owned to have their own little homely stamp. Villa 20 is the ultimate luxury, home to six individual pavilions and setting the scene for 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Rented at €40k a night, it’s essentially an Amanzoe within Amanzoe.

Food and drink: 8/10

Amanzoe isn’t far from Porto Heli and surrounding towns, but it’s a bit of a winding, bumpy drive, so prepare to eat at the resort a lot. ‘Aman junkies‘, as the brand calls them, will be familiar with Nama, Aman’s signature Japanese restaurant, which occupies a more laid-back spot by the main hotel pool with 360-degree Aegean views. There’s also a pool-side menu of well-done classics like burgers and club sandwiches. Also on the hilltop itself, The Restaurant is the hotel’s all-day restaurant and occupies a striking position with views across the bay – plus there’s a bar located around a fire pit for gobsmackingly scenic sundowners. Tables are dotted around the marble restaurant’s stairs and hidden in the olive groves, and there’s a menu of Mediterranean and Greek classics like octopus and fresh fish, plus some inventive serves like spanacopota salad, and more. There’s in-room dining, but be mindful that it’s quite limited. It would be nice to see more Greek classics and international options, plus a children’s menu for families.

On one night during our stay, the little olive grove clearing near the tennis courts had been transformed into an al fresco traditional Greek taverna for the evening, complete with bouzouki music and Greek food, for a fun, family-style affair. Elsewhere, there’s Nura, the sleek beachfront Greek outlet at the Amanzoe Beach Club, where food is served al fresco. For us, the highlight is the daily breakfast, served in the main restaurant with ocean and countryside views with everything from acai and Greek yoghurt to spanakopita shakshuka, pancakes, omelettes and other classics. Food and drink generally are at a very high standard.

Spa and facilities: 10/10

Life is buzzing atop Amanzoe’s mini acropolis: there’s wellness, entertainment, culture and of course, plenty of luxurious amenities to enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing. For proper lengths, leave your private pool for the lake-like main swimming pool, which has brilliant views, and a sun canopy, just far enough away the kids’ pool just far enough away. Wellness and fitness are a focus, and guests can book classes at the Pilates studio or yoga pavilion, which has, such as floor-to-ceiling windows over the hills and is truly stunning. There’s a small but cutting-edge gym with an on-site trainer and an outdoor functional training area, which almost tempts us from our summer holiday slumber.

Two tennis courts are open to guests, with a resident coach, and there are even exclusive annual programmes with Aman’s global wellness ambassador Maria Sharapova (with next year’s rumoured to have new wellness advisor, Novak Djokovic. The Aman Spa is one of the biggest in the group, offering seven treatment suites (each with its own pavilion), a Watsu pool and Changing areas with a Hamman, sauna, cold plunge and steam room. A library has 1,000 books for guests to enjoy and borrow during their stay and two Aman boutiques – stocked with delicious smelling Aman Spa products and Aman Essentials (the ultimate sign of stealth wealth and quiet luxury ).

Amanzoe season runs from March to November, pavilions from €1,253 a night (about AED5,135); aman.com, @amanzoe

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