Amanzoe — Hotel in Municipality of Ermionida

Heaven on earth. This was our second time at the Amanzoe (Oct 2023) and we enjoyed ourselves even more than the first time! Our room was just as stunning as the well-kept property. The experience from ahead of arrival to departure was flawless. From the scheduled airport pick-up being the easiest thing, to our driver being incredibly thoughtful (water, lemon towels, tissues) through the drive, and the beautiful, warm welcome the Amanzoe staff gave upon arrival. ||On the note of the staff, we loved everyone. The attention to detail, the genuine warmth in their greetings, the exquisite level of service - we cannot say enough good things about everyone! It was wonderful to see familiar faces from our 2023 visit (shoutout Stefanos, Angela, and Kostantinos). Some names we did not manage to grab so this isn't limited to just the names listed (we did our best to memorize everyone): Aurelien, Stefanos, John, Marianna, Dimitra, Natashia, Tiffani, Anastatsis, Calista, Joy, Leftaris (bar), Charli (bar), lead bartender (bar), Gabriela (Gym), Stella (Spa) the various managers at meals and check-in, the folks working at the beach club on 4/26 and 4/27, housekeeping, groundskeepers, and there was a super kind gentleman (room service) who brought us dinner to our room + hot chocolate a different night and he was amazing (apologies, we didn't catch his name). The card he left for us to call room service when we were done with our meals was superb! A simple attention to detail that is a nice experience for the guest - our room didn't have to smell like burgers once we were done! ||The staff working at The Restaurant, the Beach Club restaurant/bar, the Bar, Namu and room service provided excellent food, stellar service, and just incredible hospitality. They helped with recommendations when needed, kept the table clean with any finished glasses or plates, answered any questions we had, and ensured we had a wonderful time! They each led with heart and professionalism - a wonderful balance and easy to see why they work at Amanzoe.|The food was improved from our visit in Oct 2023. We found ourselves really looking forward to each meal! We are dreaming about the food and are even more encouraged to visit again - hopefully sooner rather than later!||The private wine tasting was a superb experience – we highly recommend to everyone visiting. We loved that we were able to pick the location (we picked the bar), and the personalized wine tasting list was a sweet touch so we would easily be able to follow along. The sommelier remembered our wine choices from previous dinners and based our tasting menu off that – wow, talk about fabulous memory and attention to detail! John did an amazing job in making it feel special, informative, fun! Sometimes wine tastings, sommeliers come off as not relatable but John made sure to keep the conversation light, left room for questions and we enjoyed picking his brain to hear his opinions on his personal favorites! From the wine tasting, we found a bottle of wine we really enjoyed and he made sure to have it ready for our dinner that night. We are excited for his bright future - he knows so much already and we know he'll continue to expand beyond! ||Gabriela at the spa was so welcoming. She gave us a lovely, detailed tour of the facilities and was encouraging of any questions! It was impressive how the spa areas were completed with every amenity you can imagine. ||Housekeeping ensured we always had water, clean spaces, filled amenities, and a clean pool! We were so impressed at the attention to detail. I loved that the hair dryer was a Dyson (last visit in 2023 it was Babyliss, another solid brand)! The thoughtful housekeeping gifts with the notes explaining the Greek history / Amanzoe connection to the item was a lovely touch.||We thank the whole team we encountered at the Amanzoe during our stay - you helped us experience heaven on earth. This was the most relaxing vacation ever, a first for us to return from vacation and truly feel well-rested and rejuvenated. Time to get back to work to be able to visit again. ||Cheers to our next visit, we hope to see you soon. All our...

Arrival:

Our early-April 5 night trip to Amanzoe began with a scenic drive from Athens to the resort, which took us on a coastal road up through the mountains and through gorgeous wildflower-lined valleys.

Upon arrival, we were warmly received with a greeting from the GM, Aurélien (who checked on us throughout our stay, by the way) a welcome drink, and a tour of the resort and facilities. A bottle of champagne along with fruits and cheeses were waiting for us in the room.

Resort:

The resort itself is a stunning feat of architecture. It is perched up on a hill, with villas tiered up and down the hillside. A great deal of attention was paid to capturing and playing with the abundant natural light on this hill, and it honors its place in Greece with its grand symmetrical columns, tree-lined pathways, and shallow pools throughout the main areas, while somehow managing to make one feel at ease while gliding through them.

This is our fifth Aman on three continents and it is my favorite for its design and staff... which bring me to the next point.

Staff and Service:

An unexpected surprise at Amanzoe was the warmth and kindness of the staff. They maintain their professionalism, but there is an authenticity we felt which we don't always get to experience when traveling at this level. I felt very comfortable and at-home here because of the environment created by the staff. For me, it is unmatched in this regard. It was easy to let loose, relax, and just enjoy being present.

We were at the hotel right after it opened for the season, and there were a couple of very minor service hiccups, and the staff went way out of their way to make it up to us.

The assistant food and beverage manager was particularly hardworking and helpful, but all of the staff we encountered seemed genuinely happy to be interacting with us.

Villa:

We stayed in a Deluxe Pool Pavilion Sea View villa, and I call it a villa because it's an approximately 2,200 sq. ft. well-appointed space. One does not want for additional elbow room here. The patio offers a variety furniture on which to lounge around, and the pool is lovely and well-sized. Given the time of year, it was a bit too cold to swim, so we could've stayed in a room without the pool, but the sea view was worth it.

Environment:

The weather was chilly in early April and it rained a couple of days, but this did not detract from our enjoyment at all. It was nice to cuddle up under the blankets provided throughout the dining and common areas and sit by the fire during our meals or with a drink and look out at the view.

This is a quiet and peaceful resort. A place to unplug, in my opinion. Watching the sunset over the sea from the fire pit area with a cocktail in hand was a highlight.

There were a few well-behaved children at the resort, and I think if you are looking for a villa stay with family, this would be an excellent location for it, perhaps during a warmer time of year where a visit to the beach could be included.

Spa and Activities:

I enjoyed a signature spa treatment which involved a body scrub and olive oil massage. It was wonderful, and I recommend it.

My husband and I also had the pleasure of taking part in a private cooking class. The chef was friendly and engaging, and most importantly, prepared delicious recipes that we can replicate at home.

Food:

I have read quite a bit about the food being a weakness at Amanzoe, and I'd say on the whole, Amans are not known for being foodie destinations, so my expectations were low going into our stay. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the food! My husband and I had an abundance of greek salads, olive oils and breads, fresh fish, and unique desserts. Lean into local specialties while you're there, you won't be disappointed. Side note- the local lager is also really good.

We enjoyed my favorite dinner sitting on the sofa by the fire in the main restaurant, which is my best effort to describe how at-home we felt here.

Consensus:

Amanzoe is 10/10. Enjoy your new home away from home in Greece. The staff will take care...

We enjoyed Amanzoe, for the most part. We had some unfortunate issues with reservations and the management team at Amanzoe. However, the hotel completely made up for any frustrations, complaints, and misunderstandings. They through us an AMAN-zing private dinner, (our 20 year engagement anniversary), in the exquisitely designed and architecturally delicious library of the hotel. They made sure the caviar was overflowing, that champagne bubbles danced for us all through diner, and they had the head chef make a 6 course tasting meal, taking into account our most loved foods... A night we will always remember. Thank you to

The hotel is beautiful, the rooms are gorgeous, (we had a Pool Pavilion Suite), Very large and spacious. *Note: if you are wanting a room with a separate living room that can be closed off from the bedroom, you'll need to upgrade to a villa. Our room, though we were expecting a one bedroom with a separated living room, was b beautiful. The infinity pool, the large bathroom, with two Toto bidets, two washing rooms, two closets, and double shower heads. Our large outdoor patio, both covered and exposed, along with the beautiful pool.. And a terrific decision, the design feature utilized in each room of our pavilion, pocket doors that opened to the outside. Bringing the outside in.. lol I hate that phrase, but it was true. The entire property is extremely clean and well kept. There are amazing views around almost every corner, so take advantage of them, and get up for the sunrise and pay attention to the time for sunset.. You will think me.

I give the food a solid A, though more options for dining would be nice. If I recall, there are two dining rooms each a different restaurant. And there I think are two bars, one lounge. There is ample space to stretch out for some privacy all-around the main buildings of the hotel, outside and indoors.

Aman spas, well.. what can I say? I give the spa a solid A++. I had a 3 1/2 hour signature Aman treatment that just sends me into orbit. Completely transformative, extremely meditative, luxurious and top of the line oils and creams.. Candles, music.. and the incredible technicians that perform this treatment have been so well trained and have so much experience, my therapist gets again, a solid A++.

*One activity I HIGHLY recommend: VISIT THE FAMILY FARM, feed the animals, tour the farm facilities, and have a home made lunch, made by the husbands mother, who lives with them too.. This was a spectacular, fun, down to earth experience, one that i will always think of HIGHLY!

The pool area is amazing. If you can, and there is one available, get a luxury poolside pavilion. Complete with indoor and outdoor space, your very own private pool, and a ton of privacy. These structures are basically luxury hotel rooms with private pools, that run along one side of the pool area. The pool area has 4 swimming pools to choose from, if I remember correctly. Beach chaise loungers on the sand or on the boardwalk and patio area are also available. And for water activities in the beautiful sea? There are jet skis.. Well there is basically equipment for any type of weather sport you can think of.. At least it seemed like there was..

My low note: The staff and lower management need to work at a higher level of consistency in the F&B department, as well as lower management need to gain a bit more confidence and grab hold of the ability to make tough decisions for guests, when a situation arrises. We had a pretty large issue that took 3 days to sort out. Lower management also gave me these impressions: One manager seemed to have worked there for a while, and had plenty of experience. Yet decision after decision, the solutions he extended to us for the hotels mistakes, left me with a terrible impression of the hotels management, and the hotel itself. He showed no concern or care, nor did any of his solutions seem well thought out. They definitely lacked sincere, thoughtful, person to person communication and compromise. It was his way or the highway.

Kudos to the GM who...