Amanbagh

Where to start…from the warmest welcome song to the magical anniversary dinner on the balcony, this place has enchanted us. The hotel is an oasis of peace and beauty. The rooms make you feel as if you are a Maharajah or Maharani, the wildlife is a constant source of interest and the food is absolutely delicious. So much of the produce comes from the hotel’s own gardens; it’s some of the freshest and often delicate food we’ve ever had. The staff, led by the charming hotel manager Harry, are excellent and knowing how supportive the hotel is of the local community makes staying here feel beneficial as well as self-indulgent! I absolutely loved that if you put a little wooden carving on your bed each day to show you don’t need your sheets changed (and let’s face it people, who needs their sheets changed every day - you don’t do that at home I hope), the money saved on washing gets put into community projects instead. We tried to do most of the excursions and they were all lovely, giving you a real flavour of the local area’s history, culture and beauty. Amanbagh will live long in our memory and maybe we will get to come back for our next ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ holiday!

This was the best Aman we have stayed in. It was the nicest hotel I think we have ever stayed in (and we do a lot of luxury travel). The service was EXCELLENT. We had a server named Sparsh and he was so kind and attentive. The rest of the staff bent over backwards to assist. The actual property was also gorgeous. I can’t recommend this hotel enough. It’s worth every penny!

Living upto its name, Amanbagh is truly a place full of peace and tranquillity. The staff and service is top notch. Every detail is taken care of to make your trip special. Shout out to Mr. Sardar. All and all a must visit for anyone travelling to Rajasthan.

Absolutely beautiful. As soon as you walk into the resort, feelings of calmness and clarity overcome you. The resort meets the AMAN standards and then some. The food, accommodations and grounds are five star plus. The staff wraps it all together to ensure it is a 10 memorable and enjoyable experience. The resort also has an extraordinary wellness spa staff and doctor. They were able to cure a neck problem that no one else could with a special massage. Additionally i met with the doctor and he made suggestions for reducing stress and improving mental and physical well-being. Additionally, be sure to catch the yoga classes! He is very encouraging and knowledgeable. We also went on tours with Ratan. He was highly recommended and he did not disappoint us. He will educate you on the history of the Rajasthan region and its people. He is with the hotel. Ratan drove us to Bhangarh Fort and on the way pointed out native birds. A visit to the fort makes you feel as if you stepped back in time with the grazing cows and monkeys. The warm breeze adds to the ambiance. Another afternoon we went on a tour around the time the locals herd their sheep, goats and other animals in from the fields. The people are very friendly. We actually had the opportunity to sit and speak with a group of local men. Very enlightening! The women and men are hard working but have a wonderful sense of humor at the end of the day. This was a fun opportunity for us and Ratan enjoyed taking us on the adventure. Another interesting, relaxing and really special day out with Ratan. He dropped us back at the resort with a smile. We ate outside under the stars. Sadly it was out last night but we know we will return. We discovered a special magical place to rejuvenate our wellbeing!

My husband and I are seasoned travellers, and embarked on an 11-day tour of Rajasthan, culminating in our final night at Amanbagh. As avid fans of the Aman brand, with ten previous resorts under our belts, our expectations were naturally high. We had experienced incredible service in India at the Rajmahal palace, The Oberoi, Six Senses Fort Barwa and Aman i khas (shout out to Kishan and his team who were superb and a class act in every way). However, our experience at Amanbagh left us feeling disappointed and somewhat disillusioned. Let's begin with the positives: Amanbagh's location amidst the picturesque and storied hills is undeniably breathtaking. The tranquility of the surroundings, especially during the morning and dusk, cast a spell of serenity over the entire property. Additionally, the ambiance during dinner was enchanting, creating an idyllic setting to unwind even further after a day of relaxation. Regrettably, our stay was marred by significant shortcomings in service, a cornerstone of the Aman brand's raison d’etre. The staff, unfortunately, lacked the finesse, charm and sadly experience, that we've enjoyed on many occasions. Instead of the warm hospitality that we’ve grown accustomed to at Amans, we found the majority of the staff to be distracted and disengaged. The notable exception was the spa manager from Bhutan, who stood out for his genuine interest in us and our plans. During our first lunch, two waiting staff members were on their phones. To say the service lacked refinement would be an understatement. The absence of the customary acknowledgment from staff (except for garden staff), a hallmark of Aman, and having to wander to get someone’s attention at the dining area or pool was the norm during our stay. Moreover, we barely had any interaction with the GM except briefly during arrival and departure, a stark departure from our previous experiences. He seemed disinterested and it was a similar theme with every guest. I also wasn’t expecting a room cleanup on every occasion we left the room (which is the case at some Amans like Amansara/Amanoi!), however, I have come to appreciate and be spoiled by the full room clean on departure day which I’ve experienced at all others excluding Amanbagh. While it may be unfair to compare Amanbagh directly to Aman i khas, given the disparity in price and scale, we expected a level of service commensurate with similar other Aman properties. Unfortunately, that is hardly the case here. I suspect Amanbagh is an addendum to most Aman i khas itineraries, and felt just like that, merely an afterthought post a grandiose and wonderful experience. Why anyone would return here is beyond me. We hope that our feedback will prompt improvements and uphold the esteemed legacy of the Aman brand.

Pros: Lovely property (perfect for Instagram, if that’s your thing). The Chatri dinner is memorable and beautiful. The staff is very friendly. There was good food and very nice service at the restaurant. Rooms are a little dated, but otherwise big and spacious. Cons: There is no A/C in the rooms during “winter”, where the weather gets as high as 80 degrees F during the day. Because of the daytime heat, the rooms don’t cool at night even when the temperature drops. When we were there, opening the window was not an option because of the poor air quality (and, according to the staff, comes with risk of monkeys coming in). If you need to sleep in a cold room, this place is not for you. The staff, while lovely, do not appear as well trained as some of the more established hotel chains in India. It took about 5-6 requests for the AC to be turned on before anyone would admit it’s not an option, which was incredibly frustrating and left us with a really bad taste. We had also flagged needing AC ahead of time to all hotels on the trip - of the 6 stops, this is the only place we had an issue. They also did not tell our travel agent (who was fantastic) that it wasn’t available. We ended up leaving a night early because of this. Less of a bigger deal but worth noting since it’s an Aman - prior to our arrival, we asked to book one of the activities offered in their brochure - a hike to one of the nearby forts. We received confirmation but were told upon arrival that we would be driving, not hiking. That was fine with us, but it was odd to offer something not available. Air quality (obviously not in the hotel’s control) can have a big swing in stay quality. Because this is a place to relax outside (even the restaurant is al fresco), if you get poor air quality during your stay, relaxing outside is not really an option. Again, this probably wasn’t an issue when they built the hotel, but unfortunately is something to consider when traveling to India.