Review: Aman New Delhi

Isn't it a Q7?

Yes, Q7. Obv lucky is not a car guy.

Exterior pics make it look like a super nice prison 😉

wow. For $500+ per night it seems like it's the least they can do to line up and wave to you. 🙂

I think that's a bit out of my league...and I'm not a poor person!

Cheaper than the Park Hyatt Zurich and on par with the one in Tokyo - actually I'm surprised at the rate, it isn't too bad for what you get!

@ Ralph -- Q7, G6, same thing. Stupid typo on my part. 😉

@ RakSiam -- It's not cheap, but after staying at this Aman and others I do find them to be an excellent value if you're willing to pay for a luxury product. Think about it, you're getting a room double the size of most standard rooms, free internet, free airport transfers, free minibar/snacks, and truly spectacular service. When you look at it from the perspective of this being a 39 room hotel with probably 100 employees on duty at any given time, I'd say it really is an incredible value.

if all the rooms are on floor 4, what's on floor 1-3?

@ Zzzzzzzzz -- The rooms are actually spread out over nine floors, with 4-5 rooms per floor.

You should try the Taj palace hotels.

Stayed in the Taj Nadesar Palace in the Queen Elizabeth suite. Very unique experience.

http://youhavebeenupgraded.blogspot.com/2011/07/taj-nadesar-palace-varanasi.html
http://youhavebeenupgraded.blogspot.com/2011/07/taj-nadesar-palace-varanasi-2.html

Looks fantastic. I am guessing this was the least impressive of the three Aman Resorts you stayed in while in India?

Lucky, does Aman have points program like others? Given that it's a luxury property, it probably doesn't have one... but your reviews of Aman has got me started with Aman properties! Saw the porfolio of propoerties and they were simply awesome. Points or no points, I certainly will have to save up for at least one nice week-long vacation at Aman properties someday!

@ stef -- This was hands down one of the most impressive city hotels I've ever stayed at. That being said, it really can't compare to a heavenly oasis two hours down a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, so I'd say the other two experiences were more "life changing," if that makes any sense.

@ brahms77 -- Unfortunately to the best of my knowledge they don't, though I'm told they have excellent guest tracking software, so if you're a repeat guest they take especially good care of you (then again, I'm not sure if they can take better care of someone than they do with first time guests either).

I agree with @Murphy. My first thought was of a Soviet bunker to ride out a nuclear Holocaust.

But it looks nice overall. I disagree about the soap pumps being cheap. I think they're a lot easier to use than the minis that run out and have to get replaced every other day. As long as they're not in giant dispensers mounted on the wall, they're fine.

It certainly does look nice. But "value" would not be a word I would choose for a room I was basically just staying overnight in. At $550 a night that "free" wifi surely isn't "free". Maybe complimentary. 🙂 But I have read that in India you basically have the 5 star luxury hotels with their attached stratospheric prices or ramshackle places that are cheap without much in the middle. But I have not been to India. Contrast it with a place like Thailand though that is full of beautiful 3 or 4 star type places at extraordinarily reasonable prices. Or even 5 star luxury available for not that much more money. I guess I just fall more into the camp that thinks spending a huge amount on hotel stays seems a little silly given how much time you actually spend there.

Is a hotel transfer really that expensive in India? Or the kind of stuff you get our of a minibar? I get that you guys got a deal due to your friend's connections. If I got a deal I would be more inclined to stay at a place like that too. But for regular people it seems a bit too extravagant.

Hotels are really expensive in India. BTW I wanted to bring attention to the large face of a woman sculpture at the entrance. It is by an Indian artist named Ravindra Reddy who makes gilded and painted fiberglass sculpture of women. They are very expensive and very much sought after.

@ RakSiam -- I certainly see where you're coming from, though I think it comes down to the fact that "value" can't be judged in absolute terms, but rather only in relative terms.

ArizonaGuy tweeted me to say he has concerns about me considering $26 "reasonable" for the American breakfast. He says he can't justify eating hotel breakfasts.

I agree, in absolute terms you can have a cheaper breakfast. But as a relative matter, $26 for a fantastic breakfast at a five star hotel is a good deal, in my opinion. It's the same cost as the mediocre buffet at the Grand Hyatt Tampa, and half the cost of the buffet at the Park Hyatt Shanghai. But at the end of the day I can't argue for the value of a deluxe $26 breakfast over breakfast you could pick up on the street for $1. Some people would never touch an expensive buffet breakfast, while others would never touch street food.

Similarly, not everyone values hotel experiences the same. Some people think of hotels as nothing more than a place to sleep, so they'll stay at a hostel that's $10. Convincing them that a $500+ per night hotel is worth it is impossible.

Similarly, there are people that value hotel stays (and their limited vacation time) immensely, and only want the most luxurious accommodations.

You ask if a hotel transfer is really that valuable. No, not if you would take a cab. But for a hotel transfer in a luxury car, yes, it would usually be pretty expensive.

So my point is simply that everyone places different value on things. I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would buy a $100,000 sports car. After insurance, gas, and factoring in depreciation, you're literally paying several dollars per mile. When I take the five mile trip to Starbucks it would really be "costing" me $30.

Similarly, some people buy $50,000 engagement rings. Why would anyone pay that much for an "accessory?" Some people say it makes their spouse happy, and that's priceless to them. And I don't think I'm in any position to judge that.

So Aman properties definitely aren't for everyone, but if you value luxury hotels, they deliver an unparalleled experience. So compared to their five star counterparts, I'd say Aman hotels are a great value. Compared to a three star hotel, I don't really think a fair comparison can be made.

Does that make any sense?

I absolutely understand what you are saying. For example I spend about a month each year in SE Asia. And I typically travel on private tours most of the time. Just me, a tour guide and driver. A lot of people would say that is a waste of money I suppose when you can do a lot on your own. But since I am on my own, I value (there's that word!) seeing as much as I can and having some one show me around, avoid issues since they take care of almost everything, can help translate for me, etc.

And I don't mind staying in very nice hotels, but I don't think I value the "experience" of that like I do other things. If it's over $200 that doesn't feel like a good value to me. But, to each his own. I would love to stay in those Taj old fortress hotels some time though. 🙂

the shower looks pretty cheap for that kind of hotel. I had expected a rain shower had.

Finally you stay and review a decent resort after all those junkyard parkhyatts that you have been staying at!

beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. ahhh, to experience luxury and extraordinary, meaningful service; truly an intangible gift beyond description and one i love to share.

it's not often we are able to experience this level of service/care and luxury but well worth the splurge when it makes sense.

if i'm shy on mileage and fly coach i've saved my pennies for what's awaiting on the other end....aman, rosewood, four seasons, etc...once experienced it's very difficult to go back.

haha @ord-tgu, although sydney looks nice!

FYI...

All Amans have shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in unique containers. They are each individual for the resort and location. It definitely beats cheap tiny plastic bottles. Rest assured the quality of the product is just as high end as the rest of the resort. You can usually buy the containers on site as well.